Dennis wins the Tour Down Under, Wippert sprints to final-stage win

The final stage of the Santos Tour Down Under saw the riders take to the streets of Adelaide for a 90km circuit race comprising 20 laps of a 4.5km circuit. The course took the riders from the event village in Victoria Square over the River Torrens then into a short clockwise loop before heading down King William Road towards Victoria Square once more.

There was the usual flurry of breakaway attempts in the opening lap-and-a-half before five riders managed to get clear and start compiling an advantage. Greg Henderson (Lotto Soudal), Nathan Haas (Cannondale-Garmin), Calvin Watson (Trek Factory Racing), Manuele Boaro (Tinkoff-Saxo) and Alexis Gougeard (Ag2r-La Mondiale) had an advantage of 25 seconds by the start of the fourth lap while Orica-GreenEdge kept an eye on proceedings at the front of the peloton.

That 25-second lead was the most the five leaders would have with Orica-GreenEdge bringing it down to 10 seconds by the start of lap 8. On that lap Drapac fastman Wouter Wippert drifted to the back of the main field, seemingly with a mechanical. Wippert offered some clarification in his post-race interview.

“I was a bit tired,” Wippert said. “I decided to go back but a teammate of mine took me to the front again ahead of the final sprint.”

While Wippert was being paced back to the main field by his teammates, Orica-GreenEdge was making contact with the five leaders at the front of the main field just before the first intermediate sprint. The chase had worked for the Australian-registered team — Daryl Impey, in the red jersey of the points classification leader, was able to roll off the front and take out the intermediate sprint, ensuring he’d win the classification overall.

An easing of the pace after the sprint allowed another breakaway to get clear. It was Team Sky’s Peter Kennaugh that initiated the six-rider break, being joined by Manuele Boaro (in his second breakaway of the day), Lars Bak (Lotto Soudal), Alex Howes (Cannondale-Garmin), Chris Juul Jensen (Tinkoff-Saxo) and Lars Boom (Astana).

In the latter stages of lap 10 of 20 the six riders were 55 seconds ahead of the peloton. Boom, Kennaugh and Jensen took the KOM points on offer over Montefiore Hill but the result had no impact on the lead of jersey-wearer Jack Bobridge (UniSA-Australia).

On lap 11, with half the race completed, the six leaders had more than a minute’s advantage, prompting Jordan Kerby (Drapac) to come to the front to start pulling for Wouter Wippert. By the time the breakaway reached the second intermediate sprint, after 12 laps, the gap had grown to its maximum of 1:15. Bak took out the sprint, Howes was second and Boom was third.

With 14 laps complete the gap was down to 1:00 thanks to a sense of greater urgency in the peloton. Boom, Bak and Kennaugh crossed the KOM line in that order on lap 15 but again there was no change in the KOM classification.

After 15 laps, and with just five remaining, the gap was down to 50 seconds. A nasty crash on a left-hand bend the following lap saw Lampre-Merida’s Manuele Mori withdraw from the race. Meanwhile, the six leaders’ advantage was gradually coming down.

In lap 17 it was down to 30 seconds and one lap later it was within 10 seconds. Just as the break was about to be caught, at the start of the penultimate lap, Manuele Boaro punched clear of the lead group in a bid for solo glory. With Etixx-Quick-Step doing most of the chasing in the main field and Sky lurking just behind, a crash in the middle of the peloton caused a significant split.

The GC contenders were on the right side of the split and were able to continue with the lead group, while Marcel Kittel (Giant-Alpecin) was among the riders to be caught out and would lose his chance at victory.

By the end of lap 19 Boaro had been reeled in by the Sky-led main field of roughly 40 riders. IAM soon took up the charge as the race entered the final 4km, while Lampre-Merida was well placed in support of the team’s young sprinter Niccolo Bonifazio. As the finish line approached Drapac, Orica-GreenEdge and Etixx-Quick-Step made their presence felt by bringing their sprint trains to the front.

Orica-GreenEdge led the bunch into the final straight as the sprinters waited for their opportunity to pounce. Wouter Wippert made his move on the left-hand side of the road, squeezing through a small gap along the barriers to hit the front with roughly 200m to the line. Heinrich Haussler, wearing the green and gold jersey of the Australia national road race champion, was in the Dutchman’s slipstream but was unable to come around him in the lunge for the line.

For Wouter Wippert and his Australian Drapac team it was the perfect way to finish a week that had been full of just-abouts. After finishing third in the People’s Choice Classic last Sunday, Wippert also took third on stage 4 after hitting the front just a fraction too early.

For BMC it was a case of job done. Rohan Dennis had negotiated the final stage without incident, finishing on bunch time in 28th place; enough to maintain his two-second lead over Richie Porte and win the 2015 Santos Tour Down Under.

