The Sports Examiner

CYCLING: Impey repeats with a strong charge up Willunga Hill

South Africa's cycling star Daryl Impey

Going into the sixth and final stage of the UCI World Tour season opener, the Santos Tour Down Under, home favorite Patrick Bevan had a seven-second lead over defending champion Daryl Impey (RSA) and a large field, with 30 riders within a minute.

Bevan had been in the top five in first four stages – winning Stage 2 – but suffered a crash in the fifth stage with some severe bruises, but was medically cleared to compete in the final race on Sunday.

But where the hilly prior stages had led to mass finish after mass finish, there were two significant climbs in the last 25 km of the final race and an uphill finish to Willunga Hill in the Adelaide area, making it the most challenging stage of the race.

That was the opening that Impey needed and he stayed close to Willunga Hill master Riche Porte (AUS), who won the stage for the sixth consecutive year. Porte, Dutch rider Wout Poels and Impey were all given the same time and with Bevan more than five minutes back, Impey made history as the first rider ever to score back-to-back wins in the Tour Down Under.

Impey, Porte and Poels finished 1-2-3 in the final classification.

Said Impey after the finish, “I never dreamed to come here and win twice in a row. Every year we come here with strong ambitions. I knew the competition is always tough. I just believed in myself, and it was just fantastic to pull it off.” Summaries:

Santos Tour Down Under
Adelaide (AUS) ~ 15-20 January 2019
(Full results here)

Stage 1 (129.0 km): 1. Elia Viviani (ITA), 3:19:37; 2. Max Walscheid (GER), 3:19:47; 3. Patrick Bevan (NZL), 3:19:47; 4. Michael Storer (AUS), 3:19:47; 5. Jakub Mareczko (ITA), 3:19:47. Also in the top 25: 14. Kiel Reijnen (USA), 3:19:47.

Stage 2 (149.0 km): 1. Bevan (NZL), 3:14:31; 2. Caleb Ewan (AUS), 3:14:31; 3. Peter Sagan (SVK), 3:14:31; 4. Danny van Poppel (NED), 3:14:31; 5. Jasper Philipsen (BEL), 3:14:31. Also in the top 25: 9. Reijnen (USA), 3:14:31.

Stage 3 (146.2 km): 1. Sagan (SVK), 3:46:06; 2. Luis Leon Sanchez (ESP), 3:46:06; 3. Daryl Impey (RSA), 3:46:06; 4. Van Poppel (NED), 3:46:06; 5. Bevin (NZL), 3:46:06.

Stage 4 (129.2 km) 1. Impey (RSA), 3:03:27; 2. Bevan (NZL), 3:03:27; 3. Sanchez (ESP), 3:03:27; 4. Ruben Guerreiro (POR), 3:03:27; 5. Ruben Fernandez (ESP), 3:03:27.

Stage 5 (149.5 km): 1. Philipsen (BEL), 3:37:00; 2. Sagan (SVK), 3:37:00; 3. Van Poppel (NED), 3:37:00; 4. Jens Debusschere (BEL), 3:37:00; 5. Viviani (ITA), 3:37:00.

Stage 6 (151.5 km): 1. Richie Porte (AUS), 3:30:14; 2. Wout Poels (NED), 3:30:14; 3. Impey (RSA), 3:30:14; 4. Rohan Dennis (AUS), 3:30:17; 5. Sanchez (ESP), 3:30:20.

Final Standings: 1. Daryl Impey (RSA), 20:30:42; 2. Richie Porte (AUS), +0:13; 3. Wout Poels (NED), +0:17; 4. Luis Leon Sanchez (ESP), +0:19; 5. Rohan Dennis (AUS), +0:26; 6. Chris Hamilton (AUS), +0:26; 7. Michael Woods (CAN), +0:38; 8. Ruben Guerreiro (POR), +0:40; 9. Diego Ulissi (ITA), +0:40; 10. Dries Devenyns (BEL), +0:40.

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