A one-man breakaway in 40-degree plus temperatures on stage 4 of the Santos Tour Down Under was a suicide mission. A two-man breakaway was only slightly less mad. At least that was part of the reasoning for Zak Dempster and Alex Porter to jump clear of the peloton and continue the 100 per cent UniSA-Australia representation in the breaks at this year's race.
"It was the plan for both of us to go for it but, as it was super hot I think everyone was not as keen. Alex jumped. It was pretty stupid with just one guy. It was pretty stupid with just two guys, actually, but it is less stupid so I jumped out there with him," Dempster told Cyclingnews after collecting his most aggressive rider award as a prize for his efforts.
Riding his second career Tour Down Under, Dempster was the experienced rider of the duo while Porter, a team pursuit world champion, is riding his first.
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"I was trying to guide him through as it is his first big race and I have done a few now," he said of his younger teammate, from whom he rode away with 45km left to race.
While Porter was unfamiliar with the roads in race mode, for Dempster and the riders who’ve spent time in Adelaide with the national track squad, it was familiar territory.
"When you do a track camp at 19 with Ian McKenzie, you are doing 1,000 kilometres a week, and God knows how many five-kilometre efforts, and riding back and forth to Gepps Cross. That is not too bad doing a three-hour flat-out ride around there," Dempster said of the stage.
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
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