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* Left to righ: Jung Jong-jin (2nd), Im Chae-bin (1st), Ryu Jae-yeol (3rd)
The brightest star in K-Cycle, Im Chae-bin (SS), reaffirmed his dominance by winning the 2025 K-CYCLE STAR RACE final held at the Gwangmyeong Velodrome on 25 May. This victory adds another accolade to his legacy as the undisputed champion of the sport.
The K-CYCLE STAR RACE, held from 23 to 25 May, served as a prelude to the KING OF KINGS CHAMPIONSHIP scheduled for the end of June. With top riders across all grades—Entry, Excellence, and Special—the event delivered high-intensity action from the qualifiers to the finals.
From Major Upsets to Expected Finalists
The qualifiers on the 23rd saw some shocking eliminations in the premier class, with Super Premier rider In Chi-hwan and top-four ranked Hwang Seung-ho both failing to advance. Rising stars from the Suseong team like Kim Ok-cheol, Im Yoo-seop, Seok Hye-yoon, and Son Je-yong also fell short.
By contrast, the semifinals on the 24th played out more predictably:
· In B-Grade (Entry Grade), new 29th generation standouts Shin Dong-in, Kim Jeong-woo, and Oh Tae-hee advanced, joined by veterans like Jeong Jae-seong, Oh Jeong-seok, and Song Dae-ho.
· In A-Grade (Excellence Grade), favorites Im Jae-yeon, Won Jun-oh, and Yoon Hyun-goo made the cut, alongside Kim Min-ho, Shin Dong-hyeon, Lee Cha-hyeon, and newcomer Kim Tae-ho.
· In S-Grade (Special Grade), four Super Premier riders—Im Chae-bin, Jung Jong-jin, Yang Seung-won, and Jeon Won-gyu—advanced, as did Ryu Jae-yeol, Kim Woo-gyeom, and Gong Tae-min.
Finals Recap: Power, Timing, and Tactical Brilliance
The finals were held on the 25th, starting with the B-Grade. National endurance specialist Shin Dong-in went for a long-range Lead strategy and comfortably won, followed by Kim Jeong-woo and Eom Ji-yong. Shin and Kim earned special promotion to A-Grade.
In the A-Grade final (Race 12), Kim Tae-ho surprised the field with an early burst, echoing Shin Dong-in’s long-range tactics. But in the final stretch, Im Jae-yeon, Yoon Hyun-goo, and Won Jun-oh surged ahead to take the top three spots.
The highlight of the event was the S-Grade final (Race 16). In the early lineup, Gimpo riders Gong Tae-min, Kim Woo-gyeom, and Jung Jong-jin formed a front pack ahead of Im Chae-bin and Ryu Jae-yeol. As Kim Woo-gyeom launched an early Lead move, Jung followed tightly and attempted an Overtake with half a lap to go.
But Im Chae-bin, staying composed, executed a perfect Last Charge in the home stretch, overtaking Jung to claim the win. Ryu Jae-yeol finished third after shadowing Im throughout.
At the awards ceremony, Im shared:
“I lost position early to the Gimpo trio, so I was preparing to switch to Lead or Overtake depending on the race tempo. But the pace was fast, so I stuck to a Last Charge, and it paid off.”
Lee Geun-woo, senior editor at “Myeongpoom K-CYCLE (Premium K-CYCLE)“, commented:
“This Star Race was another clash between Im Chae-bin and Jung Jong-jin. Im showed he’s still a level above. All eyes are now on whether he’ll complete the sweep at the King of Kings next month, or if Jung can find a way to break the streak.”
