After a two-year break, the Tour Down Under is back on the race calendar. The race week started with a criterium that, although not counting towards the overall Tour Down Under classification, gave the fast men an opportunity to show their form in a hard-fought sprint. Shortly after a small group went clear, Marco Haller managed to bridge the gap to the front of the race. On the last lap, however, the race came together again and Jordi Meeus finished second in the final sprint behind the day’s winner Caleb Ewan.
Result
01 C. Ewan 1:02:35
02 J. Meeus +0:00
03 K. Groves +0:00
From the Finish Line
“It’s a bit of a shame to finish a close second in a bunch sprint, but it’s not a bad result to start the season like that. We knew Caleb would be one of the big favourites tonight, but he’s not here with his usual team, rather with the national squad. So we didn’t quite know which team would control the race. As expected, a small group went clear and we then had Marco at the front, which was perfect for us. The other guys executed our plan well and supported me as much as possible. In the end, my positioning could have perhaps been a bit better, but second place is not so bad in the end.” – Jordi Meeus
“With a second place in the opening race of the season, we can be very satisfied, especially considering that Jordi also had to cope with jet lag. We are equally satisfied with the way the race unfolded. Marco Haller managed to get into the dangerous leading group and had a good grasp of what was a tricky situation, thereby also showing that he is already in top form. For us, this was a starting point for our sprint preparation and one can see that there is certainly still room for improvement in this area. I am sure that during the course of the Tour Down Under, we will manage to give Jordi the best possible support in the fast finishes. All in all, we are very happy with the result and our first podium of the season” – Christian Pömer, Sports Director
