The 3rd edition of Tour de France Prudential Singapore Criterium left this Sunday at around 9 a.m. in Singapore, on a 2.3 kilometer circuit to be covered 25 times. The 57.5 kilometer race, along Marina Bay, will showcase the spectacular architecture of the City-State. An impressive field of sprinters will compete for victory at the finish line drawn in Esplanade Park. The last two winners of the green jersey of Tour, Biniam Girmay et Jasper Philipsenare favorites alongsideArnaud De Lie and the record holder for stage victories in the Tour de France, Mark Cavendishwho will give the last pedal strokes of his career on this occasion. Other legends are there, like Primoz Roglicwinner in September of his 4 Vueltaof Chris Froomefour-time winner of the Tour de Franceand Vincenzo Nibaliwinner in 2014, very “happy” to hand over a bib two years after his retirement. Follow the race live on the X account of Tour de France below !
Video – The stars of the peloton in Singapore before the race
“35 is a beautiful number”
Loyal to the post since the creation of the event, Mark Cavendish (Astana Kazakhstan Team) expressed his happiness on Saturday at participating for the 3rd time in the Tour de France Prudential Singapore Criterium. For what will be the final race of his career, the 39-year-old Briton will wear a special bib, number 35, representing his number of stage victories on the Tour de Francefor which he holds the record, a victory ahead of Eddy Merckx: “This bib is really great, 35 is a wonderful number. I am very lucky to have been able to win 35 times on the Tour. Most riders have never won a stage on the Tour. To achieve this much is very special. It's not easy to win a stage of the Tour. How many I got doesn't matter, because every win on the Tour provides the same happiness, that of having won a stage of the Tour. It's always been the same feeling as my first time in Châteauroux.”
Two years after bowing out, Vincenzo Nibali will make a remarkable and ephemeral comeback in the peloton on Sunday, the time of this 3rd edition of the Tour de France Prudential Singapore Criterium : “Racing is my life. Life has completely changed since I retired. Before, I did everything to be the best. I gave everything in the race, everything for the team. And now, it's all for the family. It's going to be strange to put on a bib. Of course, I'm not as strong anymore, but I'm still riding, with outings lasting 3 to 4 hours. On Sunday, he will be part of the team Tour de France Criterion Legends. He will rub shoulders there Chris Froomewho, like him, won all three grand tours, a feat that only seven riders have achieved in the history of cycling: “Froome is incredible, he is one of the greatest opponents I have had to face during my career with Alberto Contador. Being here in Singapore to run with him, I find it fun and amazing. I don't have the same condition as before, but we're going to have fun.”
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