The fifth edition of the Women’s Santos Tour Down Under saw the race step up to the new 2.Pro category. With that came the addition of livestreaming, greater visibility for the race, bigger crowds and an impressively strong international line-up. The lack of a big uphill finish also ensured interesting, dynamic racing.
Photographer Tim Bardsley-Smith was on the ground in Adelaide to capture all the action. See the gallery below to see how four great days of racing unfolded. And follow the links below for more from the race:
– Stage 1 race report
– Stage 2 race report
– Stage 3 race report
– Stage 4 race report
– Wrap-up video
– “Two fist-pumps and a victory salute”
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- The tour began in the town of Hahndorf in the Adelaide Hills.
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- Brodie Chapman took a flyer with 30 km to go in the stage …
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- … and when she had more than two minutes with 20 km to go, it prompted the sprinters’ teams to come to the front.
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- Lotta Henttala (née Lepisto) hit the front first …
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- … but Chloe Hosking ended up winning the sprint.
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- It wasn’t particularly close.
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- An exhausted Chapman was disappointed at being caught inside the final kilometre but glad she could animate the race.
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- Chloe Hosking wore the first leader’s jersey.
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- Jess Allen took notes at the start of stage 2 about what was to come.
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- Newly crowned Aussie champion Amanda Spratt was the big pre-race favourite having won the past three editions.
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- On a lumpy run-in to the finish in Birdswood on stage 2, Mitchelton-Scott took control …
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- … and split the race down to just five riders, of which they had three.
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- Just Spratt, Liane Lippert (Sunweb) and Ruth Winder (Trek-Segafredo) remained by the finish …
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- … with Spratt taking the stage win.
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- Lippert moved into the QOM jersey in what would be a breakout race for the young German.
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- Spratt, meanwhile, took the ochre leader’s jersey.
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- Former Aussie semi-pro Neil van der Ploeg has been soigneuring for Roxsolt-Attaquer this week.
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- Spratt and Lippert at the start of stage 3.
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- Matilda Raynolds (Specialized Women’s Racing) attacked from the break on a short gravel section.
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- On the tough finishing circuit around Stirling Leigh-Anne Ganzar (Rally) took a later flyer.
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- But the big teams helped bring it all back together …
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- … ahead of a reduced bunch sprint.
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- After finishing second a day earlier, Ruth Winder took the stage win ahead of Lippert.
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- Winder took a 10-second time bonus by winning the stage.
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- With Spratt finishing outside the time bonuses, Winder moved into the overall lead with one stage remaining.
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- Lippert started the final stage in second place, just seven seconds off the pace.
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- Lippert took three bonus seconds at the first interemediate sprint, while Spratt, who started the day in third also at seven seconds, clawed back one second at the second sprint (pictured).
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- A breakway got up the road in the second half of the stage …
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- … and ultimately ended up sprinting for the win, with Simona Frapporti (BePink) winning the day.
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- Winder finished safely in the bunch to take the biggest stage-race victory of her career. Lippert was second overall at five seconds, while Spratt was third at six seconds.
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- Winder will now head to Cadel’s Race before starting her European campaign at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.