“It’s an incredible feeling to win the Santos Tour Down Under,” Dennis said after the stage. “Doing it with Cadel during his last WorldTour race took a lot of pressure off me but I was not comfortable at all in this last stage.

“I was following Richie Porte in the sprints in case he’d go for the (time) bonus but I didn’t have to worry because my team rode awesome.”

Daryl Impey took a comfortable win in the points classification, Jack Bobridge was crowned the winner of the KOM classification, and Movistar wrapped up the teams classification. And Rohan Dennis added to his prize haul with a win in the best young rider classification.

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Race results

Go to:  Stage 1  Stage 2  Stage 3  Stage 4  Stage 5  Stage 6  Final Classification 

Santos Tour Down Under

Stage 6

: Adelaide > Adelaide

Sunday 25th January (2015)

Classification: 2.UWT

Category: Int. Men

Distance: 90km

All Nationalities Australia Belgium Canada Colombia Croatia Denmark Finland France Germany Italy Kazakhstan Luxembourg Netherlands New Zealand Portugal Russia Slovakia South Africa Spain Switzerland United Kingdom United States All Teams AG2R La Mondiale Astana Pro Team Avanti Racing Team BMC Racing Team Drapac Professional Cycling Etixx - Quick Step FDJ IAM Cycling Lampre - Merida Lotto Soudal Movistar Team NFTO Orica GreenEDGE Team Budget Forklifts Team Cannondale - Garmin Team Giant - Alpecin Team Katusha Team LottoNL-Jumbo Team Sky Tinkoff - Saxo Trek Factory Racing

