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November 8 th 2025 - 00:44 [GMT + 9]
Before taking part in the 11th edition of the Tour de France J:COM Saitama Criterium on Sunday, 9 November, the riders who shone at this summer’s Tour de France met Japanese fans on Saturday at the Saitama Super Arena, on the outskirts of Tokyo.
Winner of two stages and the green jersey at the Tour de France, Jonathan Milan was able to gauge his growing popularity and reflect on a highly successful season.
Second at the Tour de France and winner of this year’s Vuelta, Jonas Vingegaard concludes his 2025 season on Japanese roads. The double Tour de France winner (2022 and 2023) had already visited in 2022, when he finished in second place.
Tomorrow, the 3.5 km urban circuit around the Saitama Super Arena will be covered 17 times by the riders, for a total distance of 59.5 km. The criterium will feature both international and Japanese teams and will be preceded by entertainment and a team time trial.
Jonas Vingegaard: “It’s obviously been a good season.”
Winner of the Vuelta after finishing runner-up on the podium of the Tour de France in Paris, Jonas Vingegaard is wrapping up his fine 2025 season in Saitama. “Of course, I would have loved to win the Tour de France, but that’s how it goes sometimes. I finished second in the Tour and won the Vuelta, so it’s obviously been a good season,” said the Danish champion, who once again felt the warmth and affection of the local fans.
After being introduced to the art of traditional Japanese painting, the 2022 and 2023 Tour de France winner entertained the cameras alongside his former teammate Primoz Roglic, who even spoke a few words in Japanese to the delight of the crowd. “I really enjoy coming here; it’s such a great country,” Vingegaard said. “I’m happy to be here. The fans are really special – they cheer for us so much, it’s really nice. I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s race.”
Having already visited in 2022 after his first Tour de France victory, the Team Visma | Lease a Bike leader finished second, and he will naturally aim for the top step of the podium this time. “It’s different to come racing here in Japan – it’s always nice to discover new countries. I’ve been here before, and I know it’s a great place to ride.”
Jonathan Milan: “I’m very happy to race my last event of the season here in Saitama.”
When it comes to closing out a race, Jonathan Milan is a rider you can count on. His duel with Valentin Paret-Peintre against the Roglic-Vingegaard pairing in front of the Saitama Super Arena crowd and J Sports viewers was tight until the very end, and it was a final sprint that looked like a self-portrait contest, which decided victory for the Franco-Italian duo. While it was the Soudal Quick-Step climber who secured the decisive point, Lidl-Trek’s Italian sprinter proved he was still perfectly positioned in the finale. He also got a chance to feel his popularity with the captivated Japanese crowd.
"It’s amazing to be here. I love the fans—it’s great to see so many people at the team presentation today, and I imagine it will be even better tomorrow for the race. I really enjoy Japan; this is my second time here this year. I was already here a few weeks ago for the Japan Cup, and I’m very happy to race my last event of the season here in Saitama."
Milan’s season has been remarkable, highlighted by his performances on the Tour de France roads."It’s been a fantastic year. We achieved almost all the goals we had set for ourselves. I have to thank my teammates, who always gave their best to help me achieve top results."
When asked whether he will defend his green jersey in the 2026 Tour de France, Milan remained non-committal."We haven’t planned next year yet; my only plan is to have fun."He did admit, however: "Everyone wants to be in the Tour! But for now, I just want to enjoy the great atmosphere here in Saitama before taking a break, and we’ll think about next year later."
Jordan Jegat: “As a climber, I’ve always had the polka-dot jersey in mind.”
On Friday afternoon, Jordan Jegat returned to the classroom. The 10th-place finisher of the 2025 Tour de France visited schoolchildren in Saitama, who were thrilled to meet a young champion and had a lot of questions for him. For some, the life of a professional cyclist seemed far away, while others hung on his every word, promising to train even harder to follow in his footsteps.
At 26, Jegat is already competing at the highest level among the Tour’s top riders. “I think this has been the best season of my career so far. I said the same last year, so it’s good to be able to do even better” he said. Progress that brought him to a top-10 finish in the Tour de France, something he hadn’t dared to dream of. “I expected to have a good Tour, but not necessarily from the general classification perspective. I was aiming more for a top 20 and to go for a stage win.”
Ambitious, Jegat is now looking even higher. “You can always aim higher and try to get closer to the top five, that would be ideal, but the main goal remains to win a stage. If you take Ben Healy as an example, he managed a strong GC and stage results, so I think in my own style we can do both.” When reminded that the Irishman also wore the Yellow Jersey for two days last July, Jegat did not hide his ambitions. “That’s the goal. You can see it’s possible for aggressive riders who dare to escape. For me, it would be an honour to wear it, even for just one day.”
But above all, the Breton climber has another distinctive jersey in mind. ‘It’s the polka-dot jersey that I’d really like to go for. As a climber, it’s always been on my mind. It will be a target, but perhaps not immediately."
UNO-X Among the Big Teams
For their third participation in the Tour de France, the riders of the Uno-X Mobility team left a strong impression. Jonas Abrahamsen’s victory in Toulouse (Stage 11) was highlighted by Tobias Johannessen’s impressive sixth place in the final general classification. “I’ve dreamed of winning a stage at the Tour de France ever since I started cycling at 14,” recalls Abrahamsen. “And to see Tobias in the Top 6 as well is amazing.”
Far from being an isolated achievement, the Tour reflected the very successful season of the Norwegian team, which has earned the right to join the World Tour level in 2026. “This year has been incredible,” continues the Norwegian. “I think we have a team with a bright future, and we take steps forward every year. I hope we can take even more next year in the World Tour.”
His teammate Andreas Leknessund looks back on the season: “We had a very good start to the year and began dreaming of the World Tour. It was a difficult dream to achieve, but we had a great year with a very intense battle to secure the points we needed.” Søren Wærenskjold agrees, highlighting that the Tour de France may have been a turning point. “We started the year well, and after the amazing Tour we had, we began to realise it was possible. I hope we can raise our level a little more and perform in the World Tour.”
All three are eagerly looking ahead to the route for the 2026 Tour de France, announced a few weeks ago. “I’ve seen the route for next year’s Tour de France, and there will be good opportunities for breakaways, so I’m really looking forward to it. It’s going to be fantastic for me and for the team.”