BMC’s Richie Porte took the win on stage five of the 20th Santos Tour Down Under.
His win on stage four meant that World Champion Peter Sagan of Bora Hansgrohe was in the Ochre jersey for the start of the fifth stage which was over 151.5kms from McLaren Vale to Willunga Hill.
This was a stage which Richie Porte of BMC has won on the last four occasions and Porte was the favourite for the stage on a day where the temperature were cooler than on previous days with a head wind up Willunga Hill.
The flag dropped and KOM Leader Nicholas Dlamini of Dimension Data Scott Bowden and Zak Dempsterof UniSA, Thomas De Gendt of Lotto Soudal, Madz Schmit of Katusha, Nuno Bico Matos of Astana and Fumy Beppu of Trek Segafredo got into the break.
Heading towards Aldinga Beach for the first time and this group of seven were 2.20 ahead and looking comfortable.
That lead went out to 5.30 before Dlamini crashed and had to have his elbow bandaged before he could get back in the break.
The gap started to decrease and going into the final 100kms of the stage, it was down to 3.45.
Fumy Beppu took the first sprint at Snapper Point after 63.4kms uncontested as the gap steadied at 3.45 as they went through the feedzone.
Thomas De Gendt took the second sprint as the continued dipped under three minutes and kept going on the fist climb of Willunga Hill, the 3.5km climb.
The break disintegrated and only De Gendt went over the top ahead of Dliamini before striking out on his own and staying away until he was reeled in gong into the final ten kilometres.
A group of forty rider formed, with a forty second lead over forty more riders. BMC’s Richie Porte was in that front group and with Sagan dropped was able to gain some distance.
Porte was first over the climb and took the win for the fifth year in a row, in 3.42.22 eight seconds ahead of Darryl Impey with Tom Jelte Slagter in third place.
Porte needed a second to go into the leader’s Ochre jersey and could not stop Darryl Impey of Mitchelton Scott taking over the lead of the race going into the final stage on countback.
KEV MONKS FOR DIGITAL SPORTS GROUP
Source: DSG
