TDU: Another win for Ewan Down Under

On Stage 4 of the Tour Down Under, Aussie Caleb Ewan is dominating the sprints as he beats World Champion Peter Sagan again, Ben Swift 4th

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TDU: Another win for Ewan Down Under
Photo credit: Santos Tour Down Under / Regallo 

Thumping win delivers Ewan triple treat

Photo credit: Santos Tour Down Under / Regallo 

Caleb Ewan flashed across the finish line of BUPA Stage 4 in Campbelltown today to claim his third win of this year’s Santos Tour Down Under. Campbelltown was awash with bicycles even before the professional peloton powered into town as 5718 cycling enthusiasts put their skills to the test on the Bupa Challenge Tour just hours before the professionals tackled the ride from leafy Norwood. They are part of the 119 thousand fans who came out today to cheer on the race.

The 22 year old ORICA-SCOTT star treated them to a thrilling finish proving again to be too quick for World Champion Peter Sagan (Bora Hansgrohe) with Dutchman Danny van Poppel (Team SKY) third across the line. “It was a tricky one, because it’s hard for a lead-out train to stay together down through The Gorge,” said Ewan who had to navigate his way through the sprinting stampede to find a clear path to the line.

Photo credit: Santos Tour Down Under / Regallo 

“I wasn’t panicking (when boxed in), and there was still a fair way to go, and luckily I got out,” explained Ewan. “Once I got out, I could open up my sprint.” The young Australian sprinter, who covered the 150 kilometre route in a time of 3:45.19, says he is stronger than last year when he won two stages of the race. “I am not fatiguing like I used to and I can bounce back stage after stage,” said the pint-sized powerhouse who aspires to be the best sprinter in world cycling. “You don’t always get it right. Today, I went a little later than I hoped but I was able to get around Danny (Van Poppel).”

Twenty three year old van Poppel, who launched his sprint with 200 metres to go, concedes the strongest man won on the line. “It was a hard finish and it was better for me with an uphill finish,” said van Poppel. “I do not think there is shame to be third behind those names. “I felt I had good legs but if you wait too long everyone comes from behind and that’s what happened the other day, so I did not want to wait. “This is my first race and Ewan is already busy for a long time,” he said. “My shape is getting better and better, and of course, we will try again Sunday.”

Meanwhile Sagan continues to challenge for the win as his new team fine-tunes his lead out train. “We will see how it is going,” said Sagan when asked if a win on Sunday was possible for him. “We still have tomorrow one stage, it can be good. Every day is better – (our team work) exquisite.” The stage result did nothing to impact the overall standings with Tasmanian Richie Porte maintaining his grip on the Santos Ochre Leaders Jersey.

Photo credit: Santos Tour Down Under / Regallo 

“Yesterday and today there was so much to lose but nothing to gain for me,” said Porte. “To have them done is a massive relief for me.” Porte, 31, has won tomorrow’s Queen stage up Willunga Hill for the past three years but this is the first time he goes in as the race leader. “It’s a different scenario this year going into it (because) it’s not about the stage win tomorrow, it’s about winning the overall classification,” Porte explained. “We have a great team and I’m pretty relaxed with where I’m at. If they want to hit out early, we have a team to control (it).”

“We also have Rohan Dennis who is strong and motivated. He’s racing at his best so I’m optimistic,” said Porte of his compatriot and the 2015 race champion who currently sits sixth overall at 29 seconds. Spaniard Gorka Izaguirre remains second overall, 20 seconds in arrears, despite a tough day in the saddle. The Movistar rider lined up this morning swathed in bandages due to nasty road rash from this high speed crash in the closing kilometres of yesterday’s stage into Victor Harbor. He was assessed at Royal Adelaide Hospital after the crash and this morning the Race Doctor cleared him to continue the race.

