The Tour Down Under concludes on Sunday but unless Richie Porte and his BMC Racing team can mount a stunning comeback or bad luck strikes, Daryl Impey will become the first South African to win the race in its twenty-year history.
Impey and Porte are on the same time and only separated on countback after a thrilling match-up on Willunga in which Porte claimed stage 5 and Impey usurped Peter Sagan as the race leader. The hilltop showdown perfectly encapsulated this year’s race: Porte - the aggressor - banking all on his prowess and record on Willunga; and Impey - the tactician - carefully plotting his race before riding the smartest of races to limit his losses.
The South African came into the race as a relative dark horse but Mitchelton-Scott’s tactics, rather than their brute force, were crucial throughout the race. For all of Porte’s muster and telegraphed attacks, Impey has not attacked once during the race. Instead, he has chipped away with bonus seconds and then solidified his position with a calculating ride on Willunga.
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As rider after rider tried to match Porte and subsequently failed, Impey used his rivals perfectly before accelerating away to take second on the stage as Porte began to fade in the headwind. Those vital seconds ensured he dented Porte’s celebrations on the podium and effectively ended his reign as the defending champion.
“When Ritchie went, I was out of my depth to follow him. He’s one of the worlds best and it was important to conserve as much as I could. There were a lot of strong climbers behind and they were playing a few games with each other, so I used that to my advantage and they were just dragging me the whole way up. Ulissi gave a big turn to drop me, and I actually went off that and surprised myself. Then I saw five, six second and decided to sprint it in because it was close. It was fantastic. To be at the same time as Richie is special.”
Impey was quick to also mention Simon Gerrans – once his team leader and now a rival at BMC Racing. Gerrans was once the leader Impey served in this race but after a number of departures at Mitchelton-Scott, Impey has taken the opportunity at the Tour Down Under with both hands.
Matt White: Daryl has proved that he’s the best bike rider here
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
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