Daryl Impey Wins 2019 Tour Down Under

South African Daryl Impey made history on Sunday 20th of January, becoming the first male to win back-to-back Tour Down Under titles with a third-place finish on the final stage.

Daryl Impey times to perfection

Other teams drove the pace on the final ascent, but Daryl Impey stayed calm and sat on the wheel of teammate Lucas Hamilton, who rode beyond his 22-years. Knowing his strengths, Impey used the final, flatter 500m to launch from Hamilton’s wheel and gain metres to finish just behind, on the same time as, Porte and Poels to secure the back-to-back victory.

Mathew Hayman - Going off on a high

After 20 years as a rider, the professional peloton saw Mathew Hayman ride his final race at 2019 Tour Down Under, at a home race close to his heart. Whilst his 2016 Paris-Roubaix victory, on his 15th attempt and six weeks after a broken arm, will go down as his biggest victory, Hayman’s impact on the peloton went beyond what a result's sheet can explain. A true professional and the ultimate teammate, the 40-year-old’s final ride was testimony to his character as he fought to regain contact after the first climb and work through the final lap before positioning Impey perfectly at the bottom of the final climb.

Hayman will continue to work in a variety of roles at Mitchelton-SCOTT for the remainder of 2019.

Daryl Impey – 2019 Tour Down Under champion:

“I took the pressure but having the faith of the team goes a long way. We saw the boys committed right to the end. I couldn’t believe they (Porte and Poels) were that close so I just dug deep and went for it.”

“That’s special to go back to back. I never dreamed to come here and win twice in a row. Every year we come here with strong ambitions. I knew the competition is always tough. I just believed in myself, and it was just fantastic to pull it off.”

 “I want to dedicate the win to him (Mathew Hayman). He’s been a fantastic team mate, a lot of my victories have come with Maty. To let him go out this way, we were going to celebrate his career anyway tonight, but to win the race overall it’ll be a double celebration.”

Mathew Hayman:

“I had very mixed emotions (up the final climb). I was off at the bottom by myself, having a bit of a wave and started getting a bit of a frog in my throat, and then all of a sudden my mind was back on to the race and how Daryl was doing. Next minute I had three teammates, (Alex) Edmondson, Heppy (Michael Hepburn) and Durbo (Luke Durbirdge) with me and it came over the radio that he’d won and that took my mind off the retirement and reminded me this is why I do this.”

"It’s a big event, we raced all week and we needed every single one of us to be on. I couldn’t think of a better way to go out, not just because we won but how we raced.”

 “It’s been an emotional high all week.  We needed everyone on, every day there was a plan, things to think about, so although I was being pulled in a few extra directions than normal, the number one priority was racing and it’s so nice to be able to race to the death.”

Tour Down Under – Stage 6 Results:

1. Richie Porte (Trek-Segafredo) 3:30:14

2. Wout Poels (Team Sky) ST

3. Daryl Impey (Mitchelton-SCOTT) ST

Tour Down Under – FINAL General Classification:

1. Daryl Impey (Mitcheton-SCOTT) 20:30:42

2. Richie Porte (Trek-Segafredo) +0:13

3. Wout Poels (Team Sky) +0:17

Photo courtesy of BeardyMcBeard