The 132 strong field rode out from the main street of Norwood under neutral conditions for the first eight kilometres but as soon as the flag dropped the attacks began. An early incline put some of the riders under pressure but up in front a trio managed to slip clear. Czech rider Ondrej Cink (Bahrain-Merida), Cameron Meyer (UniSA Australia) and Jack Bauer (Quick-Step Floors) were soon more than a minute ahead of the peloton which made Cink, 57 seconds off the time of Porte, the virtual race leader on the road.

After 25 kilometres of racing the gap had grown to 2:25 with the Subaru King of the Mountain points of the day decided on the steep 600 metre Category 2 climb up Checker Hill. Cink, a former mountain biker, collected the maximum points ahead of Meyer and Bauer. Recognising the danger to Porte’s overall lead the BMC Racing Team hit the front to ride tempo and keep the escapees within striking distance.

Photo credit: Santos Tour Down Under / Regallo 

The first of two iiNet intermediate sprints was contested at the 37 kilometre mark in Birdwood with Bauer grabbing the points ahead of Meyer and Cink. 50 kilometres later the trio were still ahead and this time Meyer was first across the line for the sprint into Mt Pleasant with Bauer second and Cink third. Not long after the sprint Meyer and Bauer left Cink in their wake and 45 kilometres from home the gap from the lead pair back to the bunch was 1:30 as they worked well together to maintain their advantage.

Cink was soon overtaken by the BMC led peloton before Lars Bak (Lotto Soudal), Will Clarke (Cannondale-Drapac) and Astana rider Michael Valgren set out in pursuit of the leaders. A puncture ended Clarke’s chase and not long afterwards a fast moving main bunch swamped Bak and Valgren. Out in front Meyer decided his day was done but Bauer put his time trial skills to work in a bid for glory.

“My intention was to go into the breakaway today but it was always going to be hard,” said Meyer. “We needed a tail wind in the last 5km to stay away and it didn’t work out. There was too much head wind and too many people wanted a bunch sprint finish.” Bauer soldiered on alone and 25 kilometres from home he still held a 45 seconds lead but a victory wasn’t to be. Five kilometres from the finish his day was done as the speeding peloton caught him.

Meyer and Jack Bauer on the podium. Photo credit: Santos Tour Down Under / Regallo 

“It’s the only stage of the week I thought the break was going to have a chance to succeed,” said a disappointed Bauer after the stage. “Two years ago (Jack) Bobridge shelled everybody off. Obviously it wasn’t the same stage but the same finale. “We never had enough road really to fight for the stage but I was going to attack anyway.”

His team director Rik Van Slyke was pleased with Bauer’s efforts despite it not bringing the desired result. “The other riders ran out of energy, but it is always if, if, if … It is also early in the season, so no one wants to let people get away too much. “Jack was very strong…and he wanted to try something this week, and today was his day,” said Van Slyke. “Unfortunately, he could not make it with a victory, but for me, his efforts today is like a victory. If you do not try, you do not win.”

Bauer and Meyer shared the Most Competitive Rider of the day honours as a reward for their efforts.”

