BMC's Richie Porte rode away to take his fourth win on Willunga Hill and leave him only needing to finish on the final stage to be crowned the 2017 Santos Tour Down Under.
Richie Porte of BMC was in the leader’s ochre jersey and the KOM jersey and led the riders out on a stage he has won for the last three years - the 151.5km fifth stage from McLaren Vale to the Willunga Hill, with a lead of twenty seconds over Gorka Izagirre.
Julien Berard of AG2R and Will Clarke were straight on the attack as soon as Race Director Mike Turtur dropped the flag and they were quickly joined by Jacques Janse Van Rensburg of Dimension Data and Arnaud Courteille of FDJ.
They managed to get eighteen seconds ahead but by the seven kilometres mark, they had been brought back.
Four kilometres later and a new break formed with some familiar faces in it. The break consisted of Thomas De Gendt of Lotto Soudal, Will Clarke of Cannondale Drapac, Jeremy Maison of FDJ and Jack Bauer of Quick Step, who was in the break on stage four and they were soon twenty-five seconds clear, then 1.25 seconds after nineteen kilometres and 2.02 after 27kms.
When the gap went out to 2.30, Bauer was the virtual leader on the road. That was brought back to 2.15 as the quartet went through McLaren Vale watched by massive crowds and was locked in at 2.15 with 99kms left.
BMC worked on the front and the gap was down to 1.50 but at two minutes as they went past the beach at Alldinger Bay and then 1.50 as they rolled through the sprint at Snapper Hill after 63.4kms with Maison taking the three points ahead of Clarke and De Gendt.
On to the third lap around McLaren Vale, the gap was still at two minutes with 68kms remaining.
The break rolled across the second sprint at Snapper Hill with Thomas De Gendt leading them through with forty-five kilometres and two climbs of the Willunga Hill to go.
The gap held by the break which included Jack Bauer the most combative rider of the day again, went out to 2.35 and then 3.05 with 33kms left.
The break started on Willunga Hill for the first time with a lead of 2.30 whilst some riders at the back of the peloton started to struggle.
Will Clarke dropped out of the break with Bauer knowing that if he could stay away and win with enough time, he could take over the lead of the race going into the final stage.
Chris Hamilton of Team Sunweb jumped out of the peloton and was joined by Giovanni Visconti as De Gendt took to the front watched by massive crowds on the climb and took the sixteen points on offer.
Visconti was pulled back by the peloton as was Clarke with eighteen kilometres to go. BMC upped the ante and got Richie Porte back into the race lead.
If Porte was going to win the stage, he was up against some serious competition with Team Sky putting in a big shift on the front.
Going into the last ten kilometres and the gap was down to forty-five seconds and down to forty seconds, a kilometre later on a glorious day with temperatures rising to thirty degrees.
There was a slight crosswind which was not affecting the chasing peloton who were 18 seconds behind with five kilometres left. A few hundred metres later and the break was caught and Orica Scott had riders on the front with Porte just behind them, keeping a watching brief with Gorka Izagirre at the back of the peloton.
Jack Bauer came back up and led them onto the climb. Chaves jumped onto the Team Sky train followed by Porte and Sergio Henao.
Seb Henao led a group of seven with Porte and Chaves. Porte attacked on the steepest part of the climb and the rest were not able to follow. Porte who has won on this hill for the last three years, went under the flam rouge with Sergio Henao trying to chase the Tasmanian down.
However, Richie Porte was not to be stopped and he took the win and ten second bonus plus the sixteen points in 3.40.14. Nathan Haas of Dimension Data came out of nowhere to finish second and go third on GC with Chaves, second on GC in third.
Porte, said about his win: ‘‘That hurt more than the other three. ‘‘Incredible team work today and I am happy to finish it off. ‘‘That street circuit in Adelaide is not easy but my work today has made it easier for tomorrow.
‘‘My goal is the Tour De France but things are going well.’’
Source: DSG
