Defending champion Daryl Impey has taken an emotional victory on stage four of the Tour Down Under, recovering over the famous Corkscrew climb to sprint to victory ahead of race leader Patrick Bevin (CCC Team).
Despite his overall victory last year, it’s the first stage win at the Tour Down Under for Impey, who has previously podiumed on six occasions.
The South African, who dedicated his victory to a family friend who passed away just before his travel to Australia, now sits second overall, seven seconds behind Bevin.
Big break:
Six riders rode out to over five minute’s advantage during the stage, which caused a strong reaction from the bunch as five teams committed to the chase.
Mitchelton-SCOTT put Luke Durbridge and Michael Hepburn to the front, and they were joined by Astana Pro Team, Trek-Segafredo, CCC Team and EF Education First.
By the bottom of the final climb, the remnants of the break were in sight and no longer a threat for the stage.
Corkscrew climbers:
The first true sign of climbing form, the Corkscrew, didn’t disappoint. Michael Woods (EF Education First), Richie Porte (Trek-Segafredo), Wout Poels (Team Sky) and George Bennett (Jumbo-Visma) rode supreme and crested the top with a 15-second advantage over a reduced group of chasers.
The Chase and Sprint:
With a teammate for support, Impey settled into the chase group on the descent as Lucas Hamilton moved to the front in pursuit of the leaders.
The effort was good enough to bring the leading quartet back with two kilometres to go, setting up a dramatic final corner and reduced bunch sprint to finish.
Impey chose the wheel of stage two winner and current race leader Bevin, before jumping ahead to claim his first ever Tour Down Under stage victory.
Daryl Impey – Stage 4 winner:
“A good friend of mine passed away from a heart attack recently. I left (South Africa) in a bit of a sad mood and it was a pretty rough time for our whole family because he played a big part in my family. When I came here I wanted to do something special and to be able to deliver today was pretty emotional and definitely a confidence booster.
“We are around the mark now. Seven seconds is still quite hard to get on Paddy (Bevin), he is riding really well and we are quite similar in characteristics. We’re going to have to go for it, tomorrow will be quite an interesting stage and definitely Willunga will still be the decider, although Paddy has got a really nice buffer to the other GC guys.
“I think we have to be aggressive wherever we can. There’s no doubt that trying to win this race is based on seconds, we learnt that last year, so we’re going to have to try to take our opportunities and make things happen and hopefully it pays off.
“Lucas (Hamilton), the win was actually due to him, he did a great job. He is still a young professional, but we had a plan in the beginning that he was going to ride his own climb and wait for me in the middle which he did, and then he did his work on the downhill and brought them back. He played a massive role so I could just sit back and think about the sprint. He had an amazing ride for such a young guy.
“I rode my own race. I knew I had Lucas there, I could see Paddy just in front so I knew if I stayed around that range we had a good enough group, that we were going to cooperate on the downhill, to try to bring those four back. I just focused on my own climb and I was very happy to still be able to do what I did at the end.
“The win gives me a nice boost. I was unsure going into the Corkscrew knowing I’ve had good and bad times. In the middle of the Corkscrew when I was doubting myself I was thinking ‘jeez you have to keep pushing.’ I’m glad I did and I’m a lot more confident now going into Willunga.”
Tour Down Under – Stage 4 Results:
1. Daryl Impey (Mitchelton-SCOTT) 3:03:27
2. Patrick Bevin (CCC Team) ST
3. Luis-Leon Sanchez (Astana Pro Team) ST
Tour Down Under – General Classification after Stage 4:
1. Patrick Bevin (CCC Team) 13:23:30
2. Daryl Impey (Mitchelton-SCOTT) +0:07
3. Luis-Leon Sanchez (Astana Pro Team) +0:11
Tour Down Under Stage Three: Bevin Fights to Keep Ochre for Another Day
17 January 2019, Uraidla (AUS)
Patrick Bevin continued to show solid form and determination on stage three of the Santos Tour Down Under, sprinting to fifth place and holding onto the ochre jersey and race lead by one second over stage winner Peter Sagan (Bora-hansgrohe), with three stages remaining.
The 146-kilometer stage from Lobethal to Uraidla was billed as one of the toughest and most tactical stages in race history with seven laps of an undulating finish circuit providing more than 3000 meters of climbing.
Bevin’s teammates controlled the race from the start line and kept a seven-rider breakaway’s advantage within three minutes throughout the stage, before slowly pulling the group back.
By the time the race entered the final 50 kilometers, the peloton, led by the bright orange CCC Team train, was just over one minute behind the now-six rider breakaway.
The gap came down to 30 seconds approaching the last 30 kilometers, at which point three riders jumped ahead of the peloton to join the remaining three riders, and eventually it was just Alberto Bettiol (EF Education First) in front.
Team Sky began to pick up the pace and caught Bettiol and as the bell rang to signal the final lap, the reduced group was flying with the General Classification contenders battling for position at the front.
Bevin remained calm, always sitting in the front ten riders, and despite multiple attacks in the final five kilometers, the race leader was able to respond and close any gaps before eventually sprinting to fifth place in Uraidla, behind Sagan.
A ten-second bonus for winning the stage sees Sagan move up to second on the General Classification, one second behind Bevin, while Luis Leon Sanchez sits in third place, nine seconds back.
The General Classification battle is set to heat up again on stage four with the Corkscrew climb and fast descent into the finish in Campbelltown expected to shake things up.
Quotes from the Finish Line
Patrick Bevin:
“Today was the nervous stage. To get through that still in the lead is a big step forward to the ochre jersey on Sunday. From here on out, I feel like it’s about the legs. Today was the tactical day that could have really blown up. We managed it really well and I said at the start of the day that if we’re coming into the sprint then we’ve done our job. To give back a little bit of time is not the end of the world.”
“The last lap was always going to be hard no matter how the day was ridden. There was too much at stake at the finish. I felt like I had to cover those last two or three kilometers to make sure it was all together at the finish and protect the jersey. I feel like I’m climbing really well and I had it completely under control in that last lap. There is no hiding tomorrow. That [Corkscrew] is a very tough climb. Thankfully the stage should play out fairly simply tomorrow, everyone wants to see who has the legs on Corkscrew and let’s hope it comes together at the bottom and we can stand here tomorrow still in the leader’s jersey. I feel like gravity is well in my favor for that eight-kilometer descent. I have done that descent a hundred times so I back myself to pull back any gaps. Obviously, they have to take time from me so it’s a little bit like today, I may cost myself the stage but if it means I’m still in the jersey, then that’s another win. I’ll be fighting all the way to the line to keep the ochre jersey.”
Jackson Stewart, Sports Director:
“It was a super job by the team. The guys were really motivated to keep the ochre jersey so much so that we didn’t let the breakaway go too far ahead. It was a good ride, everyone has come back to the team cars happy and Paddy kept the race lead, despite Sagan’s time bonus. I think tomorrow will be a little less hectic. It will be the climbers’ show, the General Classification showdown on the Corkscrew climb, and another good finish for Paddy. He has been going full gas, fighting really hard in the finishes so we’ll see how tomorrow is.”
Race Profile
Santos Tour Down Under
Stage 3: Lobethal > Uraidla (146.2km)
Top 3: 1. Peter Sagan (Bora-hansgrohe), 2. Luis Leon Sanchez (Astana Pro Team), 3. Daryl Impey (Mitchelton-Scott).
CCC Team top 3: 5. Patrick Bevin, 55. Joey Rosskopf, 95. Víctor de la Parte.
