Berliner Tageblatt - Jasper Philipsen sprints to season-opening stage win in UAE

NYSE - LSE
CMSC 2% 20.46 $
RIO 3.08% 86.39 $
BCC 3.21% 72.57 $
BCE -0.6% 21.49 $
CMSD 1.61% 20.48 $
GSK 2.35% 51.54 $
NGG 1.32% 84.26 $
BTI -1.33% 60.09 $
RBGPF 0% 75.17 $
JRI 2.51% 11.93 $
AZN 1.56% 189.39 $
BP 0.13% 44.59 $
RYCEF 8.01% 17.86 $
VOD 0.7% 15.69 $
RELX -0.37% 40.02 $
Jasper Philipsen sprints to season-opening stage win in UAE
Jasper Philipsen sprints to season-opening stage win in UAE / Photo: ©

Jasper Philipsen sprints to season-opening stage win in UAE

Belgian Jasper Philipsen saw off a strong field to lay claim to the first stage of the new WorldTour season on Sunday, dominating a sprint finish to the UAE Tour's 184 kilometre opening stage.

Text size:

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.

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.

K.Brown--BTB