Jasper Philipsen claims first WorldTour victory of the season
Sprinters go head to head in the desert
It would be a non-WorldTour rider who claimed the first WorldTour victory of 2022, as Jasper Philipsen (Belgium/Alpecin-Fenix) took Sunday’s Stage 1 of the UAE Tour. Philipsen, who has earned three stage wins in the last two Vueltas a España, beat Sam Bennett (Ireland/Bora-Hansgrohe) and Elia Viviani (Italy/Ineos Grenadiers) in a bunch sprint. Philipsen pulled on the first leader’s jersey, four seconds over Bennett.
The opening day of the seven-stage UAE Tour looked like one for the fast men: 184 km of very flat roads. Only crosswinds could thwart their ambitions.
#UAETour ??
Here's a look at today's 184km opening stage profile – it's flat as a pancake ? pic.twitter.com/9A0ZYHhFMo
— Team BikeExchange-Jayco (@GreenEDGEteam) February 20, 2022
A quintet of escapees broke free soon after the start in Madinat Zayed. Among the five were Luca Rastelli (Italy/Bardiani-CSF-Faizanè), who was in his first-ever WorldTour race, and Dmitry Strakhov (Russia/Gazprom-RusVelo), who snaffled up enough bonus seconds in Sunday’s intermediate sprints to sit third on GC.
A puncture would prove Strakhov’s undoing; he was the first lassoed by the peloton. The other fugitives were sopped up with 19 km to go, the team colour blocks fully engaged in slicing and dicing.
?? #UAETour
Some serious battling for positions as we approach the final few kilometres. pic.twitter.com/7wlW2KEYbs
— BORA – hansgrohe (@BORAhansgrohe) February 20, 2022
Dylan Groenewegen’s BikeExchange-Jayco led the pack going under the red kite. Philipsen and his lead-out man Jonas Rickaert were on the right hand barriers in the final 600-metres. Groenewegen tried to squeeze by inside but couldn’t. He later protested that Philipsen deviated from his line to shut the door but the jury disagreed.
Bennett, Viviani and Groenewegen have all joined new teams for 2022.
Stage 2 has the same profile as Sunday’s.
2022 UAE Tour Stage 1
1) Jasper Philipsen (Belgium/Alpecin-Fenix) 4:42:34
2) Sam Bennett (Ireland/Bora-Hansgrohe) s.t.
3) Elia Viviani (Italy/Ineos Grenadiers) s.t.
