UAE Tour: Jasper Philipsen sprints to season-opening stage win in Abu Dhabi

Tackling the race for the 2nd time the 23-year-old gets the better of Bennett and Viviani

Last updated:
1 MIN READ
Jasper Philipsen of Alpecin-Fenix celebrates after crossing the finish line during the first stage of the UAE Tour in Madinat Zayed in Abu Dhabi.
Jasper Philipsen of Alpecin-Fenix celebrates after crossing the finish line during the first stage of the UAE Tour in Madinat Zayed in Abu Dhabi.
AFP

Abu Dhabi: Belgian Jasper Philipsen saw off a strong field to lay claim to the first stage of the new WorldTour season today, dominating a sprint finish to the UAE Tour’s 184 kilometre opening stage.

The 23-year-old, tackling the race for the second time, got the better of Sam Bennett with Ineos Grenadiers’ Elia Viviani crossing in third.

Philipsen donned the leader’s red jersey after a largely flat ride culminating in a home straight stretching 50km through the Abu Dhabi desert.

Tough climbing stages

Trickier days are to come which will give two-time Tour de France champion Tadej Pogacar his chance.

The Skovenian, the winner in 2021, is the favourite in race that has two tough climbing stages and a tricky 9km individual time-trial.

Having triumphed across the peaks and plains of France, Pogacar starts his preparation for a third tilt at cycling’s greatest prize in the seven-day race across the dust and desert in his UAE Emirates team’s home race.

Sign up for the Daily Briefing

Get the latest news and updates straight to your inbox

Up Next