Photo gallery: People’s Choice Classic at the 2018 Tour Down Under
ADELAIDE, Australia (CT) – Peter Sagan. Caleb Ewan. Andre Greipel. Elia Viviani — some are calling it the strongest sprint field in the Santos Tour Down Under’s 20-year history. And in the first battle of the sprinters, it was the world champion Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) that came out on top, winning Sunday’s People’s Choice Classic.
It unfolded much as expected — a break got up the road and built a small lead before being reeled back in ahead of a bunch sprint. Caleb Ewan (Mitchelton-Scott) was looking for three wins on the trot, while Andre Greipel (Lotto Soudal) was looking to kick-start another successful visit to Adelaide. Instead it was Sagan that proved too strong, hitting the front late — as he often does — but also just in time.
He’s the man to beat in the sprints now, and there will be a few. Stages 1, 3 and 6 should end in a sprint, and stage 2 might as well. Whether the big-name sprinters can survive the uphill ramp into Stirling remains to be seen.
Bring on the Tour Down Under …
- Peter Sagan is back at the Tour Down Under in 2018 and rocking some new shades …
- … not to mention some new shoes and socks.
- Damien Howson and Daryl Impey have a chat before the race begins.
- Mark Renshaw (left) holds the record for the most Tour Down Under starts and finishes — a staggering 15, of the race’s 19 editions so far.
- Richie Porte is probably the rider to beat for the overall. Note his name on his sunglasses.
- Former TDU winners Simon Gerrans (left; four wins) and Andre Greipel (right; two wins) have a laugh before the race gets underway.
- Former winner Tom-Jelte Slagter with race director Mike Turtur.
- Mat Hayman isn’t just the oldest rider in the race at 39 years old, he’s also among the tallest.
- The race gets underway.
- The first breakaway gets up the road.
- Two more riders come across.
- It started off easily in the peloton.
- Australian criterium champion Caleb Ewan was well positioned behind his Mitchelton-Scott teammates.
- Jhonatan Restrepo (Katusha-Alpecin) took a flyer from the break as the peloton bore down, but the break would be caught on lap 18 of 22.
- The teams of the sprinters came together in the closing laps.
- Caleb Ewan (far right) started his sprint a little early.
- Kristoffer Halvorsen (Sky) hit the barriers in the messy sprint …
- … and hit the deck hard. He broke his hand in the incident and will miss the TDU proper.
- Peter Sagan takes out the People’s Choice Classic ahead of Greipel and Ewan.
- The champ is back! Will we be seeing more of the Slovakian showman on the podium in the week ahead?