Tour Down Under 2013: Stage two live race updates, blog
Editor By Chad Bennett, 23 Jan 2013 Chad Bennett is a Roar Editor
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- 2013 Tour Down Under, Cycling, live blog
The 2013 Tour Down Under moves into the Adelaide Hills for today’s 116k second stage from Mount Barker to Rostrevor. We’ll have live updates from the race as it unfolds from 11.30am AEDT.
German rider Andre Greipel and his Lotto-Belisol team scorched the opposition in yesterday’s 135km stage one, leaving the likes of Simon Gerrans and Philippe Gilbert with plenty of work to do for the remaining five stages of the event.
Today’s stage is highlighted by the gruelling 2.4km climb up Corkscrew Hill, only 7km away from the stage finish, should see a reversal in fortunes.
The stage is part of the SKODA King of the Mountain classification, which is currently led by young Australian rider Jordan Kerby, and will provide Gerrans and Gilbert the opportunity to move up from their respective positions of fourth and fifth in the general classification.
The stage, which was described by Stuart O’Grady as the Tour Down Under’s own version of the Tour de France’s Alpe d’Huez, will reshape the general classification, and sprinters such as Greipel and Mark Renshaw will find themselves freefalling from their current GC positions of 1st and 3rd unless they’ve set themselves a goal to be amongst the winners of the GC – which is unlikely.
The stage will features two sprint sections, at Echunga (32km) and Oakbank (72km), before the stage moves toward the aforementioned Corkscrew Hill at Montacute and finishes at Rostrevor.
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The Crowd Says (65) | Page 1 of Comments
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2:49pm
Chad Bennett said | 2:49pm | Report comment
So, at the conclusion of what has been an entertaining day of racing at the 2013 Tour Down Under, Geraint Thomas has claimed the stage win and the lead in the General Classification, and will wear the Ochre jersey when proceedings recommence for stage three tomorrow.
Meanwhile, Tour Down Under favourites Phillippe Gilbert (BMC) and Simon Gerrans (Orica GreenEDGE) have both had their GC chances dashed by a crash within the last 10km of the race and will find it extremely difficult to contend from here.
Join The Roar tomorrow morning for continued comprehensive coverage of the 2013 Tour Down Under.
2:37pm
Chad Bennett said | 2:37pm | Report comment
2013 Tour Down Under General Classification
1. Thomas (SKY)
2. Moreno +5
3. Hermans +7
4. Pietropolli +14
5. Slagter +14
6 J Izagirre +14
7 G Izagirre +14
8 Wellens +14
9 Bauer +14
10 Machado +14
2:26pm
Chad Bennett said | 2:26pm | Report comment
Very very odd that in the ten minutes since the race has finished, we’ve not seen nor heard ANYTHING regarding the crash before the finish from the Channel Nine coverage.
2:27pm
Chad Bennett said | 2:27pm | Report comment
It is being widely reported that Phillippe Gilbert is definitely part of the crash, however.
2:25pm
Chad Bennett said | 2:25pm | Report comment
2013 Tour Down Under Stage Two: Mt Barker to Rostrevor
1 Thomas
2 Moreno
3 Hermans
4 Slagter
5 Wellens
6 Pietropolli
7 Bauer
8 Kelderman
9 Izagirre
10 Bennett
2:20pm
Chad Bennett said | 2:20pm | Report comment
“We’ll take it day by day, I came here wanting to win a stage, and I’ve done that…winning the GC would be a massive bonus”
2:20pm
Chad Bennett said | 2:20pm | Report comment
“At one point I did think, ‘ what have I done, have a I gone too early….luckily that group came up and were willing to do a bit of the work”
2:18pm
Chad Bennett said | 2:18pm | Report comment
Paul Sherwin now interviewing Thomas:
2:17pm
Chad Bennett said | 2:17pm | Report comment
GERAINT THOMAS claims the second stage for Team Sky! Deserved win there for the young Welsh rider, that was an explosive sprint!
