Caleb Ewan Wins Tour Down Under Opening Stage

17 January 2017 04:03

As expected Caleb Ewan of Orica Scott took the win on the opening stage of 2017 Santos Tour Down Under.

This year’s UCI WorldTour opening race started with the Hostworks Stage One which was a 145km course from Unley to Lyndoch.

World Champion Peter Sagan, now riding for Bora Hansgrohe was amongst a very strong field of 133 riders including five British riders on a morning where temperatures were at 34 degrees and rising.

Astana rider, Laurens De Vreese was the first to attack and was soon forty seconds clear and then 2.10 ahead after 4.5kms. His lead got to a maximum of 4.45 but the peloton were not happy and by the 38km mark, had De Vreese’s lead down to 2.30.  

The 23 year old De Vreese took the points on the climb on the Keresbrook Road at Humbug Scrub to give him the KOM Jersey for tomorrow’s stage ahead of Sander Armee of Lotto Soudal and Jan Bakelants of AG2R.

Temperatures were now over forty degrees and slowing the pace down as De Vreese led by 1.15 with 93kms to go, making their way through the Barossa Valley towards Lyndoch where the riders had to complete three laps, taking in Sandy Creek and Cockatoo Valley and Williamstown before the finish.

The rider from Ghent was a kilometre ahead of the peloton as he started on the first of those three laps in front of good crowds on the finish line with a lead of 1.40.

De Vreese took the iiNet sprint and the three points at Cockatoo Vale followed by Nathan Haas and Simon Gerrans as his lead went out to 2.25 as news came through that due to the extreme heat, with temperatures at forty degrees celsius, the race was to be reduced by one lap of the finish circuit which meant that the stage was shortened to 118.5kms.

Through Williamstown and onto the final lap and the Astana rider, who was the most competitive rider of the day, was a minute clear.

However, with nineteen kilometres to go and the sprint coming up, De Vreese’s time on the front was over and it was gruppo compacto. 

Onto Cockatoo Vale for the sprint and up came Jay McCarthy took the three points and three seconds before Jan Bakelants of AG2R sneaked away.

Adam Hansen of Lotto Soudal went after him but found that it was not an easy task as Bakelants was not interested in riding with anyone and Hansen was caught with six kilometres left.

Four kilometres later and Bakelants was caught and under the flam rouge they went with Ian Stannard of Team Sky on the front. 

Peter Sagan tried to lead out Irishman Sam Bennett but Caleb Ewan came up on the left to take the win ahead of Danny Van Poppel of Team Sky, Sam Bennett in 3.24.18.

A delighted Caleb Ewan who wears the ochre jersey for stage two, said: “Everyone felt the heat and it was a good idea to shorten the race. 

“I’m really happy to take the win. “We did not have the manpower some of the teams have in this race but my team did a magnificent job to deliver me.” 

Source: DSG