London
20 °C
Manchester
Glasgow
Dublin
18 °C
Belfast
Washington
Denver
Atlanta
24 °C
Dallas
Houston Texas
31 °C
New Orleans
El Paso
Phoenix
Los Angeles
34 °C
12 °C
8 °C
30 °C
18 °C
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.
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.
G. Pires--JDB
