This morning in Saitama, the organisers of the 2014 Tour de France SaitamaCriterium revealed, in the presence of the city’s Mayor, Mr Hayato Shimizu, the list of riders expected to contest the second edition of the race on 25th October. The winner of Le Tour 2014, Vincenzo Nibali, will discover Japan as will the runner-up Jean-Christophe Péraud, whilst Peter Sagan, Chris Froome and Romain Bardet will be participating for the second time. In total, the winners of 14 stages on the most recent Tour de France will be travelling to the Far East!
 
The last two winners of the Tour de France will have a final opportunity to measure themselves against each other on their last appearance of the 2014 season. For its second edition, the 2014 Tour de France Saitama Criterium has attracted the big hitters from the Big Loop, hungry to discover and keen to spread their passion for cycling. The Italian leader of the Astana team, who dominated on France’s roads, will perhaps find himself less at ease this time like the winner of the Green Jersey Peter Sagan, or especially the winner of four stages this year Marcel Kittel, who will again have to do battle with one of his more serious rivals, Alexander Kristoff.
 
Even with the change of route that will lead the pack in front of the stands where 4,000 spectators will be massed in the Saitama Super Arena, the route is hardly suited to breakaways from the best climbers. Nevertheless, the Polka Dot Jersey winner RafalMajka will be competing, alongside another of the leading riders in king of the mountains classification, Alessandro De Marchi, as well as the winner of the Pyrenean stage at Bagnères-de-Luchon, Michael Rogers, or the French AG2R climbing duo of Jean-Christophe Péraud and Romain Bardet. As for Warren Barguil, twice a stage winner on the Vuelta in 2013 and 8th in the general classification in 2014, he will be getting his first taste of the Tour de France atmosphere… in Japan!
 
The 32 riders selected from eight teams of the world’s elite will be racing against 32 Japanese riders chosen from the leading Japanese teams. As was the case in 2013, two points races will be organised on the 3-km long circuit which will be completed 8 times (24 km in total total), then the pack will come together for the main race including 20 laps of the circuit (60 km).
 
The main participants
Astana Pro Team: Nibali (Ita), Westra (NL); Cannondale: Sagan (Svk), De Marchi(Ita); Tinkoff-Saxo: Majka (Pol), Rogers (Aus); AG2R La Mondiale: Péraud, Bardet,Kadri (Fra); Team Giant Shimano: Kittel (Ger), Barguil (Fra); Team Sky: Froome(GB); Team Katusha: Kristoff (Nor); Fdj.fr: Démare, Roy (Fra). Japanese teams: Special Team Japan for Saitama (Sano, Champion of Japan 2014), Asian Racing Team, Bridgestone Anchor Cycling Team, Matrix Powertag, Shimano Racing Team, Team Ujyo, Utsunomiya Blitzen, Vini Fantini Nippo.