… continued after advert

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STAGE 4
1 *EWAN Caleb ORS 03:45:19
2 SAGAN Peter BOH ST
3 *VAN POPPEL Danny SKY ST
4 SWIFT Ben UAD ST
5 HAAS Nathan DDD ST
6 PLANCKAERT Baptiste KAT ST
7 MCCARTHY Jay BOH ST
8 *SCOTSON Callum AUS ST
9 SUTTERLIN Jasha MOV ST
10 BATTAGLIN Enrico TLJ ST
11 WOODS Michael CDT ST
12 DE BIE Sean LTS ST
13 ROUX Anthony FDJ ST
14 *RESTREPO VALENCIA Jhonatan KAT ST
15 *GUERREIRO Ruben TFS ST
16 KELDERMAN Wilco SUN ST
17 POZZOVIVO Domenico ALM ST
18 SANCHEZ Luis-Leon AST ST
19 VALLS Rafael LTS ST
20 ULISSI Diego UAD ST
21 DENNIS Rohan BMC ST
22 BAKELANTS Jan ALM ST
23 GERRANS Simon ORS ST
24 GESINK Robert TLJ ST
25 ARASHIRO Yukiya TBM ST
26 HERRADA Jesus MOV ST
27 EARLE Nathan AUS ST
28 GONCALVES José KAT ST
29 CHAVES Johan Esteban ORS ST
30 PORTE Richie BMC ST
31 HENAO Sergio Luis SKY ST
32 *MAS Enric QST ST
33 PANTANO Jarlinson TFS ST
34 *MANZIN Lorrenzo FDJ ST
35 THEUNS Edward TFS ST
36 SLAGTER Tom-Jelte CDT ST
37 BEVIN Patrick CDT ST
38 VAKOC Petr QST ST
39 *HAMILTON Lucas AUS ST
40 MARTENS Paul TLJ ST
41 *EIKING Odd Christian FDJ ST
42 DEVENYNS Dries QST ST
43 MACHADO Tiago KAT ST
44 DE VREESE Laurens AST ST
45 ELISSONDE Kenny SKY ST
46 HERRADA LOPEZ Jose MOV ST
47 BIDARD Francois ALM ST
48 BARBERO CUESTA Carlos MOV ST
49 IZAGUIRRE Gorka MOV ST
50 LADAGNOUS Matthieu FDJ ST
51 GASTAUER Ben ALM ST
52 COURTEILLE Arnaud FDJ ST
53 CHEVRIER Clement ALM ST
54 CARUSO Damiano BMC ST
55 HOWES Alex CDT ST
56 MARCATO Marco UAD ST
57 *JENNER Samuel AUS ST
58 FENG Chun Kai TBM ST
59 VAN ASBROECK Tom CDT ST
60 *STORER Michael AUS ST
61 *HAMILTON Chris SUN ST
62 *HINDLEY Jai AUS ST
63 *SHAW James LTS ST
64 BRAJKOVIC Janez TBM ST
65 STETINA Peter TFS ST
66 *SCOTSON Miles BMC ST
67 ROWE Luke SKY ST
68 ARMEE Sander LTS ST
69 *MAISON Jeremy FDJ ST
70 KUMP Marko UAD ST
71 VISCONTI Giovanni TBM ST
72 HANSEN Adam LTS ST
73 DE KORT Koen TFS ST
74 CINK Ondrej TBM ST
75 BAK Lars Ytting LTS ST
76 ARNDT Nikias SUN ST
77 CAPECCHI Eros QST ST
78 BERARD Julien ALM ST
79 BRESCHEL Matti AST ST
80 LAMMERTINK Maurits KAT ST
81 BRAMBILLA Gianluca QST ST
82 DIDIER Laurent TFS ST
83 KLUGE Roger ORS ST
84 TIRALONGO Paolo AST ST
85 BYSTROM Sven Erik KAT ST
86 *O’CONNOR Ben DDD ST
87 DE LA PARTE Victor MOV ST
88 MORI Manuele UAD ST
89 MEINTJES Louis UAD ST
90 *VERMEULEN Alexey TLJ ST
91 *BONIFAZIO Niccolo TBM ST
92 IMPEY Daryl ORS ST
93 MEYER Cameron AUS ST
94 LAENGEN Vegard Stake UAD ST
95 GRMAY Tsgabu Gebremaryam TBM ST
96 VALGREN Michael AST ST
97 MONTAGUTI Matteo ALM ST
98 VICIOSO Angel KAT ST
99 *HOFSTEDE Lennard SUN ST
100 THOMAS Geraint SKY ST
101 BAUER Jack QST ST
102 VELITS Martin QST 16
103 *HENAO GOMEZ Sebastian SKY ST
104 KOLAR Michael BOH 18
105 DE GENDT Thomas LTS ST
106 ZAKHAROV Artyom AST 21
107 RENSHAW Mark DDD ST
108 SELIG Rudiger BOH 23
109 BENNETT Sam BOH 26
110 JANSE VAN RENSBURG Jacques DDD 36
111 *SOLER GIMENEZ Marc MOV ST
112 FROHLINGER Johannes SUN ST
113 GESCHKE Simon SUN 39
114 *BAUHAUS Phil SUN 41
115 MORTON Lachlan David DDD 43
116 FARRAR Tyler DDD 56
117 WYSS Danilo BMC ST
118 MOINARD Amael BMC ST
119 STANNARD Ian SKY 01:04
120 *BOUWMAN Koen TLJ 01:08
121 LINDEMAN Bert-Jan TLJ ST
122 WAGNER Robert TLJ 01:16
123 *PEDERSEN Mads TFS 01:23
124 DURBRIDGE Luke ORS 01:36
125 VENTER Jaco DDD 02:17
126 *MUHLBERGER Gregor BOH ST
127 SCULLY Thomas CDT 03:03
128 GATTO Oscar AST 05:14
129 VENTOSO Francisco BMC 05:19
130 POSTLBERGER Lukas BOH 06:39
131 HOWSON Damien ORS ST
132 CLARKE William CDT 09:42

