š„ Vingegaard hits the deck in Japanese criterium, but is aided by UAE as he returns and snatches 'victory'
CyclingMonday, 10 November 2025 at 09:30
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Follow us on GoogleThe postāTour criteriums in the Netherlands and Belgium wrapped up weeks ago, but in Asia thereās still decent appearance money on the table. After stopovers in Taiwan and Singapore, the stars lined up in Japan for the Saitama Criterium ā and it delivered the usual dose of theatre.
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Big names such as Jonas Vingegaard, Jonathan Milan, Primoz Roglic, Tim Wellens and Valentin ParetāPeintre took the start. As is customary at these exhibition races, there were plenty of playful āattacksā and setāpiece moves. In the end, Vingegaard celebrated a solo āwinā, though that wasnāt the main talking point.
With around 16 kilometres to go, the Dane from Visma | Lease a Bike went down on the deck ā seemingly ending any chance of victory. But moments later he was paced back into contention by Davide Stella of UAE Team EmiratesāXRG, after which he rejoined the lead group. Following a āpullā and soft acceleration from Tim Wellens, Vingegaard slipped away and crossed the line alone.
Check the footage from the Saitama Criterium, with crash from Vingegaard:
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Latest Comments
- - FĆ©licitations in advance si Ƨa se concrĆ©tise. Line-up looks trĆØs britannique mais con ambiciĆ³n grande. Tour 2027 en Edimbourg serĆa Ć©pico si les invitan.gearguru3310-09-2026
- - Vamos Ethan! Breakaway king of this Vuelta and super combative. Todayās flat chrono is perfect terrainājust keep it clean through the Jerez crosswinds.breakawaybikerd10-09-2026
- - Bit cautious here. Hayterās had stop-start seasons with crashes/illness and I still donāt know if heās a GC week-long guy or a TT/sprint hybrid. Curious whether they build around him or Pidcock first.pedalpowe2910-09-2026
- - Hayterās engine + Q5ās growing train could smash team TTs and medium sprint stages. Mauro Schmid + Bittner coming too? Thatās a nasty lead-out combo if they gel.cyclechamp4510-09-2026
- - Can someone explain how ProTeams get Tour invites? If Q5 arenāt automatic, what results do they needāUCI points, one-day wins, or stage race podiums? Confused how that process works.samanthak10-09-2026
- - Love the Edinburgh Grand DĆ©part angle. If ASO is on the fence, a British TT champ in form plus Pidcock makes that wildcard case much stronger. Q5 look less like a ProTeam and more like a budding GC/ Classics hybrid.jennifer1910-09-2026
- - Not sure the piece nails the contract timing. Says āfor 2027ā but what about 2025ā26? Is he staying at Soudal through 2026 even after being told no extension? Sounds a bit contradictory tbh.robert6510-09-2026
- - Huge if true. Hayter to Q5 alongside Pidcock, Wright and Gloag gives them a legit British core. With Glasenbergās backing theyāre clearly aiming at TdF wildcardHope he nails todayās TT after missing the Bilbao opener by09sāthatās been haunting him all Vuelta.tourdeforce910-09-2026
- - Love the honesty about hesitating because of Remcoās messages. Ego flattered but head ruled. Thatās grown-up stuff. Vamos Tim, forza UAE!andrewf10-09-2026
- - āBrand teamā line threw me. Does he mean title sponsor obligations? Either way, UAE pays the wagesātotally get it. Bon courage Tim, allez!tourdeforce910-09-2026
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