Roglič’s Lone Breakaway Falls Short as Gilmay Sprints to Historic First Win at Saitama Criterium 2024

The 10th Tour de France Saitama Criterium was held today, November 2nd (Saturday). Biniyam Gilmay (Eritrea, Intermarche Wanty), wearing a maillot veil, pulled Roglič back just before the finish and took his first victory.

Biniyam Girmai (Entelmarché Wanty, Eritrea) wearing a maillot veil photo: Yuichiro Hosoda

Roglič's Lone Breakaway Falls Short as Gilmay Sprints to Historic First Win at Saitama Criterium 2024 - News Directory 3

The Tour de France Saitama Criterium is now in its 10th year since it was first held in 2013. The weather for the tournament, which is impressively sunny every year in autumn, is rainy. However, as many spectators as in previous years rushed to the side of the course, and the world’s top riders engaged in a heated battle among the large crowd, which had excited the main race of the Tour de France.

This year’s main venue will not be the Saitama Super Arena’s community arena, but the main arena, which is surrounded by 360-degree seating, befitting the Memorial Race. Also, although overall winner Tadej Pogačar (Slovenia, UAE Team Emirates) is not among the participants, he will compete with Vuelta a España overall winner Primoš Roglič (Slovenia, Red Bull Bora-Hansgrohe) in the Tour section. Mark Cavendish (Great Britain, Astana Kazakhstan), who broke the winning record, will participate.

There is also a great lineup of members, including Biniyam Gilmay (Eritrea, Intermarche Wanty), who won the Maillot Vert, and Yukiya Shinshiro (Bahrain Victorious), who was participating for the 10th time.

This year’s program went smoothly, with the opening ceremony, parade run, and time trial race. Shimano Racing won the team time trial race (distance 3.2km) that started at 13:20, followed by Bahrain Victorious in second place and Special Team Japan for Saitama led by Japanese TT champion Sohei Kaneko. was ranked 3rd.

Then, at 14:55, the criterium main race started with a total distance of 61.2km, consisting of 17 laps around a 3.6km course including two hairpin corners. Three people jumped out from the group, excluding Ben O’Connor (Australia, Decathlon AG2R La Mondial) and Motoki Yamamoto (Kinan Racing Team), who were unable to participate after falling in the time trial, and the main group was led by Shinshiro.

Three players, including Sandy Dujardin (France, Total Energy) and Ryohei Fujita (Saitama Sado Sunbrave) from Ageo, Saitama prefecture, escaped but were quickly swallowed up by the main group, and after that Astana with Cavendish was in the lead. . Shinshiro made an early attack aiming for the intermediate sprint set on the second lap. However, Cavendish approached from behind, and Jasper Philipsen (Belgium, Alpecin Deceuninck) stepped in from another line and took the lead.

Five people, including Christopher Froome (UK, Israel Premier Tech) and Romain Bardet (France, DSM Firmenich Post NL), escaped on the underpass climb immediately after. Also, in the group that also included Yusuke Hatanaka (Kinan Racing Team) and Soyu Amano (Shimano Racing), who are retiring from active duty, Balde came first at the first mountain point. However, the peloton pulled back before the second intermediate sprint (lap 6).

In the second intermediate sprint (lap 6), Victor Campenaerts (Belgium, Lotte Destiny) was unable to make a long sprint, and Philipsen came first after defeating Cavendish and Gilmay. Immediately after, a group of people escaped again, and Balde was once again among the eight people.

At the second mountain point, Balde was again the first to pass, and five other riders, including Daiki Magosaki (Kinan Racing Team), fell from their cars when their tires slipped on the rubber road surface at the exit of the main arena. Although there were no major injuries to any of the players, Magosaki and Roger Adria (Spain, Red Bull Bora-Hansgrohe) retired. After that, three riders, including John Degenkolb (Germany, DSM Firmenich Post NL), who survived the crash, rotated in the lead.

The group pulled back and entered the third (lap 10) intermediate sprint battle, with Cavendish winning the three-way sprint with Philipsen and Gilmay. After that, Froome and six others escaped, but were pulled back before the ensuing intermediate sprint, and this time Philipsen came first. Immediately after, a splendid three-man leading group was formed, consisting of Shinshiro, Balde, and Roglič, who had been hiding in the group until now.

The leading three riders put on a show as the rain continued to intensify, but those behind them did not allow them to expand their lead. Baldet passed the fourth mountain point in the lead, and Roglič took off his rain gear and showed off his mayoral rojo. Then, before the last lap, Balde fell behind, and both Roglič and Shinshiro heard the bell for the last lap.

Immediately after, Roglič waved off Shinshiro, who said after the race, “My legs were worn out because of the rain.” Roglič, who took the lead alone, maintained a high pace and entered the final underpass with a lead of approximately 7 seconds. However, the group behind them closed the distance between them and Mayorrojo at breakneck speed, and Gilmay began a sprint off the back of Intermarche’s assist.

Gilmay, who continued to step on the big gear, overtook Roglič just before the finish. Rain clouds hid the sun and Maillot Vert jumped to the finish line in darkness.

Gilmay, who won three sections at this year’s Tour and won the Maillot Vert, won his first victory in his first appearance. “It’s like a dream to win at the Saitama Criterium, where there are so many champions and legends, because when I was a kid I dreamed of running with Sagan, Froome, Cavendish, Roglič and other great sprinters. So, I’m really happy. I could hear the support from the Eritrean fans and their cheers gave me strength,” said Gilmayi.

In second place is Roglič, who has shown a threatening tenacity, and in third place is Cavendish, who is scheduled to retire from active duty at the end of this year. Philipsen came in 4th place, Hirohiro Hatsukawa (Aisan Industrial Racing Team) was the highest Japanese racer in 7th place, and Shinshiro, who had a spectacular performance in the final stages, finished in 9th place.

The results of other special awards such as the fighting spirit award are as follows.

Roglič’s Lone Breakaway Falls Short as Gilmay Sprints to Historic First Win at Saitama Criterium 2024

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