GC showdown on Willunga at Tour Down Underneath stage 5 – LIVE

Groups are grouping within the peloton, beginning to consider their place on the strategy to the primary time up Willunga Hill. 

The break is racing in the direction of the second intermediate dash in Snapper Level and the 4 riders are within 1km to the road. Hole is now underneath 3 minutes, at 2:50

Nonetheless Picnic PostNL lined up on the entrance of the peloton, adopted by Movistar with race chief Romo. 

54km to go

Bleddyn, Hepburn, Eenkhoorn and Swift within the break have 3:07 on the sector who’s slowly ticking down the hole. Peloton is stretched out.

Bernie Eisel, Pink Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe DS, shared his ideas about Finn Fisher-Black with Cyclingnews:

“We’re trying good at across the similar time [in GC], which was all the time the aim. I might say we needed to make investments quite a bit already with the sprints and the whole lot so, however we got here right here with one clear aim. That was stage wins over GC first, and now we will begin specializing in … the GC for Finn.”

 “The entire workforce is round them. We’re lifeless final in workforce GC, however we have now two stage wins and we’re sitting fourth in GC. So it was undoubtedly the beginning we hoped for. In the present day it is about positioning. That is what the boys undoubtedly can do rather well. On the similar time with Finn, it is one effort to the highest. We’re assured. He has the legs, we have now the workforce and with just a little little bit of luck, hopefully we’ll play for a great podium spot.”

Fisher-Black is 10 seconds down on GC.

The 4 riders within the break – Bleddyn, Hepburn, Eenkhoorn and Swift – are nonetheless working properly collectively and holding the hole at 3:18 with 67km to go.

Bleddyn will get a bottle from the impartial automotive and makes use of it to spray his legs to chill down.

Fabio Baldato, UAE Staff Emirates XRG DS, informed Cyclingnews and different media firstly that Jay Vine has highway rash all down his proper aspect and as a former rider, he is aware of it may value him 5%. 

“Nothing damaged, nothing too unhealthy. After a tough crash like he had, it isn’t simple to be 100%. He’ll do his finest. I do know he can provide nice assist to Jhonatan. That’s essential. We have to attempt to go all in for [Narvaez] at present.”

“[Jay] will struggle to the top at present, he is a fighter. For certain he will likely be there”

Baldato’s been at TDU for a very long time, with BMC again within the day with Richie Porte, so is aware of the climb properly.

“It is all the time 2k to the highest is the purpose to go, the place you actually could make a distinction – the place they already did six minute climbing – when the legs are hurting, you want to attempt to go. It is as much as the rider. I can’t inform from the automotive ‘now could be the second to go’.”

UAE is focussed on the stage win at present, considering that would be the probability to win the general.

Geert van Bondt, Soudal-Quickstep DS, on Junior Lecerf who went into the break on stage 4:

“We’re hoping that he’ll carry out properly once more at present. Yesterday, he made that transfer with Mauro Schmid. He mentioned, OK, let’s go for that bonus second, after which I come again within the peloton, I can transfer up just a little bit [in GC]. He’s nonetheless,very younger. We had been right here with him to be prime 20 in GC.” 

“On stage 3 he hoped for just a little bit extra, however on the final 300 meters of the climb, he had it fairly tough, so he missed the primary group just a little bit. After which he mentioned yesterday, let’s attempt to take some additional seconds. Now, in fact, we hope he can observe one of the best riders once more and nonetheless can transfer up in GC.  That will be good for him for his age, and yeah, we hope he could be coming in that prime 20 place.”

Lecerf is 32 seconds down in GC.

Picnic PostNL continues to set the tempo on the entrance of the peloton, hole is now at 3:26 to the 4 riders within the break with 74km to go 

Matt Wilson, Picnic-PostNl DS informed Cyclingnews firstly in McLaren Vale. Their rider Oscar Onley gained the Willunga stage final yr.

“Oscar proved final yr that he can do a great consequence. I believe he is going into the stage fairly assured. We have now to ensure we carry Oscar as contemporary as doable into that closing, after which it is all all the way down to the legs.”

