Biniam Girmay sprinted to victory in the Saitama Criterium in Japan on Saturday afternoon, after a late solo escape by Primož Roglič was brought to heel just before the line.
The annual event, held on the streets of Saitama on the fringes of Tokyo, showcased a host of Tour de France stars, including Mark Cavendish (Astana Qazaqstan), Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty) and Ben O’Connor (Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale), and Roglič.
Underneath an insistent rain broken only by a flit through the covered Saitama Super Arena once a lap, where they were cheered on by enthusiastic crowds, the riders took on 17 circuits of a tight, city-centre circuit, for a total 61.2km, gingerly negotiating two U-turns each time round.
The race was punctuated by four intermediate sprints that showcased the Tour de France fastmen to the full, with Philipsen winning the first two, Cavendish the third and, finally, Tour de France green jersey winner Girmay finishing the job off with number four.
In-between each of the sprints the race saw breakaways, none making a huge amount of headway before being reeled back in, just in time for the sprinters to do their thing.
Primož Roglič initiated what was surely the most dramatic of these, with the Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe rider resplendent in the red jersey of Vuelta a España winner, opening up a gap in the final lap that looked as though it might hold.
However, in the battle between the Vuelta’s red and the Tour’s green, it was green that ultimately won out, as the sprinters, led by Girmay came past Roglic in a flurry in the final metres.
Speaking afterwards, Girmay said: “This year I had a win in Australia, a victory in Europe, in Africa, in Canada… it is the first time here [in Saitama] for me, and to win [already] is so nice, against the best cyclists in the world.”
He also paid tribute to the group of Eritrean fans that had come to support him. “It’s an honour,” he said. “I don’t think I’ve raced once in the last three years without any fans from Eritrea, it’s always nice. It always gives me something extra.”
The day’s competition began earlier in the afternoon with a team time trial, held over a single lap of the criterium circuit, and won by the Shimano Racing Team – one of seven Japanese pro teams taking part across the two events.
Between the racing the arena crowds were entertained by local dance and music groups, in a festive atmostphere that did its utmost to defy the dreary weather.
Results: Saitama Criterium
1. Biniam Girmay (Eri) Intermarché-Wanty, 61.2km in 1:35:09
2. Primož Roglič (Slo) Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe
3. Mark Cavendish (Gbr) Astana Qazaqstan
4. Jasper Philipsen (Bel) Alpecin-Deceuninck, at s.t.
5. Nicolas Vinokourov (Kaz) Astana Qazaqstan, at 2sec
6. John Degenkolb (Ger) dsm-firmenich-PostNL
7. Kohiro Hatsukawa (Jap) Aisan Racing Team
8. Sandy Dujardin (Fra) Total Energies
9. Yukiya Arashiro (Jap) Bahrain Victorious
10. Amano Takeharu (Jap) Shimano Racing, all at s.t.
