Editor
Caleb Ewan won Stage 6 of the Tour Down Under, as Simon Gerrans confirmed a fourth tour title on Sunday.
REPORT: GERRANS, EWAN WIN BIG IN TOUR DOWN UNDER
Stage 6 top three
1. Caleb Ewan
2. Mark Renshaw
3. Giacomo Nizzolo
Tour Down Under final standings
1. Simon Gerrans 19h 11:33
2. Richie Porte +9
3. Sergio Henao +11
With Stage 6 all that’s left of the Tour Down Under, Simon Gerrans looks certain to take out the 2016 edition, with a nine-second lead over compatriot Richie Porte. Join The Roar for the finale on the streets of Adelaide from 2:30pm (AEDT).
This week has been a green wash, with Gerrans having won Stages 3 and 4, and his young Orica-GreenEDGE teammate Caleb Ewan sprinting to victory on Stage 1.
Today’s stage is 20 laps of a 4.5-kilometre circuit on the streets of Adelaide – it’s set to be a bunch sprint at the conclusion, and Ewan is the fastest man on two wheels at the moment, meaning four stage wins and the ochre leader’s jersey are likely to be the Australian team’s haul for the 2016 edition of the country’s biggest race.
Porte is second on general classification, his BMC teammate Rohan Dennis failing to mount a challenge to Gerrans yesterday on Old Willunga Hill. The new Aussie time trial champion wanted to become the first person in the race’s history to win back-to-back titles, but his ambitions were left in tatters after he was dropped on yesterday’s second ascent of the famous climb.
As for Porte’s chances of getting the ten-second bonus for taking line honours today to win overall, the Tasmanian summed it up perfectly, saying, “I couldn’t sprint out of sight on a dark night.”
Ewan is the opposite – daylight was second to him after his blistering sprint to win the TDU’s first stage. As long as the breakaway is hauled back, the 21-year-old should take out today’s stage with ease.
Join The Roar for all the action from 2:30pm (AEDT), and leave your thoughts in the comments below.