The season starts: Philipsen 6th in Port Adelaide

The 2019 season officially starts for UAE Team Emirates with the first stage of the Tour Down Under, 129km without major climbs from North Adelaide to Porte Adelaide. The Emirates jersey was carried to a good placing, just outside the top five.
Jasper Philipsen took sixth just behind the pure sprinters, led home by stage winner Elia Viviani (Deceuninck-Quick Step).

The 20 year-old Belgian received the OK to sprint in the finish after the team worked to cover Diego Ulissi during the day. He made his way through and only found himself closed in on the left side of the road.

“The team worked to protect the classification men then with the line on the horizon, I fought for a good position since I was feeling pretty fresh,” Philipsen (photo Bettini) explained “The sprint started well but ahead of me there was a shifting across the road and I found my path closed against the barriers. I lost some of my speed and the chance to take a top three placing that I thought was in my reach.”

The good start for UAE Team Emirates, above all as a group, was confirmed with the top spot in the team classification. The placings of Ulissi (18th) and Pogačar (19th) helped to achieve that result.

Sports Director Neil Stephens explained, “The priority was to move well as a team and we reached that goal. For the finish, we gave Jasper some space. He moved and read the sprint well.”

For more pictures from Australia, click here and take a tour in the photogallery on the team’s website.

Stage 1 results
1 Elia Viviani (Deceuninck-Quick Step) 3h19’47”
2 Max Walscheid (Team Sunweb) s.t.
3 Jakub Mareczko (CCC Team) s.t.
6 Jasper Philipsen (UAE Team Emirates) s.t.

Overall after stage 1
1 Elia Viviani (Deceuninck-Quick Step) 3h19’37”
2 Max Walscheid (Team Sunweb) 4″
3 Patrick Bevin (CCC Team) 5″
9 Jasper Philipsen (UAE Team Emirates) 10″