JASPER PHILIPSEN has claimed UAE Team Emirates’ first stage win at the Santos Tour Down Under amid a controversial finish to Saturday’s southaustralia.com Stage 5.Ā
While Lotto-Soudal’s Caleb Ewan crossed the line first, commissaires reviewed the final kilometre of the stage and found his sprint to the finish to be in breach of UCI road racing regulation 2.12.007 Article 5.1. The article polices deviations from theĀ chosen line obstructing or endangering other ridersĀ orĀ an irregular sprint.Ā
As a result of the finding, Ewan was relegated to last place in the group, deducted 15 points from his place in the ZiptrakĀ® points classification and imposed a 30-second penalty on his overall race time.Ā
Consequently, 20-year-old Belgian Philipsen recorded just his second career win, and first on a UCI WorldTour stage. Phillipsen has been a competitive sprinter all week ā having finished no lower than sixth in the other two sprint-finish stages (ZiptrakĀ® Stage 1 and Novatech Stage 2).
It also marks UAE Team Emirates’ first Santos Tour Down Under win in its time as an Emirati-based team, and second as the continuation of the former Lampre team.
Gallant recovery from crash for Ochre-wearer
While the dramatic result to the race will have fans talking after a big day in Strathalbyn, it was a crash that felled Santos Ochre Leader’s jersey-wearer Patrick Bevin (CPT) just 10km from the finish line that will draw the sympathies of the peloton and fans alike.
The New Zealander hit the road with a group of riders on the approach to the finishing town, and was aided by teammates back to his bike.
Flitting through the convoy back into the peloton in obvious pain, he managed to finish the race in the lead group.
It was an impressive result, particularly given the pelotonās seemingly sportsmanlike behaviour in awaiting the recovery of the race leader, rather than pressing to the finish without him. –Ā www.tourdownunder.com.au
