Jack Bobridge wins stage one of the Tour Down Under
Marcel Kittel loses lead-out to GC ambitions of UniSA-Australia
Jack Bobridge celebrated a narrow victory at the opening stage of the Tour Down Under today with politics spoiling the chances of sprinters including Marcel Kittel.
Bobridge (UniSA-Australia) and his three fellow escapees Lieuwe Westra (Astana), Luke Durbridge (Orica-GreenEdge) and Maxim Belkov (Astana) stayed ahead but finished in the same time as the charging bunch, which left its run too late.
The quartet established within the first 20km of the punchy 132.6km stage that began in Tanunda under grey sky and spitting rain. Lawson Craddock from Giant-Alpecin assisted Team Sky at the front of the peloton with the time gap to the break never more than two minutes and forty seconds.
>>> Tour Down Under route: stage-by-stage
Bobridge easily surged ahead on the category two Checker Hill, some 28km from the finish, collecting the prime before the break re-grouped on the decisive descent. The escapees had a mere 40 second advantage inside the last three kilometres but managed to stay clear with stage favourite Kittel not contesting minor placings.
"It was all to do with the politics of the race, not about the breakaway," UniSA-Australia sports director Dave Sanders said. "The point is once you get on the Gorge, Jack knows that descent better than anyone else in this field. A small group with someone who really knows that road will go down as quick or quicker than a big chase group."
Former British national road champion Ian Stannard was satisfied with Sky's start to the tour, with team-mate Richie Porte holding title aspirations.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
"I guess with Richie we were expected to do a bit of work and didn't really want to lose the race on the first day," Stannard said. "We didn't necessarily want to catch the break we just wanted to control it, and they were a strong group. If they finished two minutes ahead it would have been a lot of work to try and get that back as the climbs here aren't massive. It was just about protecting our interest and not losing it on the first day."
>>> Analysis: Who wants to win the Tour Down Under?
Kittel's Giant-Alpecin team has a two-prong attack at the tour with the German aiming for sprint stage victories and Simon Geschke and Tom Dumoulin looking to the general classification. In the end, the team had to protect the interests of the latter.
"We had a pretty good tactic and it looked like it was going to work out for us. We weren't going to take the race under control but a couple of teams wanted to ride and Sky asked if we wanted to put one guy in from the beginning, and we did," Giant-Alpecin pilot Koen de Kort explained.
"After the climb it was fast for a little while and then all of a sudden no one was riding any more. It just stopped and the break rode back out to 40 seconds. I panicked and started riding because I could only see Tom Dumoulin and Marcel Kittel near me. In the end GC is still really important so maybe we gave up the chance in the sprint to keep GC. At least we came close enough that there is just a really small gap. For GC it's still looking really good but it's unfortunate it didn't work out for the stage."
>>> Tour Down Under stage one photo gallery
Results
Tour Down Under 2015, stage one: Tanunda to Campbelltown, 132.6km
1. Jack Bobridge (Aus) UniSA-Australia 2-59-44
2. Lieuwe Westra (Ned) Astana
3. Luke Durbridge (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge
4. Maxim Belkov (Rus) Katusha
5. Niccolò Bonifazio (Ita) Lampre-Merida
6. Gianni Meersman (Bel) Etixx-Quick-Step
7. Juan Jose Lobato (Spa) Movistar
8. Heinrich Haussler (Aus) IAM
9. Steele von Hoff (Aus) UniSA-Australia
10. Daryl Impey (RSA) Orica-GreenEdge
Overall classification after stage one
1. Jack Bobridge (Aus) UniSA-Australia 2-59-31
2. Lieuwe Westra (Ned) Astana at 4 secs
3. Luke Durbridge (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge at 6 secs
4. Maxim Belkov (Rus) Katusha at 10 secs
5. Niccolò Bonifazio (Ita) Lampre-Merida at 13 secs
6. Gianni Meersman (Bel) Etixx-Quick-Step
7. Juan Jose Lobato (Spa) Movistar
8. Heinrich Haussler (Aus) IAM
9. Steele von Hoff (Aus) UniSA-Australia
10. Daryl Impey (RSA) Orica-GreenEdge
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Sophie Smith is an Australian journalist, broadcaster and author of Pain & Privilege: Inside Le Tour. She follows the WorldTour circuit, working for British, Australian and US press, and has covered 10 Tours de France.
-
Why are more UK cyclists killed on rural lanes than on busy city streets?
More UK cyclists are killed on rural lanes than on busy city streets. Rob Kemp investigates why and what can be done to keep us safe while riding in the countryside
By Rob Kemp Published
-
400km a day for a month: Lachlan Morton sets 'mind blowing' round-Australia record
EF Education rider completes astounding feat to reduce the record by nearly 25%
By James Shrubsall Published
-
Overachiever: Cameron Wurf competed in the Amstel Gold, La Flèche Wallonne and an Ironman, all in just eight days
Cameron Wurf is both a member of Team Ineos Grenadiers and an accomplished professional long course triathlete who has racked up numerous World Tour and Ironman race finishes across his career.
By Kristin Jenny Published
-
‘I feel lucky to be alive’: Magnus Sheffield speaks for the first time about Gino Mäder’s fatal crash
The American describes what he saw at the Tour de Suisse, eight months after the tragedy
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Tom Pidcock: Tour of Britain route 'not really ideal for me'
Brit says he wants to win home stage race, even if the course plays in Wout van Aert's favour
By Tom Davidson Published
-
This 39-year-old INEOS Grenadiers rider moonlights as a pro triathlete
A Jack of all trades, Cameron Wurf is a domestique for INEOS Grenadiers professional cycling team, but doubles as a successful pro triathlete.
By Kristin Jenny Published
-
Ineos Grenadiers' only female rider Pauline Ferrand-Prévot eyes road return
Mountain bike legend could be back in the peloton next year
By Tom Davidson Published
-
CW Live: Chris Froome targets return to 'top level'; UCI tightens ITT rules; Strava responds to price hike criticism; Topless protesters arrested at TDU; Tributes paid to Lieuwe Westra; Scott recalls 'cracking' bikes; Toon Aerts the PE teacher
The latest news in the world of cycling
By Tom Davidson Last updated
-
CW LIVE: Wout van Aert and Shirin van Anrooij win cyclo-cross in Koksijde; Rapha unveil EF Education kits; Police search for two suspects in Mark Cavendish robbery; Paris-Nice route announced; Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas to ride Tour Down Under
All the latest in the world of cycling
By Tom Davidson Last updated
-
Egan Bernal has nose operation to help 'air passage' ahead of 2023
Procedure not thought to be connected to the life-threatening crash which affected Colombian last year
By Adam Becket Published