Saya
Kuroeda 黒枝 咲哉

2019.11.07

A unique road bicycle racer going his own way

The brothers Shiki and Saya Kuroeda have gained renown in the world of road bicycle racing. Both of them are sprinters with explosive speed. Younger brother Saya belongs to Shimano Racing Team, and last year—his first year as a professional racer—he won his maiden victory at Japan’s most prestigious cycling road race series, J PROTOUR. He placed 23rd in the JPT individual rankings as of October 2019.

From a career in music to bicycle racing

Saya said his elder brother is “a rival in a race who puts me on my mettle. But being his little brother gives me a lot more advantages because I am just pedaling without trouble on the tracks laid by my brother with hard work.” In public, he describes Shiki as “a rival and like my closest friend,” but “someone in whom I put my absolute trust” is what he really feels about his elder brother. It was Shiki whom Saya consulted with about going to university and becoming a professional racer.

Following in the footsteps of his elder brother, Saya began bicycle racing in high school. Until then, he had led a life unrelated to sports. He started playing the piano as a first grader and belonged to the brass band club in junior high school. “I chose music which my mother loves.” He remembers how delighted his mother was when he took part in a piano competition in the Kyushu round. In high school, he continued playing music, thinking that entering a music university would make his mother happy. But “I felt music would end up as a hobby. I was thinking of finding another path when my elder brother became Japan’s best bicycle racer. Since he could do it, I can do it. This ‘strange confidence’ led me into bicycle racing.”

An incredibly positive thinker, he followed the path of becoming the “only one.”

Saya entered Hiji Youkoku High School, a powerhouse of bicycle racing. As a third-year student, he won the men’s race at the Japanese national junior road race championships and the men’s 4-km mass-start race at the All Japan Inter High School Athletic Meeting, and participated in the men’s race of the UCI Road World Championships.

Taking advantage of his speed like his elder brother, he became a sprinter who can ride well on a tough mountain course with his innate explosive and elastic muscle power. Bicycle racing is attractive for “the sense of speed that a person cannot feel when running. The sprint right before the finish is fun.” Saya is able to enjoy a race. “I forget tough things, and something fun remains in my memory.” Always thinking positively, he can pedal along with an image of himself being in good condition.

Saya went on to the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Kanoya as his brother did, and his efforts bore fruit in the form of a professional contract. Results are everything in the tough professional world. Every year, they compete for survival. Still, “it’s fun to have a life thinking only about cycling. I have no fear. I never think about my results getting worse,” said Saya in a positive tone.

His goal is to participate in the Olympic Games, but he is aiming for more than that. “I want to be an athlete beloved by fans.” It is a goal just like Saya.

Saya Kuroeda’s philosophy

To be an athlete beloved by fans