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cycling: Tour Down Under #5: Caleb Ewan relegated – Jasper Philipsen wins

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Philipsen Jasper Tour Down Under

Cycling: The fifth stage of the Tour Down Under goes to Jasper Philipsen (UAE Team Emirates). The young Belgian actually came second, but the jury reset the winner Caleb Ewan (Lotto – Soudal) after viewing the television pictures. In the last kilometer there was an argument between the two pros on the rear wheel of Peter Sagan (Bora – hansgrohe). The flat stage was certainly not boring beforehand. First, overall leader Patrick Bevin (CCC) and last year's winner Daryl Impey (Mitchelton - Scott) dueled for seconds in the intermediate rankings. Then Patrick Bevin fell and there was a risk of losing time through no fault of his own. But the New Zealander was able to defend his ocher jersey.

Jason Lea extends his lead in the mountains classification

Tomorrow, the Tour Down Under will climb Willunga Hill for the overall classification decision. But today, the sprinters had their turn in Australia. The 149,5-kilometer stage from Glenelg to Strathalbyn had to be covered. Anyone who expected nothing to happen today regarding the ochre jersey was mistaken in the first half of the race. Although Jason Lea (UNISA – Australia) managed to secure the only categorized climb of the day as part of a breakaway, the Mitchelton-Scott team quickly reeled him in.

Ewan Caleb Tour Down Under Stage 5

Daryl Impey wins the first sprint classification

Seven seconds separated New Zealander Patrick Bevin (CCC) from South African Daryl Impey (Mitchelton-Scott) at the start of the stage. The current overall leader and last year's winner saw this narrow gap as an opportunity to battle for the ochre jersey. Before the first intermediate sprint of the day, Mitchelton-Scott ensured that the breakaway riders were caught, allowing their captain, Daryl Impey, to secure the maximum three bonus seconds. Patrick Bevin's second-place finish earned him two seconds.

Patrick Bevin retaliates with the second sprint classification

With the second intermediate sprint not far away, the pace remained high for the next few kilometers. A successful breakaway attempt seemed unlikely at this point. Instead, the spectators were treated to another duel between Daryl Impey and Patrick Bevin . This time, the New Zealander was able to get his revenge and once again take the three-second advantage. Daryl Impey crossed the line behind him in second place. Thus, the gap between the two remained at seven seconds. However, the fact that they each gained five seconds on Richie Porte (Trek-Segafredo) could prove far more significant for tomorrow's stage. After all, the overall favorite had won the last four finishes on Willunga Hill.

Ocher jersey down: Even a fall doesn't stop Patrick Bevin

After the intermediate sprints, the peloton settled down. Matthieu Ladagnous (Groupama-FDJ) and Ayden Toovey (UNISA-Australia) managed to break away. The Frenchman and the Australian built up a lead of over three minutes, but the strong winds made things increasingly difficult for them. They had no time to admire the beautiful scenery along the coast anyway. As a result, they were caught well before the finish. This was partly due to several crosswinds involving the Sky, Jumbo-Visma, and Bora-Hansgrohe teams. However, no big names were dropped. It wasn't until a crash nine kilometers from the finish that the situation became dramatic, as it involved, among others, the overall leader, Patrick Bevin. Since preparations for the mass sprint were already underway, the New Zealander struggled to rejoin the peloton despite the support of his teammates. Thanks to the team cars, however, he managed to avoid losing any time today.

Caleb Ewan celebrates too early – jury names Jasper Philipsen winner

In the final kilometers, Team Deceuninck-Quick-Step controlled the race. Captain Elia Viviani was perfectly positioned. But despite the superb groundwork laid by his compatriot Fabio Sabatini, the Italian couldn't manage to win the stage. Even before he launched his attack, Caleb Ewan (Lotto-Soudal) shot past him. In his characteristically crouched position, Ewan didn't let anyone else get past. However, there had been a clash between him and second-placed Jasper Philipsen (UAE Team Emirates) behind Peter Sagan (Bora-hansgrohe). The jury deemed this a rules violation, so Caleb Ewan was penalized and Jasper Philipsen was declared the winner. Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain-Merida) was the best-placed German, finishing seventh. The usually dominant Team Deceuninck-Quick-Step must be very disappointed. Elia Viviani ultimately finished only sixth. The Tour Down Under will be decided tomorrow. Patrick Bevin leads the overall standings by seven seconds over Daryl Impey. Richie Porte and his fellow competitors are 26 seconds behind. Veteran Luis Leon Sanchez (Astana) is also in a good position, 16 seconds back .

Tags:Caleb ewanDaryl ImpeyJason LeahJasper PhillipsenNewsPatrick BevinTower Down Under

About Michael Behringer

Cycling with all its tactics, stage analyses, placements and forecasts are Michael Behringer's great passion. In 1996 he tracked his first Tour de France. Since then he has observed almost every race. His passion for cycling has been with him for over two decades. There is no end in sight.