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RACE REPORTS: TOUR DOWN UNDER STAGE 5: GREIPEL CLOSES IN ON OVERALL VICTORY
Road Bike Action & AFP
January 22, 2010
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(Photo: Yuzuru Sunada)
Andre Greipel moved within sight of a second Tour Down Under victory on Saturday after a thrilling chase over the race's most demanding stage. Reigning world champion Cadel Evans led a fierce breakaway over the infamous Willunga Hill before Greipel battled back to hold on to the leader's jersey with one stage to go. Spain's Luis Leon Sanchez, the 2005 winner, took the stage five victory with Greipel nine seconds behind, reducing the German's overall lead to 11-seconds. Milram's Luke Roberts was second, Spanish star Alejandro Valverde third and Evans fourth. Seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong crossed in the same group as Greipel and was designated 33rd.
Greipel, the 2008 champion, has already won three stages and will be favorite to preserve his lead over Sunday's flat, 90-kilometer (56-mile) stage six around central Adelaide. "It was just awesome from the guys," Greipel said. "There was no time to panic, we just needed to chase – we were 40 seconds behind. Tomorrow I just want to go with the guys in front. Hopefully there will be not so many attacks. But I think with a strong team like I have we can hold on to the jersey."
Greipel's HTC-Columbia teammate Michael Rogers said it was a group effort to drag the sprint specialist over Willunga Hill and close the gap on the leaders in the dying stages. "We were a little bit nervous leading into the final eight or nine kilometers but we used our experience and our brains," Rogers said. "It came off perfectly in the end. We didn't win the stage but first and foremost we held on to the (leader's) jersey."
Greipel crashed out of last year's Tour Down Under when he hit a parked police motorbike, ending his title defense and sidelining him for four months following shoulder surgery. "He will be hard to beat (on Sunday)," Rogers said. "We'll be very motivated for the bunch sprint and he's clearly moving much faster than anyone else in the last 200 meters of the race."
Tour Down Under: Stage 5, Snapper Point - Willunga 149km
1. Luis Leon Sanchez (ESP/Caisse D'Epargne) 3:29:39
2. Luke Roberts (AUS/Milram) @ .2
3. Alejandro Valverde (ESP/Caisse D'Epargne) @ .4
4. Cadel Evans (AUS/BMC) s.t.
5. Peter Sagan (SVK/Liquigas Doimo) @ .6
6. Markus Fothen (GER/Milram) @ s.t.
7. Sebastien Rosseler (BEL)
8. Cameron Meyer (AUS) Garmin-Transitions)
9. Greg Henderson (NZL/Sky) @ .9
10. Fabio Sabatini (ITA) s.t.
Selected:
12. Robbie McEwen (AUS/Katusha) @ s.t.
17. Andre Greipel (GER/HTC-Columbia)
33. Lance Armstrong (USA/RadioShack)
91. Oscar Pereiro (ESP/Astana) @ 6:23
Overall
1. Andre Greipel (GER/HTC-Columbia) 16:53:45
2. Luis Leon Sanchez (ESP/Caisse D'Epargne) @ .11
3. Luke Roberts (AUS/Milram) @ .17
4. Robbie McEwen (AUS/Katusha) @ .20
5. Cadel Evans (AUS/BMC) @ .21
6. Greg Henderson (NZL/Sky) @ .24
7. Eduard Vorganov (RUS/Katusha) @ .25
8. Jurgen Roelandts (BEL/Omega Pharma-Lotto) @ .26
9. Markus Fothen (GER/Milram) @ .27
10. Andriy Grivko (UKR/Astana) @ .29
Selected:
19. Alejandro Valverde (ESP/Caisse D'Epargne) @ .32
24. Lance Armstrong (USA/RadioShack) @ .47
73. Oscar Pereiro (ESP/Astana) @ 9:46 |
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