| |
|
|
| |
Tour Down Under Report |
|
| |
|
|
| |
Click on the stage numbers below
to read the full report from each stage.
© Regallo
Stage 6
A relatively easy start to the final stage of the 2015 edition
of the Santos Tour Down Under. Laurent Didier (Trek), Lasse
Norman Hansen (Cannondale-Garmin) and Manuele Boaro
(Tinkoff-Saxo) were the first to get away. A chase group of
four including Alex Edmondson (UniSA) and Geraint Thomas (Sky)
bridged across. The seven rider group was too dangerous and at
the end of lap one it was all back together.
A five rider break of Nathan Haas (Cannondale-Garmin), Calvin
Watson (Trek), Greg Henderson (Lotto-Soudal), Manuele Boaro
(Tinkoff-Saxo) and Alexis Gougeard (Ag2r La Mondiale) quickly
built up an advantage of around 20 seconds. Giampaolo Caruso
(Katusha) attempted to bridge across but couldn't make it.
At the start of lap eight, with the first sprint at the end of
the lap the peloton had the break in their sights with
Orica-GreenEDGE leading, ahead of BMC and Sky. Heading towards
the line break was caught by Orica-GreenEDGE who launched
Impey to take the three seconds bonus. Nobody else was
interested with Hayman taking second and BMC's Michael Schar
covered the moved just in case taking third.
After the sprint Lars Bak (Lotto-Soudal), Christopher
Juul-Jensen (Tinkoff-Saxo), Lars Boom (Astana), Alex Howes
(Cannondale-Garmin), Peter Kennaugh (Sky) and Manuele Boaro
(Tinkoff-Saxo) took advantage of the slowing of the pace.
Having missed both moves of the day UniSA's Miles Scotson
attacked, attempting to bridge across.
The gap continued to hover between one minute and one minute
and 15 seconds with no team really interested in chasing. With
no threats to the general classification in the break BMC was
happy to just set tempo on the front. With around five laps
remaining the teams of the sprinters finally moved towards the
front with the gap falling slightly.
Heading towards the start of the final lap a crash in the
middle of the peloton forced a big split with most of the
general classification riders ahead of the crash. IAM took to
the front with Orica-GreenEDGE heading in to the sprint. A
messy final with former Tour De L'avenir stage winner Wouter
Wippert having a fastest finish to come through and take the
win. Heinrich Haussler (IAM) and Boris Vallee (Lotto-Soudal)
rounded out the podium.
Rohan Dennis finished safely in the peloton to secure the
overall win ahead of Richie Porte (Sky) and Cadel Evans (BMC)
to make it an all Australian podium.
© Regallo
Stage 5
With only a 500 metre neutral zone it would always going to be
an aggressive start. Drapac was active early on and Jack
Bobridge (UniSA) following everything in an attempt to extend
his lead in the king of the mountains classification. With a
group of around 15 forming BMC was quick to shut it down.
Former Australian under 23 time trial and road race champion
Jordan Kerby (Drapac) was the next to attack, with Bobridge
again marking the move. The duo gained an immediate gap with
Greg Henderson of Lotto-Soudal bridging across to make it
three leaders. As the break completed the first 10 kilometres
their advantage was two minutes and 15 seconds. With the two
ascents of Willunga Hill coming late in the stage the peloton
was happy to see the break go out reaching a maximum of five
and a half minutes after around 40 kilometres.
Despite an increased pace from the breakaway trio the pace in
the peloton was increasing faster with Trek, Astana and Sky
moving forward. Tinkoff-Saxo and Katusha were the next teams
to move forward. The increased pace proved too much for Kerby
who was distanced leaving just Bobridge and Henderson off the
front.
As the break started the first ascent of Willunga Hill the gap
was down to one minute forty seconds with Tinkoff-Saxo now
setting the pace on the front of the peloton. Henderson used
his last bit of energy to give Bobridge a Madison sling as he
started the climb. Bobridge's advantage was quickly dropping
on the climb with Astana and Tinkoff-Saxo leading the peloton
up.
As they started the final climb up Willunga Hill it was Sky
and Thomas leading before Orica-GreenEDGE's Cameron Meyer set
such a fast pace nobody was able to attack. The pace deterred
attacks with Richie Porte the first to go. Dennis and Evans
were quickly on his wheel. A further attack by Porte saw
Dennis the only rider able to follow. Further accelerations by
Porte were unable to shake Dennis until inside the final
kilometre when a further attack finally distanced Dennis.
Porte soloed to win on Willunga for the second year in a row.
Dennis fought all the way to the line to finish second, nine
seconds behind Porte. The gap was enough to see Dennis retain
the race lead by two seconds.
