Belgian tops Vingegaard and Thomas in Japanese exhibition event
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Jasper Philipsen sprints to the victory in the Saitama Criterium(Image credit: YUICHI YAMAZAKIAFP via Getty Images)
Philipsen triumphed in Saitama(Image credit: Kenta HaradaGetty Images)
The Belgian won the sprint finish from a small group(Image credit: Kenta HaradaGetty Images)
Jonas Vingegaard was second in his yellow jersey(Image credit: Kenta HaradaGetty Images)
The final podium – Philipsen, Vingegaard, and Geraint Thomas(Image credit: Kenta HaradaGetty Images)
The retiring Vincenzo Nibali and Alejandro Valverde(Image credit: Kenta HaradaGetty Images)
Vingegaard in yellow at the start of the race(Image credit: YUICHI YAMAZAKIAFP via Getty Images)
The peloton during the criterium(Image credit: YUICHI YAMAZAKIAFP via Getty Images)
The riders down an underpass(Image credit: YUICHI YAMAZAKIAFP via Getty Images)
Vincenzo Nibali in the peloton during the race(Image credit: Kenta HaradaGetty Images)
Simon Geschke in his Tour de France polka dot jersey(Image credit: Kenta HaradaGetty Images)
Earlier in the day, Jumbo-Visma won the team time trial event(Image credit: Kenta HaradaGetty Images)
Astana Qazaqstan out on the road during the TTT(Image credit: Kenta HaradaGetty Images)
Victory at the 2022 Tour de France Saitama Criterium fell to Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck), with the Belgian sprinting to the line from a six-man group.
Philipsen, who won two stages at this year's Tour de France including the finale on the Champs Elysées, was a popular 'winner' of the exhibition event, which sees stars of the Tour on display in Japan.
The 24-year-old beat Tour de France champion Jonas Vingegaard to the line, with 2018 Tour winner Geraint Thomas rounding out the podium.
The event played out on a short circuit around the Tokyo commuter belt suburb of Saitama, with each lap taking the riders through a packed audience in the JSports arena, where Guns N' Roses were preparing to play that night.
The 'race' was animated by a two-man breakaway featuring recently retired veterans Vincenzo Nibali and Alejandro Valverde. With 10km to go, however, their escape came to an end, with Valverde offering a well-choreographed handshake to his compatriot.
That left a group of seven out front, with Philipsen, Vingegaard, Thomas, Chris Froome and Enric Mas the five riders who chased back on. Thomas attacked on a kicker out of a tunnel to spark a brief two-man move with Mas, before going again when things came back together.
That turned out to be the final selection, as Thomas went to the line with Vingegaard and Philipsen. The Belgian would have won convincingly in any normal scenario and so it was here.
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"I was not up against the strongest sprinters but they are strong riders," he said. "I'm happy I could finish it in the sprint."
Mark Cavendish, a favourite with the Japanese fans. mopped up from the bunch behind.
Earlier in the day, Jumbo-Visma topped the team time trial event, with Vingegaard joined by Steven Kruijswijk and Sepp Kuss.
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Patrick is a freelance sports writer and editor. He’s an NCTJ-accredited journalist with a bachelor’s degree in modern languages (French and Spanish). Patrick worked full-time at Cyclingnews for eight years between 2015 and 2023, latterly as Deputy Editor.
