Richie Porte might have the Tour Down Under general classification all locked up bar the shouting, but Stage 6 around the streets of Adelaide will see one final chance for the sprinters to dethrone Caleb Ewan. Join The Roar for live coverage from 2pm (AEDT).
The famous Willunga Hill was the venue for Stage 5, always the deciding of the first race on the UCI calendar for the year and it didn’t disappoint.
Richie Porte rode away from a splintered bunch, and not for the first time on this tour to claim extend his lead in the Ochre jersey to 48 seconds, something that seems to be unassailable on the flat street race around Adelaide barring a major disaster.
Esteban Chavez is the man in second place, but unless Porte is dropped from the main group, all of the Orica-Scott efforts will be on Caleb Ewan and securing the dynamo sprinter his fourth stage win and the sprint classification.
Ewan has been untouchable at the front of the peloton on the flat stages during the week with the Australian National Criterium Champion picking up three stage wins already, beating all the over fast men in the peloton time and time again.
For today’s Stage 6 though, it might be the Criterium experience and skill – races on circuits of a short distance – that brings him success.
The stage is only 90 kilometres in length, so very short but not without difficulty as they ride 20 laps of a 4.5-kilometre circuit, which goes across the River Torrens.
Starting on King William Street, there is a sharp turn to go back the other way before they loop before they loop around the north side of the river, including two King of the Mountains points on laps nine and twelve.
The final drag to the finish line though is a long, straight one and timing the sprint will be key to victory – being a false flat drag, any riders who go too early will see themselves struggling to finish in the top ten.
While Ewan is the favourite, others have shown good form this week with Sam Bennett leading that charge. He will once again likely have the support of world champion Peter Sagan who so far this week hasn’t raced for himself.
Danny Van Poppell is the other who looks like he could pull off a surprise, and he will have full support from the Team Sky train today.
Others to watch on the short stage to conclude the race include Nathan Haas, Niccolo Bonifazio and Jay McCarthy, who have all showed something during the week to suggest form is reasonable.
Prediction
Caleb Ewan’s form has been absolutely superb and this course suits him down to the ground. With no Chavez to look after, Orica’s efforts will be completely focused on their young sprinter and he should pull off yet another win here.
Caleb Ewan to beat Sam Bennett to the line.
Be sure to join The Roar for live coverage of Stage 6 at the Tour Down Under from 2pm (AEDT) and don’t forget to add your own comments throughout the course of the coverage.
Follow Scott on Twitter @sk_pryde
Scott Pryde
Expert
Thanks for joining me this afternoon and throughout the week for The Roar's live coverage of the 2017 Tour Down Under as Richie Porte claimed the overall victory and Caleb Ewan another stage. Hopefully you enjoyed the call. Need to thank Connor Bennett for his efforts during the week and covering three stages so we could bring the race to you live here on The Roar. We will be back with plenty more cycling in 2017, starting with the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race next Sunday from 11am (AEDT). After that we will turn our attention to the classics season. I'll be live tonight from 7pm (AEDT) with the Australian Open as Roger Federer takes on Kei Nishikori. Bye for now.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Final Classifications General Classification 1. Richie Porte (BMC) @ 19:55:49 2. Esteban Chavez (Orica) + 0:48 3. Jay McCarthy (Bora) + 0:51 4. Nathan Haas (Dimension Data) + 0:51 5. Diego Ulissi (UAE) + 0:59 6. Rohan Dennis (BMC) + 1:02 7. Rafael Valls (Lotto-Soudal) + 1:02 8. Robert Gesink (Lotto-Jumbo) + 1:02 9. Wilco Keldermann (Sunweb) + 1:02 10. Jhonatan Restrepo (Katusha) + 1:04 Points Classification: Caleb Ewan (Orica-Scott) King of the Mountains: Thomas De Gendt (Lotto-Soudal) Young Rider Classification: Jhonatan Restrepo (Katusha) Team Classification: UniSA-Australia
Scott Pryde
Expert
Top 10 1. Caleb Ewan (Orica-Scott) @ 1:55:28 2. Peter Sagan (Bora) + 0:00 3. Marko Kump (UAE) + 0:00 4. Danny Van Poppel (Sky) + 0:00 5. Sean De Bie (Lotto-Soudal) + 0:00 6. Lorrenzo Manzin (FDJ) + 0:00 7. Koen De Kort (Trek) + 0:00 8. Jasha Sutterlin (Movistar) + 0:00 9. Nathan Haas (Dimension Data) + 0:00 10. Jay McCarthy (Bora) + 0:00
Scott Pryde
Expert
Richie Porte's winning margin is the second biggest in the history of the Tour Down Under at 48 seconds.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Full results to come in a moment. Stay tuned.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Well, Caleb Ewan ties the record for most stage wins in a single Tour Down Under on four. Andre Greipel and Robbie McEwen both did that in 2008 and 2002 respectively.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Well Ewan has blitzed the sprints this week, picking up four. Peter Sagan and the rest of the pack simply no match for the little Aussie dynamo. Richie Porte rolls across the line and claims the overall crown ahead of Esteban Chavez and Jay McCarthy. What a week of racing.
Scott Pryde
Expert
CALEB EWAN WINS AGAIN! HIS FOURTH STAGE! Two winners across six stages! Ewan gets four, Porte gets two! Impey has the lead out at the front, and it's Van Poppel fighting Ewan for the wheel. Impey swings in front of Ewan and opens the way for Ewan to go straight up the middle and beat a flying Sagan who came up the right hand side of the road, but just didn't have the pace from his Bora lead out.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Mark Renshaw has the wheel of Ewan here, but no sign of Haas. FDJ and Etixx both coming to the front and there was almost a crash coming around a right hander. Ewan 5th wheel, Van Poppell looking good and Sagan too far back.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Right, here comes the attack of Sky as we hit the hill. They are looking to get rid of Ewan, but it's not going to happen. Over the top, down the hill and it's going to be a drag to the line.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Sky up there on the left hand side of the road, with Van Poppell on the back of their train. Looks like Sagan is a long way back here - about 20 riders. Kluge is flying along at the front.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Bora leading Peter Sagan up the front of the peloton here. Etixx getting involved and Orica still have the control at the front through Roger Kluge. Looks like Ewan has three teammates here.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Orica up to the front and we are about to be inside 3km to go, so Porte has won the race.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Here come UniSA now as well so who knows what they are doing. Orica and Cannondale both up the front as they come up to the u-turn.
Scott Pryde
Expert
LAP 20/20 It's all together! The peloton get the bell with Team Sky on the front of the bunch and it looks like Sunweb flying up on the right hand side - in fact they have squeezed Sky back down the barrier, off the front.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Up and over the hill now wth BMC scrambling to keep Porte safe and Bahrain-Merida to the front of the bunch.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Nathan Haas is coming to the front with his Dimension Data team now. If he gets third place or above, then he grabs the necessary seconds to move back ahead of McCarthy to find himself on the podium.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Sky and Sunweb among the teams moving to the front of the bunch now.
Scott Pryde
Expert
And here is the catch! Before Bauer can get to the u-turn he is taken by the peloton and the race is all back together with exactly 9km to go.
Scott Pryde
Expert
LAP 19/20 The sprinters are starting to get organised now. Trek and Orica both coming to the front now with Bauer holding approximately five seconds.