For the first time in the race's 21-year history,[4] the previous year's winner was able to defend their race title as Mitchelton–Scott's Daryl Impey from South Africa took the overall honours on the final day. Impey had trailed New Zealand's Patrick Bevin (CCC Team) by seven seconds going into the stage, finishing at Willunga Hill, but Bevin lost almost six minutes on the day, due to injuries suffered in a crash the previous day.[5] Although Impey finished third on the stage to Australian Richie Porte of Trek–Segafredo – who won the Willunga stage for the sixth successive year[6] – and Team Sky rider Wout Poels from the Netherlands, Impey won the general classification and the race's final ochre jersey by thirteen seconds from Porte,[1] with Poels a further four seconds arrears (due to the bonus seconds on the finish line) in third place.
Despite not winning the race overall, Bevin took the blue jersey awarded for the sprints classification.[7] In the race's other classifications, UniSA–Australia rider Jason Lea led the mountains classification from the opening day to the finish, edging out Poels on countback,[8] while Chris Hamilton, also from Australia, was the winner of the white jersey for the young rider classification for Team Sunweb,[9] finishing in sixth place overall, after that particular jersey changed hands after every day of racing. The team classification was won by UAE Team Emirates, who led from the opening day onwards, with the team having one stage victory – earned by Jasper Philipsen, who was making his début with a UCI WorldTeam.[10]
Participating teams
As the Tour Down Under was a UCI World Tour event, all eighteen UCI WorldTeams were invited automatically and obliged to enter a team in the race.[11] One other team was given a wildcard entry into the race: UniSA–Australia.[12] Each team was due to enter seven riders, for a total of 133 participants.[13]
Alongside Meyer and Impey at Mitchelton–Scott was Mathew Hayman, who announced in September 2018 that he would retire from professional racing after the 2019 Tour Down Under.[15]
The route of the 2019 Tour Down Under was announced at the beginning of August 2018 and centred around the city of Adelaide in South Australia. There were six mass-start road stages and no time trials,[16] with the race concluding with a summit finish at Willunga Hill for the first time.[16] Two days before the start of the Tour, there was a flat criterium race, the People's Choice Classic, which took place in Rymill Park and which was suited for the sprinters.[17] It was won by Caleb Ewan (Lotto–Soudal) in a sprint finish.[18][19]
After the People's Choice Classic, it was announced that the second stage would be shortened due to forecasted high temperatures.[20] Initially scheduled for 149 kilometres (93 miles),[21] the stage was reduced to 122.1 kilometres (75.9 miles); a section of the route between Mount Pleasant and Springton via Williamstown was re-routed to bypass Williamstown altogether.[22] The following morning, a minor adjustment was made to the finish of the opening stage in Port Adelaide, as a 3.4-kilometre (2.1-mile) finishing circuit was removed due to expected strong winds.[23]
In the 2019 Tour Down Under, four different jerseys were awarded. For the general classification, calculated by adding each cyclist's finishing times on each stage, and allowing time bonuses for the first three finishers at intermediate sprints and at the finish of mass-start stages, the leader received an ochre jersey.[39] This classification was considered the most important of the 2018 Tour Down Under, and the winner of the classification was considered the winner of the race.
Additionally, there was a sprints classification, which awarded a blue jersey,[39] a change from green in 2018. In the sprints classification, cyclists received points for finishing in the top 10 in a stage. For winning a stage, a rider earned 15 points, with one point fewer per place down to 6 points for 10th place. Points towards the classification could also be accrued at intermediate sprint points during each stage; these intermediate sprints also offered bonus seconds towards the general classification. There was also a mountains classification, the leadership of which was marked by a white jersey with navy polka dots.[39] In the mountains classification, points were won by reaching the top of a climb before other cyclists, with more points available for the higher-categorised climbs.
