On the men’s side, Simon Yates and Michael Matthews each earned spots at the final podium presentations in Adelaide. Yates won the final stage in the five-day stage race and finished second overall in the general classification. Matthews rode aggressively throughout the race and won the overall points classification.
Yates showed strong early-season form, coming close to the win on Stage 3 and then breaking through for the victory on the final stage. Riding his Giant Propel Advanced SL team bike with a CADEX 50 Ultra WheelSystem, the Brit powered up the final climb of Mount Lofty ahead of Australians Jay Vine and Ben O’Connor, who finished second and third on the day respectively.
“I am ecstatic, really happy,” Yates said after his win. “We came here to win the overall and we really gave it a good shot, so I think we can walk away very happy.”
Yates emerged as one of the top contenders for the general classification when he launched a move on the pivotal Corkscrew climb on Stage 3. He came up just short of the win and moved into third overall with two stages to go. The Brit continued that momentum the following day, moving up a spot to second overall, putting himself in position to fight for the overall win on the final stage.
“It was a tough day out there today,” Yates said after Stage 5. “A short stage and one of those circuit races around here that I like with a couple of laps around Mount Lofty. The boys were really great and everybody played their part. I just managed to line it up there on the final climb and pass Vine on the line for the win. It’s great to win here in Australia!”
In addition to Yates’s stage win and GC podium, the team’s Australian rider Michael Matthews won the overall points classification.
“We had a bit of a rollercoaster week and especially for me personally” Matthews said. “But as a team I think we did all we could to take a stage win, the points jersey and also second overall. I think it has been a good week and start of the season for us. It has been really hard, aggressive racing and a real pleasure to race again here in Australia.”
Manly, Roseman-Gannon Shine for Women's Team
In the women’s race, Team Jayco AlUla rider Alex Manly won Stage 2 and wore the leader’s jersey in the season-opening UCI Women’s WorldTour race. On a challenging stage featuring 1631 meters of climbing, Manly won the final sprint ahead of fellow Australian Georgia Williams and Dutch rider Nina Buijsman.
Riding her Liv Langma Advanced SL Disc bike with a CADEX 50 Ultra WheelSystem, the Australian was a crowd favorite for the 90km stage from Birdwood to Uraidla.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better stage to win,” Manly said. “These are my local roads. To be in the race lead is a dream come true, there’s not another race, other than the Tour de France, that I really want to be in the lead. It means a lot to me.”
Manly’s teammate Ruby Roseman-Gannon also finished Stage 2 in the lead group of 14 riders, ending up fourth in the general classification heading into the third and final stage. The last stage all came down to a battle on the final, decisive Corkscrew climb, which topped out just 7.5km from the finish.
Roseman-Gannon showed her strength up the climb, finishing fifth on the day and earning a top-five spot in the GC at fourth overall.
Stage Wins and Podiums for Jayco AlUla at Tour Down Under!
Monday, January 23, 2023
Team Jayco AlUla kicked off the new season with both its men’s and women’s squads firing on all cylinders at the Tour Down Under stage race in Australia, the first race of the 2023 UCI WorldTour.