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Stage 5 of the Tour Down Under is possibly the most diverse and rewarding of the race, going from the beaches of southern Adelaide all the way up to the iconic Willunga Hill. Join The Roar from 11:30am (AEDT) for all the action.
Young sprint king Caleb Ewan made it three stage wins from four days, but he won’t be at the pointy end of the standings today, as the riders gear up for a dangerously steep finish.
The famed Willunga Hill makes up for a lack of length and distance with gruelling steepness and pure pain on the legs.
After three circuits around McLaren Vale as the peloton ride along the beach and through the streets, they head east towards the hills.
Willunga is short and sharp on both sides of the peak, meaning the harsh climb is met with a breathtaking descent down the other side.
They’ll do one lap of this second circuit, before finishing at the top of Willunga on the second go round.
This will be make-or-break for the general classification riders, where Aussie Richie Porte continues to hold to the leader’s ochre jersey. A couple of quiet days since his grinding Stage 2 win has him rested and ready for another big charge for the line, and overall victory.
The BMC leader will be looking for a similar finish to Wednesday, when he left enough in the tank to push away on the final ascent and take hold of the ochre jersey.
It’s also a chance for the chasing riders to make up ground on the leader, with Esteban Chaves just 22 seconds behind Porte on GC, having been relatively quiet throughout the week.
Ewan’s day will be all about setting up his team as best he can before resting the legs in preparation for tomorrow’s final stage.
All the sprinters will have a rough time during the back third of the day and you can expect to see more than a few of them dropping off the back.
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