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Ryder Hesjedal Tour Down Under diary – Stage 4: On the crash-marred finish

The 144.5-km Stage 4 from Glenelg to Mount Barker was expected to be a bunch sprint. What wasn't expected was a mass pileup in the final 100 m, which involved two dozen riders including Cannondale-Garmin’s general classification (GC) rider Nathan Haas. Reigning two-time Australian national criterium champion and former Garmin-Sharp rider Steele von Hoff (UniSA) sprinted to victory by the remnants of the field, which included Daryl Impey (Orica-GreenEdge) and Wouter Wippert (Drapac Pro Cycling).

Ryder Hesjedal

by Aaron S. Lee

The 144.5-km Stage 4 from Glenelg to Mount Barker was expected to be a bunch sprint. What wasn’t expected was a mass pileup in the final 100 m, which involved two dozen riders including Cannondale-Garmin’s general classification (GC) rider Nathan Haas.

Reigning two-time Australian national criterium champion and former Garmin-Sharp rider Steele von Hoff (UniSA) sprinted to victory by the remnants of the field, which included Daryl Impey (Orica-GreenEdge) and Wouter Wippert (Drapac Pro Cycling).

The day started off on a sour note for Cannondale-Garmin when pre-race favourite Haas, who had a breakthrough 2014 when he started his season with a fifth-place finish at last year’s event, suffered two flat tires after initiating two attacks inside the first 30 km.

Haas is currently 20th in the GC after Stage 4, after dropping 18 seconds and 10 positions on the uphill finish atop the Paracombe on Thursday’s Stage 3.

“Fortunately I stayed out of trouble,” said Haas’ teammate Ryder Hesjedal. “But Nathan ended up in the mix.

“It was frustrating for him early on as we tried to animate the race to get him a back in contention,” Hesjedal told Canadian Cycling Magazine. “He had some trouble early on but came good and was up for the final there and crashed.”

Hesjedal, who is racing his first Tour Down Under since 2012, the same year he won the Giro d’Italia to become the first Canadian cyclist to win a Grand Tour, is currently 1 minute 34 seconds down on GC leader Rohan Dennis (BMC). Hesjedal entered the race in full support of Haas’ GC hopes and as preparations for his own aspirations for the Spring Classics and a Giro-Tour de France double.

Currently Dennis holds a 7-second lead over teammate and retiring Tour de France winner Cadel Evans, who will race the inaugural Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race in his native Victoria on Sunday, Feb. 1. Tom Dumoulin rounds out the top three at 9 seconds back, followed by Daryl Impey (Orica-GreenEdge) in fourth and six riders 15 seconds down, including pre-race favourites Richie Porte (Team Sky), Maxime Bouet (Etixx-QuickStep) and an injured Domenico Pozzovivo (Ag2r-La Mondiale), who fractured his wrist in a pre-TDU training ride this past week.

“I think we have to look for opportunities tomorrow and see how the race unfolds,” said Hesjedal. “We are still trying to win the stage, but you just don’t know until you get out there.

“We may be mathematically out of GC, but today shows that things can change in the blink of an eye and we have a team that’s hungry.”

The race resumes on Saturday with its fifth stage over the infamous Willunga Hill. The 151.5-km route from the popular wine region McLaren Vale to Willunga includes two climbs over the 3.5-km long hill with an average gradient of 7.5 per cent.

When asked about his previous experience with Willunga, the 2001 UCI under-23 mountain bike silver medallist admitted to CCM that it’s a tough ask.

“I actually came off on the second time up and it was pretty much race over for me,” said Hesjedal. “I just didn’t have the condition that year.

“This year I’d like to get in the final and do what I can for the team.”

The sixth and final stage concludes on Sunday with a 20-lap city circuit suited for sprinters.

Aaron S. Lee (@aaronshanelee) is a pro cycling columnist for Eurosport and a guest contributor to Canadian Cycling Magazine. Aaron will be providing daily race reports with Ryder Hesjedal during the Tour Down Under exclusively for CCM.

Ryder Hesjedal
Ryder Hesjedal, Stage 4 – Glenelg to Mount Barker, Tour Down Under. Photo credit: Tour Down Under
Stage 4 Tour Down Under
The bunch rides from Glenelg to Mount Barker during Stage 4 of the Tour Down Under. Photo credit: Tour Down Under
Ryder Hesjedal
Ryder Hesjedal, Stage 4 – Glenelg to Mount Barker, Tour Down Under. Photo credit: Tour Down Under
Tour Down Under Stage 4
The group approaches a distinctly Australian road sign during Stage 4 of the Tour Down Under. Photo credit: Tour Down Under
Nathan Haas
Nathan Haas walks his bike following a crash on Stage 4 (Glenelg to Mount Barker) of the Tour Down Under. Photo credit: Tour Down Under
Nathan Haas
Nathan Haas carries his bike following a crash on Stage 4 (Glenelg to Mount Barker) of the Tour Down Under. Photo credit: Tour Down Under