2024-01-21 00:25:00
The 5th stage of the Santos Tour Down Under is a mountaintop finish that climbs the famous Willunga Hill. Oscar Only (GB, DSM Firmenich Post NL), who withstood the attacks of S. Yates and Alaphilippe and succeeded in his attack, grabbed his first professional victory.
Santos Tour Down Under, the 5th day featuring Willunga Hill photo: CorVos
Course profile for stage 5 featuring Willunga Hill image:Tour Down Under
The Queen Stage (the most difficult stage) arrived on the 5th day of the Midsummer Santos Tour Down Under. Departing from Christie’s Beach in downtown Adelaide, the course climbs Willunga Hill (total length 3.6km/average 7.1%/maximum 14%) through a flat section. After descending, the race climbs back up Willunga Hill, with the finish line being drawn 200m from the top.
Willunga Hill, the symbol of the tournament, has appeared for the first time in four years since the 2020 tournament, where Matthew Holmes (Great Britain) won and Richie Porte (both of whom will retire in 2022) won the overall victory. From the beginning of the race, four riders, including Kasper Pedersund (Denmark, Soudal Quickstep) and Samuele Battistella (Italy, Astana Kazakhstan), formed a group that ran away from the leader team, UAE Team Emirates, and Jayco Al-Ula. led the chase.
Kasper Pedersen (Denmark, Soudal Quickstep) is a 4-man escape group photo: CorVos
The main group chasing the runaway with a 3 minute difference photo: CorVos
The peloton has a calm atmosphere, with some flat sections extending all the way to Willunga Hill. However, with 50km to go, Corbin Strong (New Zealand, Israel Premier Tech), who was in 3rd place overall, stopped running and immediately dropped out of the race. The team announced that the reason was “gastrointestinal problems that have continued since the second stage.”
Pedasun attacked from the runaway group whose time difference was less than 2 minutes from Proton, which had been running at 3 minutes. Before his first Willunga Hill, Pedasun took the lead alone with 32km to go, but was absorbed by the main group with 23km to go. Damien Hawzon, who is a member of Q36.5 Pro Cycling and will be riding for the Australian National Team in this event, set the pace at the front of the peloton.
As the sprinters who had made the event exciting until the day before were falling behind, Luke Burns (Australian National Team), wearing a mountaineering award jersey, jumped out from behind Hawzon. Although Jardy van der Lie (Netherlands, EF Education Easypost), who is second in mountain points, was close behind, Burns passed Willunga Hill for the first time in the lead. Successfully secured a mountain jersey.
Chris Harper (Australia, Jayco AlUllah) picks up the pace following towing at Willunga Hill for the second time photo: CorVos
After descending once and entering Willunga Hill for the second time, Chris Harper (Australia) of Jayco AlUla, Australia’s only world team member, took the lead and set the pace. Behind them were ace Simon Yates (Great Britain), as well as Julien Alaphilippe (France, Soudal Quick-Step) and Isaac Del Toro (Mexico, UAE Team Emirates) wearing the overall leader’s jersey.
Harper, leading the pack, accelerated with 2km remaining to the finish, followed only by Oscar Only (UK, DSM Firmenich Post NL). However, Ineos Grenadiers narrowed the gap, and as the narrowed group caught up, Harper slipped out of the group once more while still sitting. This time, Visma Liesabike caught it and attacked Yates regarding 600m from the finish, triggering a battle of attacks.
While Yates was accelerating, Jonathan Narváez (Ecuador, Ineos Grenadiers), who is in good form this tournament, Only, and Alaphilippe were marking him, while Del Toro, who was stepping into a heavy gear, was falling behind. Then, with less than 300m remaining, Yates looked around and Alaphilippe took advantage of the opportunity to attack. Although he continued on to the top of Willunga Hill, Only, who had been trailing behind him, overtook Alaphilippe.
Oscar Only (UK, DSM Firmenich Post NL) takes his first professional win at Willunga Hill, defeating a strong opponent. Photo: CorVos
Steven Williams (Israel Premier Tech), who is also from the UK, and Narváez reacted to the sudden acceleration. However, he was unable to overtake Only, who was riding high on speed, and Only, who crossed the finish line first, spread his arms and celebrated his first professional victory.
Only 21 years old, who was promoted from DSM’s lower team last year and earned a gold star. “It was an unbelievable victory. Although I was feeling good, I didn’t know how I would be able to perform once morest such a strong field. The team believed in my victory and kept me calm over the past few days. It mightn’t be cooler to have my name engraved on the iconic Willunga Hill,” said Onley, who earned his first professional victory on the Queen Stage of the World Tour.
Del Toro finished 8th in the section, 6 seconds behind the leader, leaving Williams, who was 2nd in the section and 5th overall, to take the overall lead. Only was in 2nd overall with the same time, and Narváez, who was 3rd in the section, was 3rd overall.
Isaac Del Toro (Mexico, UAE Team Emirates) loses the leader jersey following being 6 seconds late photo: CorVos
Oscar Only, who won the Young Rider Award jersey along with his victory (DSM Firmenich Post NL, UK) photo: CorVos
Stephen Williams (Britain, Israel Premier Tech) has emerged as the overall leader photo: CorVos
The next day, the final day of the competition, awaits the finish at the top of the mountain. The overall winner will be determined at the finish line drawn at the summit following climbing Mt Lofty (distance 3.8km/average 6.%/maximum 20%) three times from Unley in Adelaide.
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