2:21pm
Chad Bennett said | 2:21pm | Report comment
Javier Moreno has finished second for Movistar, and Radioshack rider Ben Hermans has finished third.
2:16pm
Chad Bennett said | 2:16pm | Report comment
Thomas looming, but Bennett leads with Moreno in second
2:16pm
Chad Bennett said | 2:16pm | Report comment
Thomas attacks 40m out!
2:16pm
Chad Bennett said | 2:16pm | Report comment
1km to go! Still very easily in front!
2:15pm
Chad Bennett said | 2:15pm | Report comment
Within 2.6km to go now! Still the four-man group of Geraint Thomas (GBR) – SKY, George Bennett (NZL) – RLT, Ben Hermans (BEL) – RLT and Javier Moreno (ESP) – MOV leading, being chased by an 11-man group around six seconds behind. Not sure they’ll be able to bridge the gap!
2:13pm
Chad Bennett said | 2:13pm | Report comment
Some real action back in the peloton! Phillippe Gilbert and Matthew Lloyd have reportedly crashed!
2:14pm
Chad Bennett said | 2:14pm | Report comment
Still nothing on the Channel Nine coverage, but reportedly up to 15 riders involved in the crash.
2:10pm
Chad Bennett said | 2:10pm | Report comment
Geraint Thomas looking very, very good here and he grabs the lead as he begins the descent!
2:12pm
Chad Bennett said | 2:12pm | Report comment
Moreno, Bennett and Hermans looking to try and bridge the gap to Thomas, and they’ve caught him. It will be a four-man group that tries to stave off the peloton to the finish.
2:08pm
Chad Bennett said | 2:08pm | Report comment
The terrain is getting more hilly and hilly, and with 12km to go the peloton is beginning to string out! Geraint Thomas has now made a move out front for Team Sky, and goes straight past George Bennett to lead alone!
2:06pm
Chad Bennett said | 2:06pm | Report comment
It’s an attack from Amador, the Costa Rican from the Movistar team! He’s chased by Matthew Lloyd and goes straight past Amador with just under 12.9km to go.
2:06pm
Chad Bennett said | 2:06pm | Report comment
Young Danish rider Chrisopher Jensen-Juul has been awarded Most Aggressive Rider for today’s stage.
2:04pm
Chad Bennett said | 2:04pm | Report comment
Some very nice overhead pictures of Adelaide’s mountainous, and very unforgiving, terrain. 14.3km to the finish now. Andre Greipel out front doing some work for his Lotto-Belisol teammates Roelandts.
2:00pm
Chad Bennett said | 2:00pm | Report comment
Orica GreenEDGE have now seized control of the peloton, which is great news for 2012 TDU champion Simon Gerrans.
1:59pm
Chad Bennett said | 1:59pm | Report comment
15km to the finish now. Jostling for positions at the front of the peloton with the major climb of the day, the Corkscrew, less than 8km away.
1:58pm
Chad Bennett said | 1:58pm | Report comment
Currently the peloton being led by the Astana team, but BMC look like they are getting themselves together to set up Gilbert very soon.
1:57pm
Chad Bennett said | 1:57pm | Report comment
We’ve got a spill at the bottom of the pack, with a Uni-SArider picking himself off the road, Phil Liggett speculating that it might be Calvin Watson, a member of the now-defeated breakaway.
1:59pm
Chad Bennett said | 1:59pm | Report comment
Looks like it was in fact Damien Howson.
1:55pm
Chad Bennett said | 1:55pm | Report comment
Bonnafond has been swallowed up by the peloton, and the other three are not too far away!
1:56pm
Chad Bennett said | 1:56pm | Report comment
You can add Juul-Jensen and Watson to that as well. Will Clarke looks a forlorn figure at the front as he tries valiantly to hold off the inevitable closing of the gap.
