Tour Down Beneath stage 6 – Reside protection

50km to go

The 7-rider break has 3:27 on the strung-out peloton.  Up to now, solely dsm and IPT have put in a rider on the entrance of the sphere to regulate the hole.

Peloton is stretched out on the technical descent off Mt Lofty. 

Israel-Premier Tech and dsm-firmenich PostNL are sharing the pacemaking on the entrance of the peloton

Peloton is sticking collectively as they crest Mt Lofty for the primary time. Hole is 3:15 with 56km to go.

With De Bob sitting at 90 seconds down and within the breakaway, Israel-Premier Tech might want to hold the hole at 79 seconds on the end line to win the general. There are 10, 6 and 4 time bonus seconds on the end line. 

No battle for the KOM within the break with Gelders taking most factors. A great signal for the escapees that they’re working effectively collectively. Ballerstedt is sitting in the back of the break. 

The break continues to be driving collectively as they move the Dutch followers on Mt Lofty climb.

Huge crowd in Stirling the place the feedzone is positioned – they are going to the riders once more on this closing circuit.

Break goes via the feedzone with 64km to go and a lead of three:41 on the peloton. 

Round 8km to go earlier than the primary time up Mt Lofty.

The peloton might be passing over Mount Lofty twice this 12 months earlier than then taking another run as much as the highest to resolve the ultimate winner on the summit of the 1.3km ascent with a mean gradient of seven.3% and a most of 13.3%.

68km to go. Hole is as much as 3:49 with Israel-Premier Tech setting the tempo,  with a dsm rider coming as much as the entrance to help with controlling the hole.

Simon Yates (Jayco-AlUla) sits in seventh place, 13 seconds again. Yates gained the stage final 12 months that completed on Mt Lofty and mentioned earlier than the stage:

“Final 12 months was a little bit bit completely different as a result of we did an additional lap or two, so I feel it made it a little bit of a little bit of a more durable race however on the identical time, I feel it is it is with it being much less laps. I feel it is also gonna open up the race earlier.”

“I simply had nice legs that day, and I managed to do the enterprise however a really tactical sport arising immediately. I hope to be amongst it, and I will see what I can do.”

Ballerstedt accelerated within the remaining 100 metres to cross the road first on the intermediate dash in Mylor.

75km to go

Breakaway is driving effectively collectively, with 3:19 forward of the Israel-Premier Tech-led peloton. Williams, within the ochre chief’s jersey, is sitting behind his 5 teammates, he misplaced Corbin Robust who didn’t end the stage yesterday.

Simon Clarke is doing the pacemaking on the entrance of the peloton, conserving a really shut eye on the hole, holding it shut to three:00 with 83km to go.

Stage 5 winner Oscar Onley (dsm-firmenich PostNL), who’s tied on time with the GC chief, mentioned earlier than the stage this morning:

“Coming in with fairly excessive ambitions for immediately, and actually, it is simply conserving it easy and good for the stage, after which we’ll see the place that takes me.”

“[Sports director] Luke [Roberts]’s been actually good this week. He is aware of all these roads just like the again of his hand so it has been fairly helpful. Emils [Liepins] and Chris [Hamilton] did this stage final 12 months as effectively, so that they comprehend it fairly effectively, so we’re effectively outfitted.”

It’s Mosca’s flip to speak together with his group director.  

Break has 2:55 on the sphere with 88km to go.

The seven riders within the break are Stefan De Bod (EF Training-EasyPost), Jacopo Mosca (Lidl-Trek), Gil Gelders (Soudal Fast-Step), Maurice Ballerstedt (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Simon Geshke (Cofidis), António Morgado (UAE Group Emirates) and Franck Bonnamour (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale).

Gelders is getting directions from his group director who’s telling him ‘to maintain it at 90%, you are not right here to push issues.’

GC chief into the stage Stephen Williams, who’s presently sitting behind his Israel-Premier Group on the entrance of the peloton, mentioned earlier than the stage:

“Naturally, it is gonna be a little bit bit extra stress on the shoulders, however total, it is simply one other day on the bike and looking out ahead to it.”

“I imply, there’s not a lot to it [strategy today] actually. It is fairly fundamental. Maintain on to the maintain on to the jersey. There are time bonuses on the highway, however greater than probably, it’s going to come all the way down to the end. However it is going to be a tricky day to try to defend, however we’ll do all the pieces we will.”

Luke Burns (Australia) has mathematically secured the King of the Mountain jersey, all he must do is end the stage.

De Bod, who was 90 seconds down on GC earlier than the stage, is now the digital chief on the highway. 

Israel- Premier Tech goes the pace-making on the entrance of the peloton because the 7-rider break has a lead of two:43 with 97km to go.

Battle of the Brits: Only one remaining showdown stays in tight Tour Down Beneath shakeout. Australian race all the time anticipated to be tight however two riders enter remaining stage tied in time.

100km to go

Break of seven riders has been established. Stefan De Bod (EF Training-EasyPost), Jacopo Mosca (Lidl-Trek), Gil Gelders (Soudal Fast-Step), Maurice Ballerstedt (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Simon Geshke (Cofidis), António Morgado (UAE Group Emirates) and Franck Bonnamour (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) have 2:12 on the sphere.

