Nikias Arndt continued the traditional of European riders getting the better of Australians at the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race with the German timing his run to the line to pip Cam Meyer, after his late flyer, and the fast finish of Simon Gerrans (Orica Scott).
Despite repeated efforts on the final circuit around Geelong, the peloton couldn't shake the fast men and it was Arndt who took the spoils and opened Team Sunweb's account for season 2017. Having had to wait until May for a WorldTour win, Sunweb have ensured a winning start to the season Down Under with victory in the first one-day WorldTour race of the season.
Gerrans, fifth last year, explained that a lack of teammates for the favourites ensured a frentic finale as he just came up short for his first win of the season.
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"No one really had any teammates left so it was a really dicey sprint with everyone ducking for wheels and trying to get out of the wind. Nikias went from a long way out and did the whole sprint in the seat and in the end, I had nothing left and just couldn't get past him," Gerrans said in a flash TV interview.
With the largest group yet in three editions of the race all together at the start of the final lap around Geelong, a tactical 20km saw numerous attempts from riders to shake things up across the climbs. In the end though, the race was decided at almost the final possible moment like a film plot revealed in the final frame.
Agressive racing and late attacks from the likes Richie Porte, Nathan Haas, Chris Froome, and Rafa Valls all proved to be an entree for the final kilometre which almost saw Meyer cap his comeback with a triumphant win but it was the unfancied Arndt who proved the canniest of the lot to steal in and take out the victory.
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