The list of champions invited to the 2016 Tour de France Saitama Critérium were announced during a press conference in which Mr. Hayato Shimizu, Mayor of Saitama as well as Mr. Kenichi Oshima, Vice President of the Japan Cycling Federation (JCF) and Mr. Taishi Kenjo, President of the Japan Para-Cycling Federation (JPCF) were present. With the field for this fourth edition, the spectacle is once again guaranteed.

They want more! What could be tastier than completing the cycling year by reliving the atmosphere of the happiest moments that marked their respective seasons? This is a final voyage into the universe of the Tour, adorned with the pride of sharing their summer success with the Japanese fans who will come out to watch the stars in the Saitama Critérium. And this year, the complete collection of category jerseys handed out on the Champs-Elysées podium will be represented with Chris Froome, winner of a third title, world champion, Peter Sagan, green jersey victor for the fifth consecutive time, Rafal Majka, who claimed a second polka dot jersey to go with the one he took in 2014, and Adam Yates, who added his name to the record book with a maiden white jersey of the best young rider. The laureates of all the distinct categories will be joined by the winner of the Saint-Gervais stage and second overall, Romain Bardet. Marcel Kittel who won his 9th career Tour stage at Limoges will also make the trip to the Land of the Rising Sun.

For their last race of 2016, the Tour stars will face a strong selection of Japan's best riders in the circuit race that will be the highlight of the Saitama Critérium. Yukiya Arashiro and Fumiyuki Beppu, the two Japanese riders on the Tour de France will ride together in a team organised around them and lead the way for their compatriots who have yet to ride on the roads of France. Among them is multiple Asian track champion Eiya Hashimoto, who will try to let his speed speak for itself, while defending national road champion, Sho Hatsuyama will also test himself against the elite. Time-trial champion, Ryota Nishizono will have the chance to compete against some of the best specialists in the world in the opening time-trial stage.

List of entrants for the 2016 Saitama Critérium:
Team Sky: Chris Froome, Michal Golas, Wout Poels, Ian Boswell
Tinkoff: Peter Sagan, Rafal Majka, Juraj Sagan, Pawel Poljanski
Orica Bike Exchange: Adam Yates, Simon Gerrans, Chris Jull-Jensen, Christian Meier

AG2R La Mondiale: Romain Bardet, Alexis Vuillermoz, Samuel Dumoulin, Mikaël Chérel
Etixx-Quick Step: Marcel Kittel, Fabio Sabatini, Petr Vakoc, Julien Vermote
Team Giant-Alpecin: Simon Geschke, Zico Waeytens, Koen de Kort, Georg Preidler
Tour de France Japan Team: Yukiya Arashiro, Fumiyuki Beppu
Special Team Japan for Saitama: Eiya Hashimoto, Taisei Kobayashi, Kazuki Kobayashi, Hayato Okamoto
Bridgestone Anchor Cycling Team: Sho Hatsuyama, Ryota Nishizono, Kohei Uchima, Ryu Suzuki
Shimano Racing Team: Keisuke Kimura, Yuri Kobashi, Yuya Akimaru
Aisan Racing Team: Takeaki Ayabe, Shimpei Fukuda, Ryohei Komori, Hideto Nakane
Nippo - Vini Fantini: Kazushige Kuboki, Manabu Ishibashi, Yuma Koishi, Marino Kobayashi
Matrix Powertag: Naoki Mukaigawa, Ryo Chikatani, Satoshi Nakagawa, Airan Fernandez Casasola
Kinan Cycling Team: Kenji Itami, Shigetomo Nakanishi, Kousuke Aso