Jack Bobridge of Uni SA has won the opening stage of the Santos Tour Down Under in South Australia
The weather was around the mid twenty degrees for the opening 132.6km stage from Tanunda to Campbelltown and atracted a strong field including Cadel Evans in his last ever World Tour race.
Before the start, Evans did not fancy his chances and said: "It's another race, and like always, we are going to try to do our best. Today is not a day for me. I want to stay in front, and take advantage of any opportunity that might come today. For myself, I want to stay out of trouble, as the contenders for the overall are doing, for my last WorldTour race.
"This is my 10th Tour Down Under, I was here for first five, so it's been a long history, and a very nice one. I've rested well, and we've had some good training this week. We've got some good weather here as well."
The race left Murray Street in Tanunda just after 10.30am local time and the race started with no neutral zone and 133 riders taking part from 23 nations.
Astana got Lieuwe Westra into the opening break along with Luke Durbridge of Orica Green Edge and Maxim Belkov of Katusha. They were joined by Jack Bobridge of the UNA team and quickly opened up a fifteen second gap.
With sixteen kilometres gone, the four out front had extended their lead to 2.30.
The peloton were two kilometres behind when the first sprint of the race came at Bethany which was won by Jack Bobridge with Westra in second place.
As the number of riders needing attention to their bikes continued, Team Sky and Giant-Alepcin worked on the front with a BMC rider, going into the final one hundred kilometres of the stage, some 2.20 behind Durbridge, Westra, Belkov and Bobridge.
With fifty kilometres gone, the gap had dropped to 2.05 and had fallen to 1.45 by the time Durbridge took the second sprint and the three points again at Bethany ahead of Belkov and Westra.
Another ten seconds were lost as the first two thirty kilometre laps were completed and the riders started on the road towards Checker Hill.
The gap went down to 56 seconds and then 48 seconds with 55.1kms left but back up to 1.05 nine kilometres later as the quartet headed for Mount Crawford.
As a squadron of pelicans looked on, the gap dropped down to 35 seconds with ninety one kilometres now ridden at an average speed of 42kmh.
Into the final thirty kilometres and two kilometres from Checker Hill, the quartet, all with World Tour wins, out front were now 1.12 ahead.
There was a huge crowd to see Jack Bobridge take the ten points ahead of Durbridge on top of Checker Hill after 104.1kms and put Bobridge in the King Of The Mountains jersey which he will take into stage three as there is no KOM climb on stage two.
The descent was steep and speeds were upto 97kmh as the quartet pushed their lead out to 1.17, as they turned off Checker Hill Road and headed towards finish in Campbelltown, some fifteen minutes from Adelaide.
The peloton were trying to bring back the four escapers who were doing their best to stay away and prevent a bunch finish.
Geraint Thomas of Team Sky changed his bike and got back in the peloton who were twenty five seconds behind the front four with just over ten kilimetres to go.
Elixx Quick Step took over the lead of the peloton as the gap went out to forty seconds. with under five kilometres left.
Into Campbelltown which had a slight uphill towards the finish and Belkov tried to attack. Bobridge fell in behind before the other two caught up.
Under the flam rouge and it was out of these four who would win. Belkov led as the peloton closed in. Jack Bobridge went and won, taking the ten seconds in 2.59.44, ahead of Westra, Durbridge and Belkov.Bonfazio. Meersmans, Lobato, Haussler, Van Hoff and Impey.
Bobridge told Paul Sherwen. "When it was down to 30 seconds, we thought it was over but it was games and we kept our cool and played the big game and won.
"It is always nice having a good mate of mine with me and knowing the roads. i made a mistake in the nationals of going early but this time I kept my cool and it worked out perfectly. I'm speechless about being in the leader's jersey."
Source: DSG