“I believe Narvaez confirmed he is in good type. He’ll deal with his race, we have now to simply do our greatest to get Oscar as contemporary as doable into the ultimate. And when the tempo is difficult, then I believe we will get a great consequence.”

Loe Van Belle (Visma-Lease A Bike) who crashed earlier within the stage, has deserted. 

85km to go

And Lopez is again into the peloton, single filed behind Picnic 

Jürgen Roelandts, Movistar DS, informed Cyclingnews firstly this morning:

“It is a powerful one. I believe all of the riders know more often than not it comes all the way down to the final time up [Willunga] … we’ll attempt to management the race till the final time. If it is like all the opposite years that would be the splendid state of affairs for us.

“We noticed final yr [Narvaez] was third there within the dash with Onley and Williams. He is quick, however on the finish of the climb it is nonetheless completely different. I believe it is all of the legs that determine the final climb – let’s get them simply there on the backside of the climb after which could one of the best man win. “

Picnic PostNL on the entrance of the peloton, controlling the hole.

Break doesn’t contest the dash, they merely roll by means of led by Eenkhoorn, adopted by Hepburn.

Ouch. Lopez is stretching his again, and has given up the chase. 

Break is within 1.5km to the intermediate dash #1 

Break took the flip in the direction of Snapper Level on their solution to the primary intermediate dash. They’ve 4:19 on the peloton with 93km togo.

Lopez is dropping time to the 4 up the highway, and he will get one other bottle for the impartial motorbike. He is now at 35 seconds again. Ouch.

Lopez will get extra bottles from the impartial automotive. The quartet is just not ready for him, as he is 14 seconds behind on the flattest part of the course with 97km to go.

Welsford is on the medical automotive, getting her proper shoulder checked out. Second crash for the dash chief on the Tour Down Underneath.

Break chatting on if they need to let Lopez catch again on. 

Picture 1 of 2

Images from the beginning in McLaren Vale from the Cyclingnews workforce.

Lopez can see the riders up forward on the very lengthy and straight highway – so shut and but to this point. 

The break of 4 now have 4:17 on the peloton, as Lopez is 30 seconds again, nonetheless chasing solo with 103km to go.

Crash

Crash on the prime of the descent, Harper, Welsford, Loe van Belle had been all concerned.

Durbridge stopped to assist his teammate Harper. Van Belle waited for his workforce automotive and is now on a brand new bike.

Peloton is cresting Willunga and now beginning the descent. 

Lopez goes 94kmph on the descent as he chases the 4 up the highway.

Maintain on – it is a very quick descent!  

Break have crested Willunga and are actually descending down in the other way to the end

Swift is main the break who will not be slowing down to permit Lopez to affix again. They’re going round 44kmph.

The 4 on the entrance have 2:50 on the sector. Lopez is 28 seconds behind them with 113km to go, as Torres rejoins the peloton.

Caught in no mans land, Lopez chats along with his director as his workforce automotive comes subsequent to him. Proceed to chase or sit up?

Torres sat up and can rejoin the peloton. 

Lopez is chasing solo now. 

The quartet now have 1:41 with 120 km to go. 

The 4 are pushing the tempo on the entrance and now Swift is contribution within the rotation now. 

Extra assaults within the entrance group. Torres and Lopez waited for the opposite 4 riders who had hatched a plan. They accelerated previous as quickly at they caught the duo and shock them. 

Lopez takes prime factors on KOM #1, simply in entrance of Torres who didn’t actually contest, that will need to have been the dialog.  Break has 2:12 on the peloton 

Lopez and Torres have a fast chat. 

Torres and Lopez see 1km to go to the highest. 

The remaining 4 riders within the break are climbing at their very own tempo. 

Torres and Lopez are cooperating within the pacesetting with 2km to go to prime of Wickham Hill. 

Torres will get on Lopez’s wheel, and so they’ve opened a niche to the remainder of the break.

Lopez assaults the break with 2.6km to the highest and Torres is the primary to react.