The fourth jersey represented the young rider classification, marked by a white jersey.[39] This was decided in the same way as the general classification, but only riders under the age of 26 were eligible to be ranked in the classification. There was also a classification for teams, in which the times of the best three cyclists per team on each stage were added together; the leading team at the end of the race was the team with the lowest total time.[39] In addition, there was a combativity award given after each stage to the rider(s) considered, by a jury, to have "instigated the most attacks, breakaways or assisted their teammates to the best advantage". The winner of the award wore a red number bib in the following stage.[39]
^ a bStage reduced from 132.4 kilometres (82 miles), due to expected strong winds.[23]
^ a bStage reduced from 149 kilometres (93 miles), due to expected extreme heat.[20]
References
^ a b c d"General Classification Stage 6" (PDF). MATSport.fr. MATSport Timing. 20 January 2019. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
^"UCI reveal WorldTour calendar for 2019". Cycling News. Retrieved 23 October 2018.
^"2019 Santos Tour Down Under Dates Announced". Tour Down Under. Archived from the original on 4 January 2019. Retrieved 23 October 2018.
^Bacon, Ellis (20 January 2019). "Impey takes his second Tour Down Under title in a row". Cyclingnews.com. Immediate Media Company. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
^Bacon, Ellis (20 January 2019). "Crowdpleaser Bevin vows to return to Tour Down Under". Cyclingnews.com. Immediate Media Company. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
^Benson, Daniel (20 January 2019). "Impey wins the 2019 Tour Down Under as Porte takes Willunga". Cyclingnews.com. Immediate Media Company. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
^ a b"Sprint Classification Stage 6" (PDF). MATSport.fr. MATSport Timing. 20 January 2019. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
^ a b"KOM Classification Stage 6" (PDF). MATSport.fr. MATSport Timing. 20 January 2019. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
^ a b"Best Young Rider Classification Stage 6" (PDF). MATSport.fr. MATSport Timing. 20 January 2019. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
^Evans, Josh (19 January 2019). "Philipsen left with mixed feelings after first WorldTour victory". Cyclingnews.com. Immediate Media Company. Retrieved 20 January 2019. The stage victory is the 20-year-old Belgian's first as a WorldTour rider, coming just five days into his WorldTour career after spending the 2018 season with Axel Merckx's Hagens Berman Axeon development team in the United States.
^"Part 2: Road Races". UCI.org. Union Cycliste Internationale. 1 January 2019. p. 204. Retrieved 14 January 2019. 2.15.127: The UCI WorldTeam must take part with a team of competitive riders in UCI WorldTour events.
^ a b"Tour Down Under 2019 start list". Cycling Weekly. TI Media. 7 January 2019. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
^"Defending champion Impey leads Mitchelton-Scott at Tour Down Under". Cyclingnews.com. Immediate Media Company. 8 January 2019. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
^"2019 Tour Down Under - People's Classic preview". Cyclingnews.com. Immediate Media Company. 30 December 2018. Archived from the original on 14 January 2019. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
^"Results: Down Under Classic" (PDF). MATSport.fr. MATSport Timing. 13 January 2019. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
^ a b"Novatech Stage 2 shortened". Tour Down Under. Events South Australia. 13 January 2019. Archived from the original on 22 January 2019. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
^Taverner, Stuart (1 August 2018). "Tour Down Under stage shake-up". Barossa and Light Herald. Fairfax Media. Archived from the original on 14 January 2019. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
^"Novatech Stage 2". Tour Down Under. Events South Australia. Archived from the original on 14 January 2019. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
Elia Viviani (ITA)
Patrick Bevin (NZL)
Peter Sagan (SVK)
Daryl Impey (SAF)
Jasper Philipsen (BEL)
Richie Porte (AUS)
Wout Poels (NED)
Luis León Sánchez (ESP)
Michael Woods (CAN)
Ruben Guerreiro (POR)
Phil Bauhaus (GER)
Kenny Elissonde (FRA)
Artyom Zakharov (KAZ)
Tadej Pogačar (SLO)
Gregor Mühlberger (AUT)