The first men’s WorldTour event of the season is now over. The pre-race favourite — Richie Porte — won it, but it was far from a straightforward victory. Porte took the ochre leader’s jersey on stage 3, lost it on stage 5 and then had to fight to get it back on the final stage.
For the first time in seven years Porte wasn’t able to win on Willunga Hill, but it didn’t matter in the end. With his GC rivals falling by the wayside, Porte climbed to his second overall title at the Tour Down Under and started his season in terrific fashion.
Photographer extraordinaire Tim Bardsley-Smith was in Adelaide to capture all the action for CyclingTips. You can see a gallery of his wonderful images below.
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- The men’s Tour Down Under began with the Schwalbe Classic criterium in the heart of Adelaide.
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- Caleb Ewan won the race easily after spending much of the race at the back.
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- The race proper began on Tuesday.
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- Twenty-year-old Jarrad Drizners (left) impressed for UniSA-Australia, winning the KOM jersey for the national team.
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- The stage came down to a bunch sprint where Sam Bennett took his first victory for Deceuninck Quick-Step.
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- With the stage win came the first ochre jersey.
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- NTT (formerly Dimension Data) riders weigh themselves before and after each stage.
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- Shane Archbold has many fans, as much for his amazing hair as his brilliant lead-out skills.
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- Caleb Ewan won the last time the race came to Stirling …
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- … and did the same again in 2020.
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- Bennett graciously congratulated Ewan …
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- … who took over the ochre jersey.
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- Simon Yates crashed late, injuring his knee.
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- Richie Porte’s wife Gemma and son Luca have been visiting the race.
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- It was doubtful whether Simon Yates would even start stage 3 after his fall the day before.
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- But after warming up on a trainer, the Briton was ready to go. He’d go on to finish third on the stage.
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- UniSA-Australia’s Nick White managed to drop his GPS unit into a drain before the stage. A team staff member helped him fish it out.
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- Elia Viviani crashed on stage 2 as well and wore signs of his injuries the following day.
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- Swathes of the Adelaide Hills were burnt out in bushfires just weeks before the race.
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- On the uphill finish to Paracombe Richie Porte rode away from everyone …
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- … to move into the overall lead.
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- Stage 4 took the riders up the imposing Gorge Road.
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- The stage came down to a bunch sprint in Murray Bridge …
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- … with Ewan taking his second stage win of the race.
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- Porte earned another day in the lead.
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- Mitch Docker and teammate Lachlan Morton shaved their heads to raise money for bushfire relief.
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- A late climb on stage 5 saw Mitchelton-Scott split the bunch, hoping to snag some bonus seconds at the finish for Daryl Impey.
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- The pace of Lucas Hamilton did the damage.
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- But despite splitting a group of 10 off the front, the race all came back together and Giacomo Nizzolo (NTT) took the sprint win.
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- Jay McCarthy crashed on stage 3 and was heavily bandaged for the remainder of the race.
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- A swim in the ocean has become something of a tradition at Victor Harbor.
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- Daryl Impey moved into the overall lead thanks to time bonuses during stage 5, but he was hoping to take more time at the finish.
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- Stage 6 featured the usual loop through McLaren Vale and out to the beach.
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- A group of 26 got away early and gave the peloton a big scare.
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- So much so that when Porte made his signature attack, Matthew Holmes was still there from the break.
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- Holmes beat Porte in a sprint …
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- … but Porte did enough to take back the lead and win the 2020 Tour Down Under.
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