1:50pm
Lee Rodgers said | 1:50pm | Report comment
should be a cracking finish this! who’s your money on, Chad?
1:53pm
Chad Bennett said | 1:53pm | Report comment
Phillipe Gilbert’s conditioning should be reasonably good given what has unfolded so far today, I think, and the weather seems to be pretty comfortable as well, so I’d think he’ll be there or thereabouts. Boring, I know!
1:46pm
Chad Bennett said | 1:46pm | Report comment
As the peloton complete a short descent, they’ve cut the lead down to 1:20″ with just under 27km left in the race.
1:45pm
Chad Bennett said | 1:45pm | Report comment
Nearing 20km left in the race now, and the peloton are now getting down to business, and the gap is around 30 seconds! Race referee has just cleared the team cars out of the gap. It’s on!
1:43pm
Chad Bennett said | 1:43pm | Report comment
Time gap still just under two-munutes at around 1:50″, with around 33km to go, and around 15km to the Corkscrew.
1:38pm
Chad Bennett said | 1:38pm | Report comment
The lead that the four-man breakaway of Watson (UNA), Clarke (ARG), Bonnafond (ALM) and Juul-Jensen (TST) hold over the peloton continues to yo-yo, and is now back up to 1:55′. Interesting.
1:41pm
Lee Rodgers said | 1:41pm | Report comment
Think we can say goodbye to the sprinters today..! Looks a pretty hard day today
1:49pm
Chad Bennett said | 1:49pm | Report comment
Yep, in just under 15km they’ll definitely be feeling the climb!
1:29pm
Chad Bennett said | 1:29pm | Report comment
As race continues to approach the highly anticipated climb at Corkscrew Hill, check out a piece from a South Australian local giving his thoughts on the climb. Very interesting:
http://www.theroar.com.au/2013/01/21/tackling-the-corkscrew-a-very-amateur-perspective/
1:28pm
Chad Bennett said | 1:28pm | Report comment
That lead continuing to be whittled down, and with 39km to go it is now at 1:23′
1:24pm
Chad Bennett said | 1:24pm | Report comment
Will Clarke has just dropped back to his car to receive instructions, and grab a can of Coke as he does so. Looks like he has been the instruction by the team director to try and push on past his three fellow breakaway riders in the near future.
1:21pm
Chad Bennett said | 1:21pm | Report comment
Things are starting to get interesting. 43km left to race, and the peloton are beginning to slowly eat away at the lead, which now stands at 1:35′. Can the breakaway do the unthinkable on hold on?
1:17pm
Chad Bennett said | 1:17pm | Report comment
As the breakaway comes through the second sprint, Will Clarke crosses first and picks up a six-second time bonus, with Bonnafond in second.
1:16pm
Chad Bennett said | 1:16pm | Report comment
Just under 50km until the finish now, and the lead is still a relatively narrow 1:45″. The four-man breakaway continue to battle hard as they come up to the second Jayco Sprint, and therefore time bonuses, but it is hard to see them at the front in Rostrevor.
1:11pm
Chad Bennett said | 1:11pm | Report comment
We’re within 50km of the finish now, and the breakaway still maintain a lead of 1:55′, but the peloton is beginning to try and co-ordinate an attack to reel them in before the the start of the Corkscrew, just over 7km from the finish.
1:04pm
Chad Bennett said | 1:04pm | Report comment
The breakaway has just passed the halfway point of the race, and still lead by 1:50″. 58km to ride.
1:02pm
Chad Bennett said | 1:02pm | Report comment
At 55km, the peloton has closed the gap to 1:45″, not for the first time in the race. Clarke, Bonnafond, Juul-Jensen and Watson all still pushing hard.
12:57pm
Chad Bennett said | 12:57pm | Report comment
The main group have just passed the 50km mark, with the breakaway pushing that lead above the two-minute mark to 2:10″
12:47pm
Chad Bennett said | 12:47pm | Report comment
The peloton, which has just passed through the hydration station at Hanhdorf, still trails the four-man breakaway by 1:50″.