Break is attacking one another, they merely don’t need Torres with them. In the meantime, Movistar took its place on the entrance of the peloton adopted by PostNL.

5 km to cat.1 Wickham Hill in McLaren Flat, which extends over three kilometres, 6.9% gradient and hits a most gradient of 13.3%

Nonetheless plenty of chatter within the break, which appears to be about Torres, even when Torres is working with the group.

Swift confirmed that he wasn’t pleased with Torres being within the break since he sits solely 35 seconds down on GC. Swift is working for his teammate Sheffield.

Break

6 riders off the entrance: Oliver Bleddyn (ARA Australia), Michael Hepburn (Jayco-AlUla). Pascal Eenkhoorn (Soudal-Quickstep), Pablo Torres (UAE Staff Emirates XRG), Ben Swift (Ineos Grenadiers) and Juan Lopez (Lidl-Trek) have 1:20 with 132km to go.

Lopez bridged throughout to the break making it 6 up the highway. 

The 5 riders have a small hole with 136.5km to go. Torres is 35 seconds down on GC.

Eenkhoorn, Hepburn, Ben Swift  and Torres bridge as much as Bleddyn 

Bleddyn assaults solo, with just a few extra riders attempting to bridge.

Lidl does’t need to miss it, tries to bridge up and brings the sector with him.

Peloton is chasing.  Ineos, Intermache, FDJ, Australia, Jayco all represented on this 7-rider  transfer.

Hepburn jumps throughout with just a few extra riders becoming a member of this assault.

Peloton shuts it down and FDJ & Australia counters. 

Massive group nonetheless has just a few seconds, consists of Durbridge, Askey.  

Extra riders attempting to affix the now 12 riders with a niche. And extra motion from behind shuts down this assault.

7 riders with just a few seconds with extra tyring to bridge up. Again of the peloton is single file. 

Soudal continues to speed up. 

Swift additionally jumped, and extra riders observe.

One other assault by Soudal, this time it is Pedersen with Durbridge following the transfer. 

Arkea, Australia, Jayco all protecting strikes because the peloton goes up a slight uphill.

Eenkhoorn made the primary assault with loads of riders attempting to get into the breakaway. It will be pure chaos attempting to get away at present.

And rapid assault from 3 riders.

And we’re off and racing! 

Final yr, Oscar Onley (Picnic PostNL) gained the Willunga stage, and nearly beat the strava file.

We’re driving by means of the two.4 impartial zone earlier than Stuart O’Grady drops the flag at KM 0. 

Excellent climate to sort out Willunga at present, with temperatures at 24C and principally sunny.

It is the massive day – Willunga! 

Stage 5 of the Tour Down Underneath in underneath 10 minutes. The 145.7km stage options two ascents of the enduring climb within the final 25km, making this stage one other leg-breaker. Riders get a warm-up on Wickham Hill within the opening of the stage. The class 1 climb precedes a comparatively sedate center 80km earlier than the important thing Willunga Hill ascents the place the winner of the 2025 Tour Down Underneath will likely be determined.

Stage 3 winner Javier Romo (Movistar) tops the GC with a 4-second lead on Jhonathan Narvaez (UAE Staff Emirates XRG), and 10 seconds on Patrick Konrad (Lidl-Trek) and Finn Fisher-Black (Pink Bull-BORA-hansgrohe).  

A complete of 28 riders, together with Magnus Sheffield (Ineos Grenadiers), Jay Vine (UAE Staff Emirates XRG), Chris Harper and Luke Plapp (Jayco-AlUla), Oscar Onley (Picnic PostNL), Albert Withen Philipsen (Lidl-Trek) and defending champion Stephen Williams (Israel-PremierTech), are underneath one minute.

18-year-old Philipsen tops one of the best younger rider classification. Fergus Browning (ARA Australia) leads the mountain classification whereas double stage winner Sam Welsford (Pink Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) leads the factors classification.

Welcome to Cyclingnews’ stay protection of stage 5, from McLaren Vale to Willunga Hill, of the Tour Down Underneath. The stage begins at 11:10am native time or 12:30am GMT and finishes roughly 4 hours later.