From Left: Jasper Philipsen, Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard and Giulio Ciccone on Stage 21 of Tour de France 2023 towards Champs-Élysées in Paris, France. Credit: Amaury Sport Organisation / Pauline Ballet
Three of the four classification winners of this year’s Tour de France. Winners of six of the last 10 editions of the Tour. The World No.1 rider. Singapore cycling fans will not be short of star quality when the Tour de France Prudential Singapore Criterium rolls into town on October 29.
An already star-studded field got even more glittery with the confirmation that this year’s Green Jersey winner Jasper Philipsen, Tour de France champions Chris Froome (2013, 2015, 2016, 2017) and Egan Bernal (2019), three-time World Champion Peter Sagan and recent Vuelta a Espana winner Sepp Kuss will line up on the Suntec City street circuit.
They will join World No. 1 and 2020 and 2021 Tour de France champion Tadej Pogacar, 2023 Tour Polka Dot Jersey winner Giulio Ciccone and cycling legend Mark Cavendish – who jointly holds the most Tour de France stage wins (34) – as the leading lights for the second edition of the Tour de France Prudential Singapore Criterium.
Said Philipsen: “It is truly an honour to be involved in this exciting race with so many great riders.
“It is not everyday that we get to race on a downtown circuit, so the Suntec City circuit will be an interesting one, with a lot of speed and power. It will be a treat for the fans and I can’t wait to take to the streets of Singapore for the Tour de France Prudential Singapore Criterium.”
Philipsen is one of the most in-form riders this season. The 25-year-old Belgian is in the form of his life, registering 14 first-place finishes this season including wins at the Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen and Classic Brugge-De Panne. He is currently ranked 8th in the UCI world rankings.
Froome, who finished second at last year’s inaugural Tour de France Prudential Singapore Criterium, will be back to see if he can go one better. The 38-year-old cyclist will be part of the four-man Legend Team of Sagan, Cavendish and Giulio Ciccone, this year’s Tour de France King of the Mountains.
Said Froome: “I had a great race in Singapore last year. It was a great experience for both the fans and the riders and I am looking forward to being back and going one better.”
Credit: Amaury Sport Organisation / Pauline Ballet
Kuss will come to Singapore fresh from being the first American man to win one of cycling’s Grand Tours in a decade after his Vuelta a Espana victory two weeks ago.
He will not be the only in-form rider coming to Singapore. In Josh Tarling and Christophe Laporte, Singapore fans will be able to catch two stars of last week’s UEC Road European Championships. Tarling came up tops in the elite men’s individual time trial while Laporte rode to victory in the elite men’s road race.
The Tour de France Prudential Singapore Criterium field will feature 44 riders, consisting of seven of the world’s best international teams of four riders each, alongside three regional teams and the Singapore national team.
Said Ms Agnes Goh, managing director of race organisers EVOKE EXP: “The inaugural race was a big success, but we were adamant that we wanted to make our second race bigger and better.
“I am glad that with our partners the Amaury Sport Organisation, we managed to secure the who’s who of the cycling world. The Tour de France Prudential Singapore Criterium will be a showcase of the world’s best cycling on an iconic Suntec City street circuit in downtown Singapore.
“It promises to be truly a sporting and entertainment spectacle.”
Stunning new Suntec City circuit
The Tour de France Prudential Singapore Criterium is one of only two such criteriums in the world, the other being the Tour de France Saitama Criterium in Japan.
The Singapore edition promises to be a stunning extravaganza on a first-of-its-kind street circuit during the race weekend of October 28 and 29.
Suntec City Singapore’s iconic Fountain of Wealth will feature prominently as the world’s best cyclists race around a brand new Suntec City street circuit. Riding on the 2023 theme of “Fast & Fearless”, the same venue will then serve as a backdrop for a host of international music acts as they round off an exhilarating weekend with a pre-event and post-event music festival headlined by DPR IAN and DJ KSHMR.
Chris Froome at Stage 1 of Tour de France 2022. Credit: Amaury Sport Organisation / Pauline Ballet
The event will be the first in Singapore to feature Suntec City’s unique roundabout after a partnership with Suntec City, Singapore, one of the Lion City’s largest shopping and lifestyle destinations. The roundabout is a homage to the Arc de Triomphe roundabout in Paris, an iconic sight of the Tour de France final stage in Paris.
The 3.0km street circuit will see the cyclists set off from Temasek Boulevard for an exhilarating 90 minutes, with the fastest to cross the finish line declared the winner.
Riders will flag off just outside Suntec City, sprint along Temasek Boulevard before circling the Fountain of Wealth. They will then head down Nicoll Highway and Esplanade Drive before looping at Fullerton Road. The street circuit includes some of Singapore’s most iconic landmarks such as the War Memorial Park, the Esplanade, the Merlion and the Fountain of Wealth.
Held for the very first time in 2022, the Tour de France Prudential Singapore Criterium saw the likes of Froome, Cavendish and eventual winner Jonas Vingegaard feature in the race.
Tickets to the Tour de France Prudential Singapore Criterium and its various fringe events, such as a Kids’ Ride and CEO Breakfast Ride, can be purchased at https://singaporecriterium.com.
