John Degenkolb (Giant-Alpecin) wins the Saitama Criterium (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
The race passed under a covered area(Image credit: ASO)
Romain Bardet (Ag2r-La Mondiale) joins a late attack(Image credit: ASO)
John Degenkolb (Giant-Alpecin)(Image credit: ASO)
Chris Froome reaches out to the fans(Image credit: ASO)
Degenkolb and Froome wave to the crowd from the final podium(Image credit: ASO)
Chris Froome raced in his Tour de France yellow jersey (Image credit: ASO)
The riders passed Saitama's sky skyscapers (Image credit: ASO)
Chris Froome signs some autographs before the race (Image credit: ASO)
John Degenkolb (Giant-Alpecin) win the sprint to the line(Image credit: ASO)
Riders attacked on virtually every lap(Image credit: ASO)
The Japanese crowds watch on Team Sky controlled the peloton(Image credit: ASO)
A particular view of the race(Image credit: ASO)
The peloton crosses the line for the climber's points (Image credit: ASO)
The riders raced around the city centre (Image credit: ASO)
John Degenkolb won the 2015 Saitama Criterium (Image credit: ASO)
John Degenkolb (Giant-Alpecin) on the podium at the 2015 Saitama Criterium (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
John Degenkolb (Giant-Alpecin) is congratulated by Chris Froome (Team Sky)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
John Degenkolb (Giant-Alpecin) collects the winner'strophy at the Saitama Criterium (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Alexis Vuillermoz (Ag2r-La Mondiale) on the podium(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Jacopo Guarnieri (Team Katusha) brings home the peloton(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
John Degenkolb (Giant-Alpecin)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
John Degenkolb (Giant-Alpecin) beats Fumiyuki Beppu (Trek Factory Racing)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
John Degenkolb (Giant-Alpecin) begins to celebrate his win (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Here comes John Degenkolb (Giant-Alpecin)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
John Degenkolb (Giant-Alpecin) lead the sprint around the final curve (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
John Degenkolb was the sharpest archer of the lot(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
John Degenkolb (Giant-Alpecin) sprinted to victory at the Saitama Criterium, beating local rider Fumiyuki Beppu (Trek Factory Racing). Tour de France champion Chris Froome (Team Sky) rounded off the podium after leading out the sprint in the final metres.
The 60-kilometre criterium rounded off a day’s racing that included a time trial and points race earlier in the day.
There was plenty of action throughout the criterium with an early break of four going off the front. Each of the big-name rider in the race made an attack off the front during the 19 laps before the successful move of six riders went clear.
Froome, Degenkolb, Beppu, Romain Bardet (AG2R-La Mondiale), Yukio Arashiro (Europcar) and Joaquim Rodríguez (Katusha) rode off the front with just a handful of laps remaining. Arashiro was particularly active, hovering up the points available after each lap. As they neared the line to begin the penultimate lap the Japanese rider attacked, much to the delight of the crowd who let out a huge cheer as he passed through the Super Arena Saitama. Arashiro managed a lap out front before he was caught by the other riders.
The six riders came into the final kilometre together, with Froome taking up the sprint first. Degenkolb eased around him to take the victory with Beppu stuck firmly to his wheel. Rodríguez slotted home in fourth, Bardet was right behind him in fifth, while points classification winner Arashiro took sixth.
“It was a very great race, with so many spectators. They are super emotional, especially in the final the crowds were so loud and you can almost compare it to the Champs Elysees from the atmosphere and the noise on the said of the road,” said Degenkolb. “Now the season is really finished for me and now the preparation for the new season starts.”
Results
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#
Rider Name (Country) Team
Result
1
John Degenkolb (Ger) Team Giant-Alpecin
1:19:30
2
Fumiyuki Beppu (Jpn) Trek Factory Racing
Row 1 - Cell 2
3
Christopher Froome (GBr) Team Sky
Row 2 - Cell 2
4
Joaquim Rodriguez (Spa) Team Katusha
Row 3 - Cell 2
5
Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
Row 4 - Cell 2
6
Yukiya Arashiro (Jpn) Team Europcar
Row 5 - Cell 2
7
Petr Vakoc (Cze) Etixx - Quick-Step
0:00:22
8
Marco Coledan (Ita) Trek Factory Racing
Row 7 - Cell 2
9
Yasuharu Nakajima (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team
Row 8 - Cell 2
10
Ryutaro Nakamura (Jpn) Special Team Japan For Saitama
Row 9 - Cell 2
11
Kazushige Kuboki (Jpn) Team Ukyo
0:00:24
12
Jacopo Guarnieri (Ita) Team Katusha
0:00:32
13
Julien Vermote (Bel) Etixx - Quick-Step
Row 12 - Cell 2
14
Takuto Kurabayashi (Jpn) Special Team Japan For Saitama
Row 13 - Cell 2
15
Tomohiro Hayakawa (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team
Row 14 - Cell 2
16
Masakazu Ito (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team
Row 15 - Cell 2
17
Hideto Nakane (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team
Row 16 - Cell 2
18
Alexis Vuillermoz (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
Row 17 - Cell 2
19
Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) Trek Factory Racing
Row 18 - Cell 2
20
Koen De Kort (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin
Row 19 - Cell 2
21
Johannes Fršhlinger (Ger) Team Giant-Alpecin
Row 20 - Cell 2
22
Maxime Bouet (Fra) Etixx - Quick-Step
Row 21 - Cell 2
23
Wouter Poels (Ned) Team Sky
Row 22 - Cell 2
24
Mikael Cherel (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
Row 23 - Cell 2
25
Laurent Didier (Lux) Trek Factory Racing
Row 24 - Cell 2
26
Andrew Fenn (GBr) Team Sky
Row 25 - Cell 2
27
Simon Geschke (Ger) Team Giant-Alpecin
Row 26 - Cell 2
28
Yusuke Hatanaka (Jpn) Team Ukyo
Row 27 - Cell 2
29
Ryo Minato (Jpn) Team Ukyo
Row 28 - Cell 2
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Born in Ireland to a cycling family and later moved to the Isle of Man, so there was no surprise when I got into the sport. Studied sports journalism at university before going on to do a Masters in sports broadcast. After university I spent three months interning at Eurosport, where I covered the Tour de France. In 2012 I started at Procycling Magazine, before becoming the deputy editor of Procycling Week. I then joined Cyclingnews, in December 2013.
