UAE Team Emirates' Pogacar wins Saitama Criterium in Japan

Tour de France runner-up Tadej Pogacar of the UAE Team Emirates said his plans for next year "don't stop", after he outduelled American Sepp Kuss to win the Saitama Criterium in Japan on Sunday.

Slovenia's Pogacar won the Tour de France in 2020 and 2021 but he has finished as runner-up behind Denmark's Jonas Vingegaard for the last two years.

He said talks with his team over next year's race programme were an ongoing process but the Tour de France was "one of the priorities".

"We always have discussions -- all year we're just thinking how to race, that's our job," said the 25-year-old.

"We think about it from when we wake up until when we go to sleep -- it's something you always work on and you don't stop."

Pogacar got the better of Vuelta a Espana champion Kuss in a sprint finish to win his first Saitama title after almost 60 kilometres (37 miles) of street racing.

Slovakia's Peter Sagan, who is retiring from road racing to return to mountain biking, finished third ahead of British sprint king Mark Cavendish.

Pogacar, Kuss and Sagan broke clear of the pack with around 6km to go, before Sagan dropped out of contention when Kuss attacked ahead of the final lap.

Pogacar had more left in the tank as the pair stormed towards the finish, whirling his arm in celebration as he crossed the line.

"I was waiting for that final race part, and I decided to go for only one attack today," he said.