Stage Result

1.		WIPPERT Wouter Drapac Professional Cycling	01:56:09
2.		HAUSSLER Heinrich IAM Cycling	-
3.		VALLéE Boris Lotto Soudal	-
4.		BRUTT Pavel Tinkoff - Saxo	-
5.		IMPEY Daryl Orica GreenEDGE	-
6.		BONIFAZIO Niccolo Lampre - Merida	-
7.		VON HOFF Steele NFTO	-
8.		TLEUBAYEV Ruslan Astana Pro Team	-
9.		SELIG Rüdiger Team Katusha	-
10.		CHAVANEL Sébastien FDJ	-
11.		MEERSMAN Gianni Etixx - Quick Step	-
12.		NIZZOLO Giacomo Trek Factory Racing	-
13.		DUMOULIN Tom Team Giant - Alpecin	-
14.		PANTANO GOMEZ Jarlinson IAM Cycling	-
15.		SCHAR Michael BMC Racing Team	-
16.		SANZ Enrique Movistar Team	-
17.		POZZOVIVO Domenico AG2R La Mondiale	-
18.		IZAGIRRE Gorka Movistar Team	-
19.		TSATEVICH Alexey Team Katusha	-
20.		FERNANDEZ Ruben Movistar Team	-
21.		EVANS Cadel BMC Racing Team	-
22.		LAMPAERT Yves Etixx - Quick Step	-
23.		BéRARD Julien AG2R La Mondiale	-
24.		PORTE Richie Team Sky	-
25.		RENSHAW Mark Etixx - Quick Step	-
26.		BENNETT George Team LottoNL-Jumbo	-
27.		KLUGE Roger IAM Cycling	-
28.		DENNIS Rohan BMC Racing Team	-
29.		GRMAY Tsgabu Lampre - Merida	-
30.		SUTTON Chris Team Sky	-
31.		DOCKX Gert Lotto Soudal	-
32.		HENDERSON Gregory Lotto Soudal	-
33.		ROY Jérémy FDJ	-
34.		DILLIER Silvan BMC Racing Team	-
35.		WYSS Danilo BMC Racing Team	-
36.		BOUET Maxime Etixx - Quick Step	-
37.		DE KORT Koen Team Giant - Alpecin	-
38.		VELITS Martin Etixx - Quick Step	-
39.		CLEMENT Stef IAM Cycling	-
40.		ELMIGER Martin IAM Cycling	-
41.		KOHLER Martin Drapac Professional Cycling	0:05
42.		GESCHKE Simon Team Giant - Alpecin	-
43.		PINEAU Cédric FDJ	-
44.		HAYMAN Mathew Orica GreenEDGE	0:09
45.		REYNES MIMO Vicente IAM Cycling	0:20
46.		THOMAS Geraint Team Sky	0:22
47.		PUCCIO Salvatore Team Sky	-
48.		HEPBURN Michael Orica GreenEDGE	0:29
49.		ROWE Luke Team Sky	0:32
50.		BEWLEY Sam Orica GreenEDGE	0:36
51.		SERRY Pieter Etixx - Quick Step	0:44
52.		MEYER Cameron Orica GreenEDGE	0:45
53.		HANSEN Adam Lotto Soudal	0:50
54.		DIDIER Laurent Trek Factory Racing	-
55.		KEIZER Martijn Team LottoNL-Jumbo	-
56.		MOSER Moreno Team Cannondale - Garmin	-
57.		SANCHEZ Luis Leon Astana Pro Team	-
58.		STANNARD Ian Team Sky	-
59.		ALAFACI Eugenio Trek Factory Racing	0:56
60.		CIMOLAI Davide Lampre - Merida	1:01
61.		BROWN Graeme Drapac Professional Cycling	1:06
62.		BAK Lars Ytting Lotto Soudal	-
63.		HANSEN Jesper Tinkoff - Saxo	1:14
64.		ROGERS Michael Tinkoff - Saxo	-
65.		NORMAN HANSEN Lasse Team Cannondale - Garmin	-
66.		HAIG Jack	-
67.		DE GENDT Thomas Lotto Soudal	-
68.		MACHADO Tiago Team Katusha	-
69.		DE LA CRUZ MELGAREJO David Etixx - Quick Step	-
70.		MC CONNELL Daniel Trek Factory Racing	-
71.		ROULSTON Hayden Trek Factory Racing	-
72.		VILLELLA Davide Team Cannondale - Garmin	-
73.		LASTRAS Pablo Movistar Team	-
74.		LAGUTIN Sergey Team Katusha	-
75.		KERBY Jordan Drapac Professional Cycling	1:21
76.		CLARKE William Drapac Professional Cycling	-
77.		EDMONDSON Alexander	1:25
78.		FERRARI Roberto Lampre - Merida	-
79.		BOARO Manuele Tinkoff - Saxo	-
80.		GOUGEARD Alexis AG2R La Mondiale	1:46
81.		DUMOULIN Samuel AG2R La Mondiale	-
82.		RIBLON Christophe AG2R La Mondiale	-
83.		STETINA Peter BMC Racing Team	-
84.		DOMONT Axel AG2R La Mondiale	2:36
85.		TANNER David IAM Cycling	3:03
86.		MALACARNE Davide Astana Pro Team	3:22
87.		BOBRIDGE Jack Team Budget Forklifts	3:29
88.		ROE Thimothy Drapac Professional Cycling	-
89.		MARKUS Barry Team LottoNL-Jumbo	-
90.		LINDEMAN Bert-Jan Team LottoNL-Jumbo	-
91.		POWER Robert	-
92.		SCOTSON Miles	-
93.		ZAUGG Oliver Tinkoff - Saxo	-
94.		FLENS Rick Team LottoNL-Jumbo	-
95.		HAAS Nathan Team Cannondale - Garmin	-
96.		HESJEDAL Ryder Team Cannondale - Garmin	-
97.		HOWES Alex Team Cannondale - Garmin	-
98.		DURASEK Kristijan Lampre - Merida	-
99.		WATSON Calvin Trek Factory Racing	-
100.		BOOM Lars Astana Pro Team	4:01
101.		KITTEL Marcel Team Giant - Alpecin	4:11
102.		TIMMER Albert Team Giant - Alpecin	-
103.		KADRI Blel AG2R La Mondiale	-
104.		BAUER Jack Team Cannondale - Garmin	4:15
105.		HAGA Chad Team Giant - Alpecin	4:28
106.		KENNAUGH Peter Team Sky	-
107.		JUUL-JENSEN Christopher Tinkoff - Saxo	-
108.		BONO Matteo Lampre - Merida	-
109.		CARUSO Giampaolo Team Katusha	-
110.		BELKOV Maxim Team Katusha	-
111.		HERRADA José Movistar Team	5:47
112.		CATALDO Dario Astana Pro Team	-
113.		LOBATO Juan José Movistar Team	-
114.		CAPECCHI Eros Movistar Team	-
115.		DURBRIDGE Luke Orica GreenEDGE	-
116.		VAN DER PLOEG Neil Avanti Racing Team	-
117.		DE VREESE Laurens Astana Pro Team	-
118.		WESTRA Lieuwe Astana Pro Team	-
119.		ISAYCHEV Vladimir Team Katusha	-
120.		ROOSEN Timo Team LottoNL-Jumbo	-
121.		CLARKE Simon Orica GreenEDGE	-
122.		VEIKKANEN Jussi FDJ	-
DNF.		MORI Manuele Lampre - Merida	-
DNF.		JEANNESSON Arnold FDJ	-
DNF.		COLEDAN Marco Trek Factory Racing	-