SINGAPORE: Belgian Jasper Philipsen held off stiff challenges from Tour de France legend Mark Cavendish and world number one cyclist Tadej Pogacar to win the 2023 Tour de France Prudential Singapore Criterium, held on Sunday, Oct 29.
This year’s event was held on a street circuit at Suntec City, and it drew a record crowd of 20,000 spectators as they witnessed 25-year-old Philipsen – the winner of the Green Jersey at this year’s Tour de France – crossed the finishing line in a time of 1hr 20 min 33 secs, ahead of Cavendish and Pogacar.
Philipsen, riding for team Alpecin Deceuninck, said: “I thought (Pogacar) was pretty strong. He was in the front but we tried and managed to get him. Peter (Sagan) helped, and Gavin in the end and I had some good teammates. It was hard to catch him but we got him in the end.”
Four-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome and Singapore’s Yeo Boon Kiak were among the early pacesetters. But two-time Tour de France champion Pogacar, the White Jersey winner of the 2023 Tour, soon put himself in pole position after three rounds. He would hold on to the lead till the final straight where Philipsen emerged tops in the sprint to the finish. Cavendish ended the race in second place, while Pogacar had to settle for third place in the criterium.
Pogacar, who is riding with UAE Team Emirates, alongside teammates Davide Formolo, Domen Novak and Ivo Oliviera, won the team trial trial event. In second place is Team Cofidis, while the Bahrain Victorious came in third.
The 2023 Tour de France Prudential Singapore Criterium also saw a Kids Ride, a CEO Breakfast Ride, a DHL Charity Ride and the PRURide Seeker’s Criteriums for Men’s Novice, Women’s Open and Men’s Open organised by title sponsor and official wellness partner Prudential Singapore. There were also pre-event and post-event concerts held at the Suntec City Fountain of Wealth, headlined by DPR IAN and DJ KSHMR, respectively.
Faisal Arfan, Nicholas Chong, and Matthew took the top three spots, respectively, in the Amateur Criterium Men’s Open, while Valencia Tan, Elizabeth Liau, and Nurarfanah Ponnie finished in the top three positions in the women’s category.
“We are pleased to see so much energy and excitement this weekend, from the Professional Criterium, PRURide Seeker’s Criterium, the kids’ ride, to the concerts, it was an event for everyone. It was fantastic to have so many people join us at the event with their families and friends, as they enjoyed the spectacle of some of the best Tour de France riders in action and the music at the concerts. We hope more people will be inspired to take up cycling to stay active and healthy,” said Prudential Singapore’s CEO Dennis Tan.