Egan Bernal joins other stars of the Tour de France peloton at the exhibitional Saitama Criterium
Cycling
The Tour de France criteriums continue this weekend, with many of the key names of the French Grand Tour heading to Japan's Saitama Criterium on Sunday November 5, straight from last weekend's Prudential Singapore Criterium.
The likes of Tadej Pogačar, Sepp Kuss, Giulio Ciccone and Pello Bilbao will deliver another display, along with Peter Sagan, Mark Cavendish and Chris Froome who are lining up with the race's Legends Team. Egan Bernal, who wasn't in Singapore, will also be joining alongside his Ineos Grenadiers teammates Joshua Tarling and Brandon Rivera.
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The events in Singapore and Tokyo, more of an exhibition than a race, take some of the fanfare of the Tour de France beyond Europe to give the large crowds a glimpse of their favourite riders. "You see all the kids here with stars in their eyes," said Froome.
Photo opportunities on rickshaws, selfies and autographs were a big part of the event in Singapore and that trend will continue through to Tokyo, where the seven teams filled with international riders line up alongside seven Japanese teams. A maillot jaune autograph sessions, a Cycle Festa, opening ceremony and closing party are all part of the agenda.
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Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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- She deviated from her line - end of
leedorney10-11-2026 - If I was Lucinda Brand, I'd refuse to wear the jersey. Is there a rule that she "has to" wear it, as the winner? It would certainly feel like stolen valor.wrsty10-11-2026
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- Saw a casual interview with Geraint Thomas and him a few years ago. Seems like a nice laid guy and I wish him well.GregT10-11-2026
- Ernesto Maggioni - The president of the commissaires Mafia. It is getting evident that this guy is basically "Iamalwaysrightandyouarestupidsoiwontlistentoyou" kind of guy. So fire him so that he can be always right in his homeabstractengineer10-11-2026
- Somehow it has got into his mind that he is a GC rider. He is primarily a classics and stage rider who can perform on GC given his day. As a result he is wasting his time on TDF GC and once committed to GC you are too tired to do anything else.abstractengineer10-11-2026
- 🐐❤️Lozza09-11-2026
- This is such a black eye to women's professional cyclocross if this result remains. Marie Schreiber won this race fairly. This finish is not unlike others in cyclocross. Lots of moving around to get to the finish not to cut anyone off , but to generate a sprint on soft wide tires caked with mud and sand. This is not nearly the same as a road race between two riders sprinting to the finish on faster bikes and thinner firmer tires. The powers in charge need to use some common sense, reverse this result and remember this is Cyclocross not Road racing. Unbelievable. . .Zencycle09-11-2026
- Tis beyond your comprehension fine sir so best not to look on with blind eyes to THE GOATS greatness.
Brucegel09-11-2026
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🇯🇵 This Sunday, the Tour de France is back in Japan for the 9th edition of @saitamacrite! 🚴♂️ 🇯🇵 Ce dimanche, le Tour de France est de retour au Japon, pour la 9ème édition du Critérium de Saitama !🤩 #SaitamaCriterium
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