Chris Froome (Team Sky) showed off his surprisingly adept Ninja skills during the team presentation for the Tour de France Saitama Criterium in Japan, which takes place on Saturday.
Froome donned a yellow Ninja outfit on stage during the presentation in front of a large crowd and then gave a display of his star-throwing skills as he managed to get a bullseye with his very first shot. A better result than his recent arm-wrestling showdown with Marcel Kittel.
Tour de France and Vuelta a España champion Froome joined Marcel Kittel (Quick-Step Floors), Greg Van Avermaet (BMC) and Warren Barguil (Team Sunweb) in dressing up in traditional costumes on stage and engaging in various mock battles.
British sprinter Mark Cavendish (Dimension Data) took part in some sushi making activities, which included attempting to catch some live eels in a fish tank on stage to prepare a local dish.
After handing out some of the food to those watching, Cavendish tried some for himself.
The Tour de France Saitama Criterium take place on Saturday, November 4, in the city of Saitama and has been run since 2013.
The start list features Tour de France stars and top Japanese riders tackling a closed circuit in the city centre. Organiser ASO expects around 100,000 spectators to watch at the roadside.
The event is one of a number of post-Tour criteriums designed more as entertainment and as a showpiece than serious professional races.
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1