The penultimate stage of the Tour Down Under resulted in another sprint finish today. It was Lotto Soudal rider Caleb Ewan who was first across the line. But only a few moments later, the Australian was relegated to the last place of the group that sprinted for the victory (83rd). The race commissaires took this decision as a result of an incident with Jasper Philipsen – who was later promoted to first place – in the run-up to the sprint. Caleb Ewan and Lotto Soudal sports director Mario Aerts went to talk to the jury but without result.
Caleb Ewan: “This is very disappointing. I was so looking forward to my first official victory for Lotto Soudal. After crossing the line, it felt like a massive relief, but the next moment all of that joy disappeared when I heard that I had been relegated. Nevertheless, the team did a great job today. It was a tricky and hectic day with a lot of wind. Before the stage, everyone knew that there was a possibility of echelons, but the team kept me in front all day long. I could also start the finale in a perfect position.”
“During the final kilometres, I was on Peter Sagan’s wheel but Philipsen tried to take that spot as he tried to push me out of Sagan’s wheel. You are not allowed to take your hands off the handlebars in the sprint so I used my head to avoid ending up in the barriers. Head movements are of course clearly visible on a helicopter shot but a lot of former sprinters will confirm that my manoeuvre was not irregular.”
“Of course, I have to accept the decision taken by the jury, but I don’t agree with it. I wanted to protect myself and the whole peloton against a crash. The commissaires did not listen to our side of the story before taking the final decision. It will take a couple of days to process the disappointment. Now, it’s mainly about finishing the Tour Down Under on a good note and focusing on new goals afterwards.”
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Peter Sagan squeezes through sprinters to take second on Tour Down Under stage 5.
The Tour Down Under’s was nearing its end, but this was doing nothing to dampen the riders’ fighting spirit, even with more than 750km of racing in their legs. After a day where there were not one, but two breakaways, the ambition was high for the sprinters, knowing this would be their last chance to take the win in the 2019 edition of the race. In true Peter Sagan fashion, the Slovak National Champion fought hard in the sprint and weaved his way into gaps any ordinary rider would find impossible, but in spite of this, Peter had to settle for third spot. After the finish, stage winner Caleb Ewan was relegated by the commissaires due to an incident with another rider, which saw Peter’s third position upgraded to second.
Making its way south down the coast of the Gulf St Vincent from Glenelg, the penultimate stage of the Tour Down Under saw the riders cover 149.5km and some undulating terrain. With some wind coming off the sea, the peloton would be feeling the efforts of five days of racing in high temperatures, but with a flat finish waiting for them in Strathalbyn, you could be sure the sprinters would find the energy to contest the win. A trio went off the front early on, but in spite of some early success, couldn’t keep the peloton at bay, and with more than 90km remaining, it was all back together. In spite of another attempt to break away, this time hitting a more substantial 3:25 at its peak, they were again swept up with 35km remaining. There was some nervousness in the bunch, as a late attack could still shake things up, but with teams gearing up for a sprint, the pace was high enough to put an end to any attempts to escape, with Gregor Mühlberger in the thick of it along with Oscar Gatto and Daniel Oss. A touch of wheels saw a crash just inside the 10km to go point, which caused splits in the peloton. This created some anxiety in the bunch, with speeds ramping up ahead of the finale. Coming round the final bends in a good position, the Slovak National Champion fought again and again, finding space where there was none, but was just unable to find the win, taking third position. Due to an incident involving stage winner Caleb Ewan and another rider, Peter was awarded second on the stage owing to Ewan’s relegation.
Results
01 J.Philipsen 3h37’00”
02 P.Sagan + 0:00
03 D.Van Poppel + 0:00
04 J.Debusschere + 0:00
05 E.Viviani + 0:00
From the Finish Line
“The day turned out as expected. The strong breeze stretched the peloton at times but in the end, we had a bunch sprint. I had good legs and went for the stage win but I was squeezed and couldn’t make it. My form is good, the team did an excellent job today and we’ll fight again tomorrow on the last stage of the Tour Down Under.” – Peter Sagan
“Stage 5 of the Tour Down Under was a tense one and the crosswind resulted in action in the peloton. The team worked perfectly, we put on a solid effort twice to create a selection but the wind wasn’t strong enough to create a big split. Peter was brought in a good position for the sprint, he had the legs but found himself blocked. In the end, he was third on the finish line, another good result for the team.” – Patxi Vila, Sport Director
