Japan use £108,000 track bike with left-sided drivetrain at Paris Olympics

The Japanese national cycling team is using a new track bike at the Paris Olympics, which retails at £108,000 and has an unusual left-sided drivetrain. 

The V-Izu TCM-2, made by Japanese carbon manufacturer Toray, was unveiled back  in May at the Japan Track Cup competition in Tokyo. It had previously been spotted at last August's UCI World Championships in Glasgow, where it was ridden for homologation ahead of the Games. 

The bike is characterised by its wide front forks, aerodynamic design and, most notably, a drivetrain installed on the left side of the frame. 

Though uncommon, this is not a new phenomenon in track cycling. In 2016, USA Cycling revealed a pursuit bike with a left-sided drivetrain, produced by bike brand Felt. The brand's designers said placing the chainring on the inside improved aerodynamics and handling, and combatted the impact of yaw. 

As UCI rules state that all equipment must be commercially available, the V-Izu TCM-2's frame alone is on sale for €126,555 (£108,000), a prohibitive price tag that effectively takes it off the market. 

It is the most expensive track bike at the 2024 Olympics, costing significantly more than Team GB's Hope x Lotus HB.T, priced at £25,000 for the frame, and Australia's Factor bike, at £47,000 for the full set-up.

The V-Izu TCM-2 was debuted at the Olympics on Monday by the men's team pursuit squad, who clocked a time of 3:53.489 in qualifying. 

Benoît Bétoux, technical director of Japan's high performance centre, said he was "moved" by his experience riding the track bike earlier this year. "It gives you a sense of speed and stability for the first time in your life," he said.

The bike's speed was also noted by Koichi Nakano of the Japanese Cycling Federation. "The first thing that athletes say about this bike is that once you get up to speed, it's hard to slow down," he said. "Riding on inertia, the bike picks up speed faster than the person riding the bike thinks. 

"On the other hand, it seems to feel heavy at slow speeds. But I think it is a bike that can demonstrate its performance when used in high-level competitions."

The bike sparked controversy when it was used at the World Championships last year for its resemblance to the patented wide fork design of Team GB's Hope x Lotus bike. Speaking in August, British Cycling's head of performance Stephen Park said there "might well be" cause for legal action, although Cycling Weekly understands none has been taken.