SINGAPORE – Anticipation is building up among cycling fans as Jasper Philipsen, Chris Froome and Sepp Kuss become the latest names to join a star-studded field set to compete at the upcoming Oct 28-29 Tour de France Prudential Singapore Criterium.

A full list of 28 international riders was announced by organisers on Thursday. The second edition of race will take place along a 3km route that includes landmarks such as Suntec City’s Fountain of Wealth, War Memorial Park, Esplanade and the Merlion.

Philipsen won the green jersey – worn by the rider leading the points classification which are are awarded for intermediate sprints and stage finish – at this year’s Tour de France. He will be joined in the Republic by Giulio Ciccone, who won the mountains classification at the 2023 Tour.

The 2020 and 2021 Tour champion Tadej Pogacar, who claimed the white jersey (leading young rider) in 2023, had confirmed his attendance in July. This means three of the four classification winners of the 2023 Tour will be racing here.

Four-time Tour de France champion Froome, meanwhile, will also be competing in the street circuit alongside Vuelta a Espana winner Sepp Kuss and British great Mark Cavendish, who will be retiring at the end of the season.

The 2023 Tour champion and last year’s Singapore winner Jonas Vingegaard will miss out due to personal reasons.

Froome, who finished second to the Dane here in 2022, is aiming to go one better. The 38-year-old said: “I had a great race in Singapore last year. It was a great experience for both the fans and the riders and I am looking forward to being back and going one better.”

One of his main threats will be the in-form Philipsen, who has 14 race wins this season. The Belgian, 25, said: “It is not every day that we get to race on a d...