Race Report: Oakley Males’s Stage 2: South Australia’s residing time trial legend Rohan Dennis greeted a raucous crowd to take a stage win and GC in his personal yard. Jumbo-Visma’s Dennis – a 2015 Tour Down Underneath champion – was far too good, utilizing his time trial abilities when it counted to say the Oakley stage 2 Brighton to Victor Harbor.
* Race report and quotes courtesy of the Santos Tour Down Underneath. *
Watch the Tour Down Underneath on GCN+ Beginning on Saturday (January 14-22)
You may watch essentially the most complete reside & ad-free protection of Tour Down Underneath on GCN+. Go deeper and get interactive with reside polls & quizzes, plus rider profiles, race updates, outcomes & extra – plus stream authentic and unique biking documentaries. Watch all of it with GCN+ on any gadget.
Dennis joined a wide ranging five-man breakaway group on the ultimate climb together with two Grand Tour winners. Simon Yates (Jayco AlULa), Jai Hindley (Bora-hansgrohe) Australian gun Michael Matthews (Jayco AlUla) and Swiss Mauro Schmid (Soudal-Quickstep) was a discipline of desires which added to the late race drama earlier than the Victor Harbor end line.
“It was laborious,” Dennis stated. “It was all the time going to explode on that climb. It was achieved earlier than, like when Daryl Impey gained in 2018 however I actually thought it could come again and I wasn’t prepared to take that danger when Jay and Yates went up the highway. So, I buried myself and hoped it paid off and it did.”
Dennis recorded his first Tour Down Underneath stage win since claiming the 2015 title when he showcased his bike abilities on the uphill Paracombe end line. The 2-time world-time trial champion and reigning Commonwealth Video games gold medalist completed the race forward of Vine, Schmid, Yates, Hindley and Australia’s dash gun Caleb Ewan at Victor Harbor.
Though Dennis rued the absence of teammate Robert Gesink who crashed and broke his hip through the Ziptrak stage 1 Tanunda to Tanunda, he was pressured to play a tactical recreation with a person down. Jayco AlULa was additionally dealt a serious blow on race day when Australia’s Chris Harper didn’t begin.
He joined Gesink, Jordi Meeus (Bora-hansgrohe), Australians Graeme Frislie (Australian Nationwide Group) and Conor Leahy (Australian Nationwide Group) and Patrick Bevin (Group DSM) whereas Nice Britain’s James Knox (Soudal-Quickstep) was disqualified after drafting staff automobiles following a crash on stage 1.
After a tepid begin on the Southern Expressway from a Brighton departure Alberto Bettiol’s total lead got here to an abrupt unhappy ending. Bettiol appeared to undergo from a cramp to his left leg about 11km from the end line and threw his water bottle onto the tarmac in anger. Nevertheless, the battle was on for the early time bonuses within the Ziptrak dash 1 Esplanade, Snapper Level, Aldinga Seaside on the 33.6km mark.
It was a chaotic lead into the dash which happy ochre jersey chief Bettiol when Trek-Segafredo’s Marc Brustenga clinched the intermediate dash pole place. Jayco AlUla’s Michael Matthews was third, incomes a one-second bonus to remain behind Bettiol’s total lead. Bettiol’s EF Schooling-Easypost staff had the Italian nicely protected when south-easterly 25km/h winds made using uncomfortable because the peloton approached Sellicks Hill. Bettiol’s teammates have been heading the primary peloton as a breakaway led by Italian Manuele Boaro from Astana Qazakstan and Swiss Johan Jacobs maintained a four-minute hole.
As Myponga Reservoir approached the peloton cut up as they chased down Boaro and Jacobs. Dennis stored the cut up firm alongside the efex king of the mountain polka dot jersey of Luke Plapp from Ineos Grenadiers alongside teammate Magnus Sheffield who recovered from his stage 1 crash. Because the Ziptrak dash 2 on Primary South Street, approached Bettiol was nonetheless in fine condition to trigger an upset.
Matthews made a splash for extra time bonuses within the intermediate dash however the Italian stayed on his wheel to select up a bonus second because the Australian got here in second behind Corbin Robust from Israel Premier Tech. At that stage of the race Bettiol nonetheless held a four-second total lead over Matthews and Sheffield.
Kazak Dmitriy Griuzdev then soloed to earn the primary efex King of the Mountain of the day at Parawa Hill incomes seven factors with 67.6km earlier than the Victor Harbor end line. Italy’s Alessandro Covi was second up the summit and put the warmth on wrestling the polka dot king of the mountain jersey from Plapp who was third earlier than the Nettle Hill summit was in sight, 20.9km from Victor Harbor.
Within the lead-up to the second king of the mountain, Matthews was pressured to alter bikes after a mishap with Sheffield earlier than Jay Vine (UAE Emirates) led a breakaway with Dennis, Yates, Hindley and Schmid. Vine claimed King of the Mountain honours and can personal the polka dot jersey for the Hahn stage 3 Norwood to Campbelltown on Friday.
[OAKLEY STAGE 2 WINNER, SANTOS OCHRE LEADERS JERSEY] Rohan DENNIS, Group Jumbo Visma:
You’ve gained the stage and also you’re main the GC as nicely. How did all of it occur? Richie Porte predicted this might occur as nicely.
