Milan the fastest in Criterium Singapore, but Healy almost upsets sprinters - while completing one lap less

You've read this right — there’s still racing going on in November! On the other side of the world, to be precise, in Singapore. In the small city-state, the organizers of the Tour de France laid out a compact but fast circuit where the riders battled for victory in a criterium. Jonathan Milan (Lidl–Trek) proved to be the strongest, beating Biniam Girmay (Intermarché–Wanty) and Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin–Deceuninck).

The EFGH Singapore Criterium has now been organized for several years by A.S.O., the same company behind the Tour de France. Each year, they manage to bring some of the biggest Tour stars to Asia, roughly a month after the road season officially ends. This year was no different, with Milan, Girmay, and Philipsen joined by Primoz Roglic, Ben Healy, Iván Romeo, and Jordi Meeus.

The course wasn’t exactly mountainous, so a sprint finish was expected. Still, there were plenty of attacks in an attempt to avoid one. Healy wasn’t part of those — the Irishman from EF Education–EasyPost punctured, and the mechanics weren’t ready to help him immediately. It took ages, and the delay was long enough that he had to wait a lap before he was allowed to rejoin the race. He had done one lap less — but could he still try to win?

With fresh legs, Healy managed to rejoin the peloton and even launched an attack, but he was caught under the flamme rouge. From there, it was all about the sprint. It wasn’t a huge bunch anymore — the field had been heavily reduced. The teams of Milan and Philipsen set up their lead-outs, and the tension rose.

Philipsen was the first to exit the final corner and kicked off the sprint early. But on the opposite side of the road, Girmay and Milan surged past him with ease. The Italian, wearing his green points jersey, proved to be the fastest of them all and claimed victory in Singapore. After the race, he was interviewed by none other than Sir Mark Cavendish — the perfect finish to a show race in the tropics.