It’s one of those classic cycling cliches. A rider leading a stage race with a near unassailable lead, telling the media ‘it’s not over yet’, even though it almost certainly is. Oftentimes it’s a cliche rooted in some truth – bike racing is unpredictable; strange things do sometimes happen. But then there are those days when ‘it’s not over yet’ feels just a little disingenuous.
Today was one of those days.
On stage 2 of the Santos Tour Down Under, UAE Team Emirates-XRG placed the race in such a stranglehold that it will take something truly miraculous to prevent the team from winning the ochre leader's jersey. The team’s two GC leaders, Jay Vine and Jhonatan Narvaez, now sit almost a minute clear of their nearest rivals after what was a true demolition job from the world’s best team. That's a massive advantage in a tour normally decided by seconds.
The first-ever double Corkscrew day at the men’s Tour Down Under promised fireworks but it wasn’t until the second ascent of the notoriously steep Adelaide Hills climb that those fireworks were lit. The last rider from the day-long break had been caught with less than 20 km to go, and it wasn't long before the bunch turned left onto Corkscrew Road for the second and final climb.
Adam Yates, in his TDU debut, came to the front as the road got steep, and from that point on it was all UAE Team Emirates-XRG. With Vine on his wheel, Yates’ pace tore the peloton to pieces ... and that was before Vine launched his stage-winning move. With a touch under 14 km to go, the 2023 TDU champion blasted away and pretty soon it was clear that there was only one rider who could follow: Vine’s teammate and defending TDU champion Narvaez.
And just like that, the race was over.
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