It appears he had extra religion in me then I had in myself. It was all the time going to explode on that climb prefer it has achieved earlier than when Daryl IMPEY gained in 2018. I actually thought it could all the time come again, however I wasn’t prepared to take that danger when Jay VINE and Simon YATES went up the highway so I buried myself and hoped it could repay, and it did.
You probably did it with out your teammate Robert GESINK who couldn’t race as we speak
It was clearly an enormous loss, however the guys rallied round me and did an excellent job as we speak one man down. I couldn’t be happier with how the fellows raced for me.
You’ve achieved it in your yard as nicely
It’s all the time good to get a stage win on the Santos Tour Down Underneath, it’s been a very long time since I obtained one, 2015 was the final time. It truly is particular, I’ve obtained rather a lot to owe to this race. It’s what helped me go [professional] again in 2012, nicely within the 2013 season. And it’s helped a number of guys, not simply myself go to the subsequent step. It’s all the time a proud second to put on the Santos Ochre Chief’s Jersey.
[ZWIFT YOUNG RIDER’S JERSEY] Magnus SHEFFIELD, INEOS Grenadiers:
We thought you weren’t going to race as we speak after yesterday the place you had a fairly unhealthy crash.
Sure sadly I went down behind the Bora Hansgrohe rider, I hit the bottom fairly laborious so I wasn’t fairly positive how I’d really feel this morning however I slept rather well. Bought to see the physician and get my first stitches. Felt fairly good on the trip on the turbo this morning. I simply felt higher all through the stage however I wasn’t in a position to maintain onto the fellows up that the climb, however comfortable to face up right here [on the stage].
[ZIPTRAK SPRINT JERSEY] Caleb EWAN, Australian Nationwide Group:
Had been you cheerful that you just have been there [in the peloton] for the chance to come up?
We knew it was gonna be actually laborious for that climb, I assumed it’d be extra of a cut up within the bunch that may get away, not simply 5 guys, particularly with the headwind coming into the end, however the [breakaway] was tremendous robust. I believe that the chase behind was really fairly dedicated, so nicely achieved to them.
Speak to us about racing with this staff and having to race your personal battles.
Yeah, clearly the fellows aren’t so skilled within the WorldTour, They race [National Racing Series] and observe principally. So the extent is tremendous excessive, and you already know, they’re doing their greatest. I knew that once I was going to come back right here that I’d need to do a number of my very own racing and generally it’s good for me to remind myself the right way to race property. As a result of a number of the time I simply comply with my staff they usually handle me. So in a means it’s been fairly enjoyable to do it myself.
[EFEX KING OF THE MOUNTAIN JERSEY] Jay VINE, UAE Group Emirates:
Jay that was an enormous transfer, was that pre deliberate?
Yeah we noticed that climb within the briefing final night time with the winds. We had the fitting group excessive [so I thought] we may keep away. The possible suspects got here with us. Simon YATES, we knew that he’d be there and we simply needed to suck it up and provides him a tow to the end line.
Was there any communication with Simon YATES
I believe all of us simply accepted the truth that he was going to get on [the group] right away. We additionally had mutual profit in getting concerned.
Had been you pondering long run to win the race? What was the sensation being within the group with Rohan DENNIS a number of time World Champion, and Two Grand Tour winners in there as nicely?
It’s fairly particular doing that in roads in my very own nation too. It was fairly cool to kind of go in with a plan with the staff to actually make the race and break it up earlier than we’ve obtained the Corkscrew which is tomorrow. It was fairly particular and actually cool to come back into Victor Harbor like that.
Stage winner – Rohan Dennis (Jumbo Visma)
Santos chief’s jersey – Rohan Dennis (Jumbo Visma)
Ziptrak dash jersey – Caleb Ewan (Australian Nationwide Group)
Efex king of the mountain – Jay Vine (UAE Emirates)
Zwift younger rider’s jersey – Magnus Sheffield (Ineos Grenadiers)
Yamaha best rider – Manuele Boaro (Astana Qazakstan
Santos Tour Down Underneath Males – Stage 2 Outcome:
1. Rohan DENNIS TJV AUS in 4:00:40
2. Jay VINE UAD AUS at 0:02
3. Mauro SCHMID SOQ SUI at 0:04
4. Simon YATES JAY GBR
5. Jai HINDLEY BOH AUS at 0:05
6. Caleb EWAN AUS AUS at 0:11
7. Emils LIEPINS TFS LAT
8. Corbin STRONG IPT NZL
9. Kaden GROVES ADC AUS
10. Paul PENHOET* GFC FRA.
Santos Tour Down Underneath Males – Total After Stage 2:
1. Rohan DENNIS TJV AUS in 7:44:41
2. Jay VINE UAD AUS at 0:03
3. Magnus SHEFFIELD* IGD USA at 0:12
4. Mauro SCHMID SOQ SUI at 0:13
5. Corbin STRONG IPT NZL 0:14
6. Hugo PAGE* ICW FRA
7. Kaden GROVES ADC AUS at 0:15
8. Marius MAYRHOFER DSM GER at 0:17
9. Nikias ARNDT TBV GER at 0:19
10. Miles SCOTSON GFC AUS at 0:20.
Like PEZ? Why not subscribe to our weekly publication to obtain updates and reminders on what’s cool in highway biking?