General
1 PORTE Richie BMC 14:20:18
2 IZAGUIRRE Gorka MOV 20
3 CHAVES Johan Esteban ORS 22
4 MCCARTHY Jay BOH 24
5 HAAS Nathan DDD 27
6 DENNIS Rohan BMC 29
7 SANCHEZ Luis-Leon AST ST
8 ULISSI Diego UAD ST
9 VALLS Rafael LTS ST
10 *GUERREIRO Ruben TFS ST
11 GESINK Robert TLJ ST
12 POZZOVIVO Domenico ALM ST
13 KELDERMAN Wilco SUN ST
14 *MAS Enric QST ST
15 *RESTREPO VALENCIA Jhonatan KAT ST
16 EARLE Nathan AUS 33
17 WOODS Michael CDT ST
18 HENAO Sergio Luis SKY ST
19 HERRADA Jesus MOV ST
20 *STORER Michael AUS ST
21 SLAGTER Tom-Jelte CDT 45
22 BAKELANTS Jan ALM ST
23 *EIKING Odd Christian FDJ 47
24 BEVIN Patrick CDT 49
25 VAKOC Petr QST ST
26 VISCONTI Giovanni TBM ST
27 STETINA Peter TFS 52
28 PANTANO Jarlinson TFS 53
29 *HAMILTON Chris SUN ST
30 *HAMILTON Lucas AUS ST
31 CINK Ondrej TBM 55
32 *HINDLEY Jai AUS 57
33 DEVENYNS Dries QST ST
34 BYSTROM Sven Erik KAT 01:01
35 GERRANS Simon ORS 01:02
36 IMPEY Daryl ORS 01:07
37 ROUX Anthony FDJ 01:12
38 GONCALVES José KAT 01:14
39 HERRADA LOPEZ Jose MOV 01:15
40 *O’CONNOR Ben DDD 01:17
41 MARTENS Paul TLJ 01:19
42 BRAMBILLA Gianluca QST ST
43 THOMAS Geraint SKY ST
44 MEINTJES Louis UAD ST
45 BAK Lars Ytting LTS 01:20
46 BAUER Jack QST 01:27
47 VALGREN Michael AST 01:31
48 SWIFT Ben UAD 01:41
49 DE BIE Sean LTS 01:43
50 LAMMERTINK Maurits KAT ST
51 CARUSO Damiano BMC 01:44
52 DIDIER Laurent TFS 01:48
53 *JENNER Samuel AUS 02:03
54 ZAKHAROV Artyom AST 02:31
55 MONTAGUTI Matteo ALM 02:36
56 ARMEE Sander LTS 02:46
57 CAPECCHI Eros QST 03:02
58 MEYER Cameron AUS 03:04
59 CHEVRIER Clement ALM 03:12
60 ARASHIRO Yukiya TBM 03:23
61 DE LA PARTE Victor MOV 03:38
62 SAGAN Peter BOH 03:40
63 *VERMEULEN Alexey TLJ ST
64 MORTON Lachlan David DDD 03:41
65 BATTAGLIN Enrico TLJ 03:50
66 HANSEN Adam LTS ST
67 GASTAUER Ben ALM 03:53
68 BRAJKOVIC Janez TBM 03:55
69 LAENGEN Vegard Stake UAD 04:03
