Caleb Ewan of Orica Scott has retained his People's Classic title.
The traditional curtain raiser to the Santos Tour Down Under, was the People's Classic race in Adelaide and started with Ben O’Connor (Dimension Data) and Will Clarke (Cannondale Drapac) on the attack for the first couple of laps of this 22 lap criterium race.
Ben O’Connor (Dimension Data) took over the lead on lap three and stayed clear until the last few laps when Orica Scott and company brought him back to set up a sprint which saw Team Sky and Bora Hansgrohe go early before Caleb Ewan of Orica Scott was lead out by German Roger Kluge to take the victory in a time of 1.03.41 ahead of Ireland's Sam Bennett of Bora Hangrohe and the World Champion Peter Sagan, Niccolo Bonifazio and Ed Theuns.
British rider Ben Swift of the UAE Abu Dhabi team finished 38th with James Shaw of Lotto Soudal in 98th.
“I’m really happy it started off well with Roger,” Ewan said to the Orica Scott Press Office. “It was the first race I have raced with him and he dropped me off perfectly, right at the front, and that was the first time I had to touch the wind.”
“I don’t think it usually happens like that (working so well together in the first race) but all I had to do was follow him. He sat behind me with a few laps to go to give me a smooth ride and came around me with a lap to go.”
Source: DSG
