At the start of the week at the Tour Down Under, Cannondale-Drapac arrived with a fully motivated Michael Woods and the experienced Tom Jelte Slagter in their ranks: two cards and two riders looking to shine. But on the key stage to Willunga Hill, with the podium still within reach, both riders succumbed to the ferocious pace and dropped down the standings after Richie Porte demolished the peloton with a solo attack.
Woods, who was fifth in the Tour Down Under twelve months ago was the first to lose contact on the short but punishing Willunga slopes, while Slagter hung on for slightly longer to take tenth. With one stage to go the Dutchman sits 14th overall, with Woods 21st.
“We’ve not actually debriefed yet, and we’ll do that when we get to the hotel as I want to give the guys a chance to cool down but you’ve either got it or you haven’t on a finish like that,” team director Tom Southam told Cyclingnews as his riders came over the line one by one.
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“As far as I could see the guys did a good job and we wanted a hard race.”
From the start Cannondale-Drapac rode on the front foot. Will Clarke infiltrated the early break and the rest of the team protected Woods.
“Last year they dawdled up so that’s why we put William in the break. That was great because I knew that with De Gendt in the break too there they would keep going and make it hard up Willunga. Tactically that was good because we wanted to tire out guys like McCarthy.”
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