70 *MAISON Jeremy FDJ 04:09
71 MACHADO Tiago KAT 04:17
72 *SOLER GIMENEZ Marc MOV ST
73 MARCATO Marco UAD 04:21
74 MORI Manuele UAD ST
75 *SHAW James LTS 04:28
76 LADAGNOUS Matthieu FDJ 04:38
77 WYSS Danilo BMC 05:03
78 VICIOSO Angel KAT 05:12
79 GESCHKE Simon SUN 05:17
80 JANSE VAN RENSBURG Jacques DDD 05:56
81 *MUHLBERGER Gregor BOH 06:00
82 SUTTERLIN Jasha MOV 06:08
83 VELITS Martin QST 06:11
84 DE KORT Koen TFS 06:19
85 *SCOTSON Miles BMC 06:25
86 MOINARD Amael BMC 06:42
87 THEUNS Edward TFS 07:18
88 PLANCKAERT Baptiste KAT 07:27
89 *MANZIN Lorrenzo FDJ 07:43
90 BIDARD Francois ALM ST
91 *BONIFAZIO Niccolo TBM 08:33
92 ARNDT Nikias SUN 08:37
93 BARBERO CUESTA Carlos MOV ST
94 GRMAY Tsgabu Gebremaryam TBM 08:49
95 *EWAN Caleb ORS 09:08
96 BRESCHEL Matti AST 09:33
97 *HOFSTEDE Lennard SUN 09:46
98 HOWES Alex CDT 09:56
99 VENTER Jaco DDD 10:30
100 DE GENDT Thomas LTS 10:42
101 *SCOTSON Callum AUS 10:55
102 FENG Chun Kai TBM 11:26
103 VAN ASBROECK Tom CDT 11:33
104 SELIG Rudiger BOH ST
105 ELISSONDE Kenny SKY 11:41
106 BENNETT Sam BOH 11:45
107 KLUGE Roger ORS ST
108 TIRALONGO Paolo AST ST
109 KOLAR Michael BOH 11:48
110 KUMP Marko UAD 11:52
111 *HENAO GOMEZ Sebastian SKY 11:57
112 RENSHAW Mark DDD 11:58
113 COURTEILLE Arnaud FDJ 12:11
114 BERARD Julien ALM 12:13
115 WAGNER Robert TLJ 12:49
116 *BAUHAUS Phil SUN 13:07
117 DURBRIDGE Luke ORS 13:22
118 ROWE Luke SKY 13:31
119 LINDEMAN Bert-Jan TLJ 13:43
120 SCULLY Thomas CDT 14:30
121 *VAN POPPEL Danny SKY 14:51
122 FARRAR Tyler DDD 15:08
123 STANNARD Ian SKY 15:32
124 *BOUWMAN Koen TLJ 16:57
125 VENTOSO Francisco BMC 17:00
126 DE VREESE Laurens AST 18:34
127 FROHLINGER Johannes SUN 19:40
128 *PEDERSEN Mads TFS 19:57
129 CLARKE William CDT 21:18
130 POSTLBERGER Lukas BOH 23:59
131 HOWSON Damien ORS 26:02:00
132 GATTO Oscar AST 27:53:00

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