Yukiya Arashiro (front) won the Saitama Criterium in Japan, today. Photo: A.S.O./T. Maheux
Yukiya Arashiro sprinted to victory in the 59.5km Saitama Criterium in Japan, today.
The 35-year-old Japanese, who has been competing from the event’s first edition, beat Tour de France winner Egan Bernal and Vuelta a Espana champion Primoz Roglic in the run-up to the finish.
“It’s great to have this victory here,” Arashiro said. “I don’t know when last I won in Japan. Maybe in 2016.”
He said he came second in this year’s national cycling championships so to have won the race today made him extremely happy.
Bahrain–Merida’s Arashiro said his win was “very special” to him.
“This was my seventh time that I’ve raced this event. I’m almost like a pioneer for Japanese cycling and, hopefully, in 10 to 20 years people will be talking about me so I’m really happy.”
South Africa’s Daryl Impey finished 30th, 33 seconds behind Arashiro.
More results can be viewed below.
Results
| 1 | Yukiya Arashiro | Bahrain–Merida | JPN | 1:22:16 |
| 2 | Egan Bernal | Team Ineos | COL | |
| 3 | Primoz Roglic | Team Jumbo-Visma | SLO | |
| 4 | Luka Mezgec | Mitchelton–Scott | SLO | +0:00:05 |
| 5 | Kohei Uchima | Team Ukyo | JPN | +0:00:06 |
| 6 | Matteo Trentin | Mitchelton–Scott | ITA | |
| 7 | Romain Bardet | Team Ag2r-La Mondiale | FRA | |
| 8 | Jakob Fuglsang | Team Astana Pro | DEN | +0:00:09 |
| 9 | Oliver Naesen | Team Ag2r-La Mondiale | BEL | +0:00:11 |
| 10 | Jonathan Castroviejo | Team Ineos | ESP | +0:00:14 |
*Selected
| 30 | Daryl Impey | Mitchelton-Scott | RSA | +0:00:33 |