Franck Bonnamour comes throughout to the leaders they usually have 47 seconds lead.

Simon Geschke of Cofidis made it throughout too. We now have 6 riders within the break, with one rider nonetheless making an attempt to bridge at 103km tog o.

UAE’s António Morgado jumped from the peloton that was spreading throughout the highway. A couple of extra riders try to bridge to the break.

Gil Gelders (Soudal QuickStep) makes it throughout to Stefan De Bod (EF Training-EasyPost) and Jacopo Mosca (Lidl-Trek) with 105km to go.

Mosca and De Bod are pushing as exhausting as they got here whereas a Soudal is working exhausting to bridge. 

The chase is on since De Bod is 90 seconds down on GC. 

Two riders, Stefan De Bod and Jacopo Mosca, have a small hole with 110km to go. Riders making an attempt to make it throughout.

Nothing is getting away because the riders are going 74km/hr. 

And as soon as once more, Harper shuts it down.  Lidl rider counters instantly.

Archie Ryan assaults once more. EF Training has been throwing riders continuous off the entrance with 113km to go.

Franck Bonnamour makes the subsequent transfer and is joined by Harry Sweeny however Harper closed it down.

Alvarado Hodeg, the Colombian sprinter on UAE Group Emirates, isn’t having fun with the quick begin. He is dropped from the peloton.

Solo assault by Tobias Bayer and the chase is on.

Visma is closing it down, and re-shuffle once more with 116km to go.

4 riders win a small hole with extra riders tying to make it throughout.

Simon Yates assaults they usually instantly get on his wheel.

Peloton is dashing down Windy Level at 62km/hr as Harper is reeled in.

Harper isn’t wanting again because the chase is making an attempt to get organized behind him however he has a slim 6 second hole.

123km to go

Jayco’s Chris Harper is pushing on solo however the chase is on. 

Harper took full high KOM factors and was adopted by Burns throughout the highest.

Jayco’s Harper counters the final assault. 

Astana goes once more! They clearly wish to be within the break. Final 12 months, the stage winner did come from the break. 

KOM chief Burns goes to the entrance with 1km to go to the highest. He retains wanting behind him to look at for assaults.

Alpecin, Jayco and EF Training making an attempt to get away but it surely’s shutdown with 1.2km to go to the highest of Windy Level.

And now, its Astana’s flip to assault, and assault once more. Loads of reactions behind, each group desires a rider within the break.

Technically solely Van Der Lee can beats Burns for the mountain title. Burns has 43 factors and Van Der Lee has 23 factors.

Extra assaults from EF Training, making an attempt to get Van Der Lee off the entrance within the battle for the KOM.  And KOM chief Burns comes throughout.

Prompt assault by American champion Quinn Simmons and the response comes instantly. 

A lot of the riders have ice socks at the back of their jersey because the peloton begins to climb instantly for the primary KOM of the day, the cat 1 Windy Level, 3.8km lengthy with a mean gradient of 6% and steep pitches at 20%.

Flag drop from race director Stuart O’Grady, winner of the primary Tour Down Beneath in 1999. 

Milder temperatures immediately with maximums in Adelaide heading into the excessive 20’s  Celcius and the winds, forecast as southerly of 25 – 35 km/h, have been evident with the flags stretched out and fluttering on the best way up the Mt Lofty climb.

Riders could also be simply setting out from Unley however already the spectators are assembling at Mount Lofty, getting settled in below shade on the climb.

Stage 6, of the Tour Down Beneath is ready to get underway in below 5 minutes, beginning with a 5km impartial part. Forecast of sunny 23C with mild winds. 

Mount Lofty returns for the ultimate day of racing. After leaving Unley, the peloton will sort out the sharp climb to Windy Level just below 4 kilometres into the 128.2km stage 6. The route then continues into the Adelaide Hills for an prolonged loop via cities together with Mylor, Aldgate, Uraidla, Stirling, Crafers and Bridgewater. The peloton might be passing over Mount Lofty twice this 12 months earlier than then taking another run as much as the highest to resolve the ultimate winner on the summit

Runner-up on stage 5 Stephen Williams (Israel-Premier Tech) tops the GC tied on time with Oscar Onley (dsm-firmenich PostNL). Jhonatan Narvaez (Ineos Grenadiers) is in third, and stage 2 winner Isaac del Toro (UAE Group Emirates) in fourth, each 5 seconds again. Then, at 13 seconds, it’s Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal-QuickStep), Bart Lemmen (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Simon Yates (Jayco-AlUla). 

21-year previous Onley, who gained stage 5, additionally tops the most effective younger rider classification. Triple stage winner Sam Welsford (BORA-hansgrohe) leads the factors classification. And Luke Burns (Australia) leads the mountain classification.

Welcome to Cyclingnews’ reside protection of the ultimate 6 of the Tour Down Beneath. The stage begins at 11:10am native time or 12:30am GMT and finishes roughly 4 hours later.