So, who’d have thought?
Chris Froome, the Tour de France champion – a renowned climber and time trialler – wins the end of season Saitama criterium sponsored by, hey, the same guys who run the TdF. What a coincidence, huh?
But it gets better. The TdF Green Jersey winner, Mr Sagan, somehow finishes second (despite Froome not holding candle to Sagan in any sprints – ever) ahead of none other than the current World Champion, Mr Rui Costa, resplendent in his rainbow hoops. Talk about a promoter’s dream. Sounds more like the ending to a Hollywood script. Which of course it almost certainly was.
Fully appreciate the whole pro criterium thing is more akin to a pantomime than real racing. But doesn’t world cycling have enough of a credibility issue already in 2013?
If you’re going to cough up the cash to fly 50 or so of the world’s top riders to Japan, what’s wrong with ending the season with a legitimate race? I don’t know about you, but if I want acting, I’ll watch my old Hulk Hogan videos
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Carbon Addiction 
In snooker, darts and the like, they call them “exhibition matches”. The ones I’ve seen have usually included a fair amount of self-aware comedy for good measure – trick shots, mugging it up for the audience, etc. If the crowd is aware that it’s just an exhibition race or showcase, fair enough.
But otherwise, yeah. Froome winning a crit against Sagan et al?
A round of wwf indeed! Even though it was an exhibition it provides an air of spookiness where the outcomes of ‘real’ races are called into question.
Its either commedy or drama.
So was the Vuelta a comedy ?
Ask me in a year or two. Hopefully Horner was above board, but who knows any more???