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RACE REPORTS: TOUR DOWN UNDER STAGE THREE RACE REPORT
Road Bike Action & AFP
January 22, 2009
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Former Tour Down Under winners Mick Rogers (Columbia) and Stuart O'Grady (Saxo Bank) are both going for the win at the 11th edition of the Tour Down Under. The six-stage race which opens the Pro Tour cycling season has famously been won by both sprinters and stage race specialists in the last 10 years. 1999 and 2001 winner O'Grady and 2002 champion Rogers showed on Thursday's crash-marred Stage 3 they were looking for the win as part of a dangerous 16 rider breakaway that also included American Lance Armstrong. Rogers and O'Grady got busy while away, snapping up the bonus seconds at the day's intermediate sprints.
The Break Du Jour
(Yuzuru Sunada Photo)
O'Grady, 2007 Paris-Roubaix winner, finished third on the stage, his third top five result in as many days, to take the lead in the points classification and firm up his general classification position. O'Grady, a 35 year old from Adelaide is only five seconds behind compatriots Allan Davis and Graeme Brown before Friday's fourth stage, an undulating 143 kilometres (89 miles) between Burnside Village and Angaston. O'Grady's rival Rogers is 5th, 18" behind TDU race leader Alby Davis "Oh yes, definitely. It's not going to be easy but I'm in with a good chance," Davis told AFP. Davis said earlier Thursday he expects Rogers' Columbia team to provide the biggest challenge.
"Columbia have been riding really strong all week, so I expect them to be up there," said Davis, the only rider who has competed in all 11 editions of the race. After being in a 16-man breakaway for most of the day, Astana's Armstrong finished the stage in 32nd, and is now 39th overall, 29" behind Davis. On a day which claimed nine victims from crashes and fatigue, the 37-year-old American was simply happy to have avoided disaster on what he said was a great "high intensity" ride. "That (kind of) high end intensity I haven't had yet. If you looked around (the group) there was some horsepower in there, so I've got to be happy with that," he said. Asked if he felt if he felt his form was progressing, Armstrong added: "Yes and no. It's hard to say because I'm tired. All in all I think it's the kind of stuff I need to do. I need to get in the race and work that top end. "It's the kind of stuff you just can't do in training."
Defending TDU champion, German sprinter Andre Greipel is out for three months after a dramatic crash early on Stage 3. Greipel crashed into a motorcycle parked on the side of the road on in the 136km stage from Unley to Victor Harbor. As Greipel hit the ground, his bike flew back into the peloton, taking down more riders. A Columbia team statement said Greipel was facing three months out after dislocating his shoulder and sustaining a deep cut on his elbow, and cuts on his leg. "(Greipel) had minor surgery on the cut on his elbow and he is scheduled to fly back to Hamburg tomorrow (Friday)," the Columbia communique said. "It is expected he will be out for around three months."
Comeback Armstrong powers the TDU stage 3
(Yuzuru Sunada Photo)
In another crash on the windy day that blew debris across the South Australian roads, Lance Armstrong avoided a crash when he rode over a stray branch in the middle of the road, but just behind the seven-time Tour de France winner, numerous riders came crashing down and most failed to get back up. Australian Baden Cooke, who won the stage to Victor Harbor two years ago, suffered extensive skin abrasions and bruising and attended hospital. New Zealander Timothy Gudsell of Francaise des Jeux, suffered a broken right collarbone while his teammate, French climber Remy Di Gregorio, suffered a tailbone injury. Astana's Michael Schar abandoned the race after receiving treatment to nerve damage from a cut on his lower leg.
How It Happened
On a cool and windy Thursday, Stage 3 had two sprints (Meadows 57km and Goolwa 99km), and two KOM's (Wickhams Hill 31.4km and Kerby Hill 116km). After early attacking, a dangerous 16 rider break escaped, including Francesco Reda (Quick Step), David Moncoutié (Cofidis), Mathieu Perget & Luis Leon Sanchez (Caisse d'Epargne), Lance Armstrong and Jesus Hernandez (Astana), Thomas Rohregger (Team Milram), Markel Irizar Aranburu (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Mick Rogers (Columbia), Matthew Lloyd & Tom Stubbe (Silence-Lotto), Jérémy Roy (Française des Jeux), Simon Clarke & Matt Wilson (UniSA), Javier Megías Leal (Fuji-Servetto), and Stuey O'Grady (Team Saxo Bank).
 Rabotrain A Comin' (Yuzuru Sunada Photo)
Up Wickhams Hill after 31.4km, Sanchez and Hernandez dropped back, leaving 14 up front. With TDU leader Alby Davis's Quick.Step squad riding tempo, the break only got a maximum lead of 1'50" and after the Kerby Hill KOM with 20km, Rabobank upped the tempo and eventually brought back the dangerous escape and delivered their sprinter Brown perfectly to the finish line.
11th Tour Down Under
Adelaide, South Australia, Australia, January 18-25, 2009
Thursday, January 22
Stage 3: Unley-Victor Harbor / 136km
1. Graeme Brown (AUS) 3h15'35"
2. Allan Davis (AUS) @ same time
3. Stuart O'Grady (AUS) @ s.t.
4. George Hincapie (USA) @ s.t.
5. Luis Leon Sanchez (ESP) @ s.t.
6. Martin Elmiger (SUI) @ s.t.
7. Jose Rojas (ESP) @ s.t.
8. Alexandre Pichot (FRA) @ s.t.
9. Mauro Santambrogio (ITA) @ s.t.
10. Mickael Cherel (FRA) @ s.t.
32. Lance Armstrong (USA) @ s.t.
DNF: Andre Greipel (GER), Michael Schar (SUI), Remy Di Gregorio (FRA), Timothy Gudsell (NZL), Markus Eichler (GER), Kai Reus (NED), Baden Cooke (AUS), Daniele Nardello (ITA), Ermanno Capelli (ITA)
11th Tour Down Under: Overall General Classification
1. Allan Davis (AUS) 10h 47'11"
2. Graeme Brown (AUS) @ same time
3. Stuart O'Grady (AUS) @ 5"
4. Martin Elmiger (SUI) @ 14"
5. Michael Rogers (AUS) @ 18"
6. Matthew Wilson (AUS) @ 19"
7. Mauro Santambrogio (ITA) @ 20"
8. Jose Rojas (ESP) @ s.t.
9. Ryder Hesjedal (CAN) @ s.t.
10. Jussi Veikkanen (FIN) @ s.t.
39. Lance Armstrong (USA) @ 29”
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