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Ewan doubles up on Tour Down Under’s Stage 3

Porte keeps race leader's ochre jersey

January 18, 2017
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Caleb Ewan matched his two stage victories of last season’s Tour Down Under by winning Thursday’s third leg of the 2017 edition in Victor Harbour, outdueling world champion Peter Sagan. Ewan also won the opener on Tuesday. Richie Porte (Australia/BMC) finished safely in the bunch to keep the ochre leader’s jersey. All three stages have had Australian winners.

The riders headed south along the coast of St. Vincent Gulf, with a climb right after the start in Glenelg, albeit one in a neutral section. King of the Mountain points were on offer atop Sellecks Hill at the 45-km mark. Once into Victoria Harbour the course made four circuits, each with two small climbs.

A quartet of escapees led by serial fugitive Thomas De Gendt (Belgium/Lotto-Soudal) broke away after the start of racing in Marion. De Gendt powered to the maximum KOM points on Sellecks Hill while French breakmate Jérémy Maison was first through the nearby intermediate sprint.

Light rain cooled the peloton as it closed in on the Victoria Harbour circuits. De Gendt sopped up the maximum points and time bonuses at the second intermediate sprint. As the foursome rolled through Victoria Harbour for the first time, its gap was 3:50 to the BMC and Dimension Data-led peloton.

On the second lap Bora-Hansgrohe came to the front of the bunch. With 31-km to go the gap was 1:55. Surely the peloton would reel in the intrepid quartet. One of the fugitives, UAE-Abu Dhabi’s Norwegian Vegard Stake Laengen, felt the field breathing down his neck and lit out solo for glory. With 6-km remaining, he was absorbed and it was time for the sprint.

The colour blocks diced in the bunch. Trek-Segafredo and Quick Step mobbed the front. A crash just inside of 3-km disrupted the proceedings. Second place Gorka Izagirre (Spain/Movistar) was one of its victims.

Sunweb grabbed the reins. There was a right hand turn with 600-metres to go and then a left hander with 300-metres remaining. Ewan was far back into the first turn. Sky was leading it out for Danny Van Poppel; however, an surge on the right hand side by Sam Bennett for teammate Peter Sagan seemed to be the decisive move. But it was that man Caleb Ewan once more who emerged with 100-metres to go to take the win.

Michael Woods was 39th, finishing in the main bunch.

Santos Tour Down Under Stage 3
1) Caleb Ewan (Australia/Orica-Scott) 3:24:45
2) Peter Sagan (Slovakia/Bora-Hansgrohe) s.t.
3) Niccolo Bonifazio (Italy/Bahrain-Merida) s.t.

Santos Tour Down Under GC
1) Richie Porte (Australia/BMC) 10:34:59
2) Gorka Izagirre (Spain/Movistar) +0:20
3) Esteban Chaves (Colombia/Orica-Scott) +0:22
17) Michael Woods (Canada/Cannondale-Drapac) +0:33