Mitchelton-Scott took a six-second bonus second in Wednesday's Tour Down Under as Darryl Impey finished second in the second Sterling stage.

Impey moved into third place overall, one second behind new race leader and stage 2 winner Caleb Yuan (Lotto Soudal). However, Yates, who suffered a knee injury, struggled to the finish. He finished more than 5 minutes behind stage winner Caleb Yuan, but was given the same time because the crash occurred in the last 3 km.

While his teammates returned to their hotel in central Adelaide, Yates was carried in the team van with his left knee bandaged and an ice pack to reduce swelling. It is too early to understand how this injury will affect the 2020 season, but his knee injury appeared similar to the one Tom Dumoulin suffered at the 2019 Giro d'Italia.

"It was a bittersweet day for the team. Darryl did well and gained a few seconds, but losing Simon is not good. We're just getting started, so maybe we'll be okay, maybe we won't," White told Cycling News.

Tour Down Under organizers said on social media that Yates had "gas in his knee," but White preferred to wait for Yates to be examined and treated before deciding whether the Brit will start stage 4 on Thursday.

"He's not doing too good right now. I'm worried about his left knee. He could barely pedal to the finish line," White admitted.

"The doctor will decide if he will start tomorrow and adjust his plan accordingly. My knee is swollen and I may not be able to go anywhere."

Impey looked satisfied in Mitchelton Scott's team van, but his hopes for a third consecutive overall win are on track.

"I knew it would be hard to get bonus seconds today, but this finish suited me and I put everything into the final sprint.

"Nine seconds now is a good gap to the climbers. There are a lot of climbers in good shape this year, but it's better to have nine seconds than nothing."

Impey knows that the Tour Down Under could work in Climber's favor heading into Paracombe on stage 3.

"Tomorrow [Thursday] will be a difficult day. It's pretty much the "queen stage." We could easily lose nine seconds, so it's important to get to the line and limit our losses."

"The finish is the same as a few years ago (2017) when Richie Porte wiped everyone out. We're in much better shape than last time, so we're going to give it our all and take it from there."