© Regallo
Stage 4
Jack Bobridge was again on the attack being joined by London
Olympic silver medallist teammate Michael Hepburn
(Orica-GreenEDGE), Cedric Pineau (FDJ) and British Champion
Peter Kennaugh (Sky). Early race leader Bobridge still just 39
seconds off the lead didn't stop the break gaining a quick
advantage and the blessing of the peloton.
Orica-GreenEDGE took control of the peloton with BMC sitting
right behind them. As the gap continued to fall Pineau went
solo but it was too late as the trio regrouped but the peloton
had them in their sights with the race back together with 66km
remaining.
Ahead of the first sprint it was still Orica-GreenEDGE setting
the pace trying to take advantage of the crosswinds to split
the race. Impey was lead out to take the sprint and three
seconds bonus. As soon as the sprint was complete there was
immediate attacks from the peloton. Maxim Belkov (Katusha),
Pieter Serry (Etixx-QuickStep) and Ruslan Tleubayev (Astana)
were able to get away and quickly build a lead of around 30
seconds.
Belkov and Serry were caught with 9km remaining and the
attacks immediately came. Lars Boom with teammate Luis Leon
Sanchez (Astana) and Gorka Izaguirre (Movistar) took a gap.
Boom swung off after opening the gap but the chase was quickly
on. With five kilometres remaining it was nine seconds but
Martin Elmiger (IAM) took to the front and brought it back
heading in to the final five kilometres.
Orica-GreenEDGE took over on the front with IAM as they
started to set up their respective sprinters. Heading in to
the final kilometre it was Orica-GreenEDGE before riders
swamped them. Wouter Wippert (Drapac) was the first to open
his sprint before a fast finishing Steele Von Hoff (UniSA)
surged by to take the win with Daryl Impey (Orica-GreenEDGE)
second. Wippert held on for third. A crash in the peloton with
Kenny De Haes (Lotto-Soudal) going down saw a number of riders
including race leader Rohan Dennis (BMC) held up behind. With
everyone given bunch time Dennis remains the overall leader
ahead of Evans. Impey moved in to the lead in the points
classification.
© Regallo
Stage 3
An immediate counter by 2012 stage winner in to Stirling Will
Clarke also of Drapac was giving room with Clarke building a
25 second advantage quickly. Lasse Norman Hansen
(Cannondale-Garmin), Axel Domont (Ag2r La Mondiale) and Calvin
Watson (Trek Factory Racing) set off in chase. By the nine
kilometre mark the chasing trio had joined Clarke and the
group was one minute and 55 seconds ahead of the peloton.
Will Clarke was was the last rider to be caught by
the peloton with eight kilometres to go. Richie Porte's Sky
squad move back to the front to take control heading in to the
final climb.
Heading in to the final turn to start the climb BMC were on
the front, with the first rider swinging wide Evans was on the
front early. Early on a group of four - Cadel Evans (BMC),
Richie Porte (Sky), Tom Dumoulin (Giant-Alpecin) and Domenico
Pozzovivo (Ag2r La Mondiale) managed to get a gap. Porte was
the first to put in a proper attack with Evans quickly on his
wheel before the four riders came back together.
The pace in the group had come off just ahead of the KoM point
and a group lead by Rohan Dennis (BMC) bridged across with
Dennis immediately putting in an attack to take the KoM and
solo to the stage win. Evans crossed the line three seconds
behind with Tom Dumoulin third.
© Regallo
Stage 2
There was no mistake from the peloton this time as the early
three rider break of Cameron Meyer (Orica-GreenEDGE), Campbell
Flakemore (BMC) and Thomas De Gendt (Lotto-Soudal) was caught
with 30km remaining.
With 5 kilometres remaining Cannondale-Garmin took over on the
front as Richie Porte's Sky team has all disappeared other
than British Champion Peter Kennaugh who was doing the pace
making. BMC and Orica-GreenEDGE made a surge to the front with
just over 3km to go. Cannondale-Garmin took control, leading
things out with two kilometres remaining.
Nathan Haas (Cannondale-Garmin) was the first to open his
sprint with around 400m to go only to be swamped as Daryl
Impey (Orica-GreenEDGE) took the lead. With the finish in
sight Juan-Jose Lobato (Movistar) surged past from a long way
back to take the win ahead of Impey and teammate Gorga
Izaguirre.
© Regallo
Stage 1
The early four rider held off the chasing peloton on day one
of the Santos Tour Down Under. Despite the break started
playing cat and mouse in the final kilometre the peloton left
it too late to catch them. As they started the finishing
strait the peloton was closing in. Having been sitting and
waiting Bobridge was the first to open his sprint taking a
comfortable victory with Westra and Durbridge rounding out the
podium. Niccolo Bonifazio (Lampre-Merida) won the bunch sprint
just behind the break for fifth.
© Regallo |
|
|
|