12:31pm
Chad Bennett said | 12:31pm | Report comment
Just a reminder – Channel Nine’s coverage of the race has begun on GEM, and can also be streamed live online here:
http://wwos.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=8492408
12:29pm
Chad Bennett said | 12:29pm | Report comment
Interestingly, breakaway rider Will Clarke managed to maintain a long breakaway on stage two last year to win the stage. Can he do it again?
12:25pm
Chad Bennett said | 12:25pm | Report comment
As both the breakaway and the main group passes through the first Jayco Sprint stage, an interesting game of cat and mouse is developing. The breakaway looked set to be cut down by the peloton as their lead was cut from over two miunutes to around 45 seconds, but the lead has once again extended to around 1:35″
12:24pm
Chad Bennett said | 12:24pm | Report comment
Jayco Sprint (Echunga):1 Clarke (ARG), 2 Watson (UNA) & 3 Bonnafond (ALM)
12:22pm
Chad Bennett said | 12:22pm | Report comment
At the 30km mark, the breakaway has re-established a lead of just over 1″, after having its lead cut to around 45 seconds. Watson (UNA), Clarke (ARG), Bonnafond (ALM) and Juul-Jensen (TST) all remain in the breakaway.
12:17pm
Chad Bennett said | 12:17pm | Report comment
And with that said, the peloton has now regrouped and at the 27km mark have cut the lead down to 1:35″, with the first Jayco Sprint within 5km.
12:13pm
Chad Bennett said | 12:13pm | Report comment
As the breakaway approach the 25km mark the lead is still at around the 2:15″ mark, and the peloton seems to be having a little bit of trouble holding that gap and seems to be fracturing. Who will the onus be on to reel this breakaway in?
12:09pm
Chad Bennett said | 12:09pm | Report comment
We’re inside 100km from the finish, and the young quarter of Clarke, Watson, Juul-Jensen and Bonnafond still lead by 2:20″ at the 20km mark.
12:01pm
Chad Bennett said | 12:01pm | Report comment
After 15km, the breakaway of Watson (UNA), Clarke (ARG), Bonnafond (ALM) and Juul-Jensen (TST) now lead the main group by 2:10″
11:52am
Chad Bennett said | 11:52am | Report comment
At 10km, the breakaway’s lead has stretched to 1:40″.
11:46am
Chad Bennett said | 11:46am | Report comment
After 6km, the breakaway’s lead has nearly extended to a one-minute advantage.
11:46am
Chad Bennett said | 11:46am | Report comment
After Watson’s early move, a breakaway group has formed out the front of the peloton. Joining Watson and Chris Juul-Jensen of Saxobank, Guillaume Bonnafond of AG2R, Will Clarke of Argos-Shimano.
11:41am
Chad Bennett said | 11:41am | Report comment
Well, that didn’t take long. After 3km, Calvin Watson has attacked and holds about a 100m lead over the peloton.
11:35am
Chad Bennett said | 11:35am | Report comment
And we’re off! Riders havie left the Mt Barker start and are on the road for today’s 116km stage.
11:33am
Chad Bennett said | 11:33am | Report comment
Interesting preview from SBS’s Cycling Central on the newly introduced Corkscrew section.
http://www.sbs.com.au/cyclingcentral/video/15272003520/the-corkscrew-climb
11:30am
Chad Bennett said | 11:30am | Report comment
Any thoughts on who takes this today? Looking like a race in three between Gerrans, Gilbert and Boasson-Hagen – or will there be a bolter? For me, looking like this could be the Frenchman’s day today.
11:27am
Chad Bennett said | 11:27am | Report comment
Good morning readers, and welcome to The Roar’s coverage of the second stage of the 2013 Tour Down Under. We’re about five minutes away from the start at Mt Barker.