TOUR DOWN UNDER, LA PRIMA E’ DI BENNETT

A cura di Matt Poyner – corrispondente per InBici Magazine dall’Australia

Il bel tempo ha salutato oggi i 140 ciclisti al Santos Tour Down Under per l’inizio della prima tappa, con partenza e arrivo a Tanunda per 150 km. La gara si è snodata lungo un circuito ondulato di 30 km attraverso le fattorie e i vigneti circostanti della Valle Barossa, di cui Tanunda fa parte.

La prima fase del TDU è di solito riservata ai velocisti: riprese le prime fughe di giornata, le cose sono andate così anche in questa prima tappa.

La gara è stata controllata nella prima parte dalle squadre dei velocisti, con il gruppo compatto fino allo sprint bonus. La Mitchelton-Scott ha mostrato grande interesse a tenere insieme il gruppo per restituire al vincitore uscente Daryl Impey un’opportunità per guadagnare secondi vitali per la classifica generale. Impey non ha deluso la sua squadra e ha tagliato il traguardo dello sprint bonus al 1° posto davanti a Christopher Lawless (Ineos) e Nathan Haas (Cofidis) al 3°.

La fuga ha comunque avuto la possibilità, subito dopo, di prendere il largo e di percorrere 119 km con quattro corridori che hanno provato a sfruttare i GPM e i traguardi intermedi inseriti sul percorso.

Joseph Rosskopf (CCC), Dylan Sunderland (NTT), Michael Storer (Sunweb) e il campione australiano U23 Jarrad Drizners (Aus) hanno formato il gruppo che ha guadagnato un vantaggio di 2 minuti in tempi relativamente rapidi. Mentre si avvicinavano al primo GPM a Subaru, la fuga aveva circa 4 minuti sul gruppo. Dopo 90 km, il gap temporale è crollato fino a due minuti.

La Lotto – Soudal si è portata in testa per tenere sotto controllo la fuga in questa fase della gara insieme a Jumbo-Visma e Cofidis.

Al momento di affrontare il circuito finale di 30 chilometri, e il ritmo è salito sotto la pressione del Team Israel Start Up Nation, la squadra di Andre Greipel, che ha preso in Manila situazione.

La Lotto – Soudal sembrava avere tutto sotto controllo per Caleb Ewan. L’arco dei due chilometri all’arrivo è apparso molto presto: la Deceuninck – Quick Step, con Shane Archbold e Michael Morkov, ha preso in mano la situazione, con Sam Bennett alla loro scia. La squadra ha mantenuto il controllo all’interno dell’ultimo chilometro.
Sam Bennett, l’irlandese, non ha deluso la sua squadra e ha vinto allo sprint davanti a Jasper Phillipsen (UAE), Erik Baska (BORA-hansgrohe). Quarta posizione per Elia Viviani (Cofidis).

Domani si svolgerà la seconda tappa del Tour Down Under, da Woodside a Stirling per 135,8 km con 2165 metri di dislivello e una salita finale.

English version

Fine weather greeted the 140 World Tour riders today at the Santos Tour Down Under for the start of the first stage from Tanunda to Tanunda which covers 150km.
The race covered an undulating 30 km circuit through the surrounding farms and vineyards of the Barossa Valley which Tanunda is a part of.

The first stage of TDU is usually set aside for the sprinters once the early breakaways are reeled in and that was no different during this edition of the 2020 race.

The race was controlled in the early part of the stage & did stay together until the first time bonus sprint as The Australian registered team (Mitchellton-Scott) showed great interest in keeping the peloton together in order to give back to back defending champion Daryll Impey an opportunity to score vital seconds for the General Classification.
Impey did not let his team down and crossed the line in 1st place in front of Christopher Lawless (Ineos) & Nathan Haas (Cofidis) in 3rd.

The early breakaway did however get a chance at 119km to go with four riders getting themselves up the road to try and take advantage of King of the Mountains and sprint points on offer out on course.
Joseph Rosskopf (CCC), Dylan Sunderland (NTT), Michael Storer (Sunweb) and Australian U/23 Road Race Champion Jarrad Drizners (Aus) formed the group which gained a lead of 2 minutes relatively quickly.
As they approached the 1st Subaru KOM of the day the breakaway had some 4 minutes on the peloton.
Jarrad Drizners (Aus) took the 1st KOM with Joseph Rosskopf (CCC) in 2nd & Dylan Sunderland (NTT) in 3rd.

As the breakaway went through 90 km to go the time gap had tumbled to inside two minutes.
Lotto – Soudal the team of Caleb Ewan had sent their men to the front to keep the breakaway in check at this stage of the race. Jumbo and Cofidis also had riders to the front of the peloton to assist in a steady pace making of the peloton.
70 kilometres to go saw the second Time bonus sprint and once again it was Drizners crossing the line first in front of Sunderland and Storer.
Rolling through 65 kilometres to go had Thomas De Gendt (lotto) marshalling affairs at the front of the peloton and the gap to the four leaders was down to one minute and thirty seconds.
Nerves and a bit of frustration at 55 kilometres to go saw Joseph Rosskopf attacked the breakaway in search of the 2 nd KOM of the day.
The move was an excellent one and with just under 40 kilometres to go Rosskopf crossed the KOM in 1st place.
Some 30 seconds later Jarrad Drizners took 2nd place and Laurens De Vreese (Astana) crossing in 3rd.
The average speed of the race with 34 kilometres to go was 42 kph and that is where Joseph Rosskopf surrendered to the peloton and everyone turned their attention to the finish in Tanunda.
The bell sounded with one lap to go of the 30 kilometre circuit and the pace went up under the pressure of Team Israel Start Up Nation the team of Andre Greipel taking the affairs of the peloton into their own hands.

As the peloton passed through 10 kilometres to go the average speed was sitting around 56 kph as Lotto – Soudal seemed to have everything under control for Caleb Ewan. Six kilometres to go and the battle for position intensified with CCC & EF Education First hitting the front. The two kilometres to go sign appeared very soon and it was the power of Deceunick – Quick Steps Shane Archbold followed by team mates Michael Morkov and their sprinter Sam Bennett sitting comfortably in their slipstream. The team kept control inside the final Kilometre and Archbold was over taken as it was left to Morkov to guide the powerful Bennett as close to the line as he could.
Sam Bennett the Irishman did not disappoint his team and he accelerated clear to win by half a bike length in front of Jasper Phillipsen (UAE), Erik Baska was 3rd & Italy’s Elia Viviani (Cofidis) in fourth.

Stage two is from Woodside to Stirling over 135.8km
There is 2165m of total climbing with a hard uphill finish at the end.

Matt Poyner for InBici Magazine