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Tour Down Under 2013, Stage One: The Great Silverback and Jordan Kerby

Andre Greipel wins Stage 1 of the Tour Down Under (Image: Via Twitter)
Expert
22nd January, 2013
2

In an expanding universe of limitless time, and our lives of many decades, it is a humorous irony that the folks challenging for a General Classification win are often pushing for an advantage of one or two seconds to take the overall race win.

Today in the First stage of the 2013 Tour Down Under, we saw what men turn into when one second renders itself with high importance.

The men turn into beasts, but ‘The Gorilla’, Andre Greipel, prevailed.

As usual, the stage was won by Greipel, and at a distance of three semi-loaders between himself and the nearest rival, he has reaffirmed himself as a true hitter in this years opening World Tour event in South Australia.

No doubt Greipel’s World Tour teammates will be frothing at the proverbial bit as World Tour prize money isn’t scant. Despite this though, the Great Silverback himself basically declared he wasn’t interested in the overall tour win when he showed no interest in the time-precious intermediate sprints.

It was though, Simon Gerrans, Philippe Gilbert, Jordan Kerby and Thomas DeGendt, as well as a few others who grabbed the race by its Short and Curlies and capitalised on what measly seconds were on offer for each intermediate sprint. 3, 2, and 1 seconds bonus to be precise.

These men aforementioned were looking out for their own prospects in the coming days and overall Ochre Jersey classification.

The race started out with an attack by Jordan Kerby (UniSA) at the 0km line. Two other riders followed before the trio were swallowed and Kerby went again. He was gone and the intentions of the UniSA team were stamped once again and TV coverage was priority numero uno.

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Kerby spent most of the stage away solo, collecting the KOM and Sprint #1 before being swallowed up by the charging peloton, possessed with nearly as much emphasis as they would have for the finale.

The nature of the Tour Down Under is such that the climbs are only just challenging enough to shell off the pure sprinters, but provide interesting mini-sprint finales with some all-round riders such as Simon Gerrans and Alejandro Valverde last year.

Greipel in the past has won, but with his showing today in the hunt for time bonuses it appears he has concluded that this years course is too hard for his chances at overall Ochre success.

Today another note of irony struck as William Clarke of the Argos Shimano squadron set up shop on thwe front of the peloton along side Luke Durbridge (GreenEDGE).

Clarke had been assigned the job to chase down the man in the mirror-image position that he himself was in last year. William Clarke had a monumental solo cvictory in the colours of UniSA last year, but reversed the roles this year to ensure the same World Tour showing up wouldn’t happen again. Luke Durbridge, newly assigned King Of Australia, winner of both the National Road Race and Time Trial last week, was also put to the chopping board and spent a good chunck of his overall calories consumed today, on the front of the peloton chasing down the poor lonely 20 year old, Jordan Kerby.

Luke Durbridge, even though proving himself a settled-in professional rider last year with 8 victories (as a neo-pro cough cough), surely he took it on the chin when it was recognised and transcribed through the team meeting that Simon Gerrans and Matthew Goss represent GreenEDGE’s best chance at victory in this time-trial-free race.

Durbridge looked strong and fit as always, but Simon Gerrans’ victory for second place in the first intermediate sprint showed the GreenEDGE cards, Simon Gerrans for General Classification, Matthew Goss for sprint stage wins.

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Philippe Gilbert surprised everyone with a sneaky attack before the 3rd and final intermediate sprint, to only just overtake the late solo escapee Jerome Pineau and take a full 3 seconds time bonus, checking himself off as present and ready to tackle the upcoming stages and chase the Ochre jersey for General Classification victory.

Tomorrow we see stage 2 and the ever-nasty Corkscrew Hill 7km from the finish. The climb is preceded by a narrow winding road, kicking up with a succession of quick switchbacks, which should be all over in 5 minutes.

Even though it’s just a quicky, whether the sprinters can hold on is in question, but the mostly undulating stage will surely be climaxed by this gnarly piece of escalating bitumen and the remaining 7km downhill. Not much ‘purchase’ for the peloton to grab hold of in regards to chasing down a broken away rider but they surely will try.
It will be a nervous finish regardless, and be on the lookout for some nervous crashes in the lead up to the climb, but also in the coming days, as a race decided by merely seconds combined with early season freshness, heat, fatigue, and wind, will always provide excitement.

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