There was so much racing at the weekend, is there enough coffee? The Belgian manager said that his team is also getting into trouble due to the positive covid tests. As a solution, Lefevere is looking to his colleagues at Jumbo-Visma and Team DSM, who have integrated a continental-level training team. Then you are already at three full-time positions and there is still no one to race. For the time being, that is not yet in the World Tour, but that is our ambition for The Belgian sprinter was the fastest from the bunch in Madinat Zayed after flat kilometres.
Five riders made the early break in the first WorldTour stage of the year. Xandres Vervloesem Lotto Soudal joined the leading group. The lead of the five grew to over 4 minutes. Fifty kilometres out, the difference was reduced to 1 minute and the escape was caught 20 kilometres from the finish. It was not all that exciting on the wide roads through the desert towards Madinat Zayed. The only incident of the race was a crash by Rick Zabel, but he was able to continue. The pace was slow throughout the stage, slower than the slowest time schedule, but 15 kilometres from the finish, the speed picked up as the various sprint trains got organised.
Many teams had taken their sprint leaders to the Emirates and so it very busy for a good spot at the front of the pack in the wide final kilometres. BikeExchange-Jayco led into the last kilometre, but was unable to put Dylan Groenewegen at the front.
Jasper Philipsen was taken forward by his lead-out man Jonas Rickaert, after which the Belgian sprinted along the barriers to victory. Sam Bennett and Elia Viviani took second and third places. Dylan Groenewegen was stuck behind Philipsen for fourth place. We managed to make our way to the front and go for the sprint. This morning I was not confident at all and this was the first race of the season for me.
This victory makes this a really great start to the season. Everything went perfectly. We had a tailwind at the end. To be first on the line was a great feeling. Our goal was to work on our lead-out and learn how to best ride together. We took a bit of a risk, and started the lead-out late, but it worked out very well in the end. The guys did a great job in a stressful situation, and this performance is of course very confidence-boosting for us.
