Santos Tour Down Under 2015 guide

After three months without racing, the 2015 UCI WorldTour gets under way in the sunny climes of Australia at the Santos Tour Down Under (January 20-25).

Stage 3: Thursday, January 22 - Norwood to Paracombe - 143.2km | Report

Result

1 Rohan Dennis (Aus) BMC Racing, 3:35:08
2 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing, +3secs
3 Tom Dumoulin (Ned) Giant-Alpecin, same time
4 Maxime Bouet (Fra) Etixx - Quick-Step, +5
5 Mick Rogers (Aus) Tinkoff-Saxo, st
6 Richie Porte (Aus) Team Sky, st
7 Jack Haig (Aus) Uni SA, st
8 Ruben Fernandez (Spa) Movistar, st
9 Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) Ag2r-La Mondiale, st
10 Simon Geschke (Ger) Giant-Alpecin, +13

General classification

1 Rohan Dennis (Aus) BMC Racing, 10:17:06
2 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing, +7secs
3 Tom Dumoulin (Ned) Giant-Alpecin, +9
4 Richie Porte (Aus) Team Sky, +15
5 Jack Haig (Aus) Uni SA, same time
6 Ruben Fernandez (Spa) Movistar, st
7 Mick Rogers (Aus) Tinkoff-Saxo, st
8 Maxime Bouet (Fra) Etixx - Quick-Step, st
9 Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) Ag2r-La Mondiale, st
10 Daryl Impey (RSA) Orica-GreenEdge, +22 Stage 4: Friday, January 23 - Glenelg to Mt Barker - 144.5km | Report Result 1 Steele von Hoff (Aus) Uni SA, 3:24:28
2 Daryl Impey (RSA) Orica-GreenEdge, same time
3 Wouter Wippert (Ned) Drapac Professional Cycling, st
4 Heinrich Haussler (Aus) IAM Cycling, st
5 Samuel Dumoulin (Fra) Ag2r-La Mondiale, st
6 Niccolo Bonifazio (Ita) Lampre-Merida, st
7 Rudiger Selig (Ger) Katusha, st
8 Gianni Meersman (Bel) Etixx - Quick-Step, st
9 Eugenio Alafaci (Ita) Trek Factory Racing, st
10 Koen de Kort (Ned) Giant-Alpecin, st General classification 1 Rohan Dennis (Aus) BMC Racing, 13:41:34
2 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing, +7secs
3 Tom Dumoulin (Ned) Giant-Alpecin, +9
4 Daryl Impey (RSA) Orica-GreenEdge, +13
5 Richie Porte (Aus) Team Sky, +15
6 Jack Haig (Aus) Uni SA, same time
7 Mick Rogers (Aus) Tinkoff-Saxo, st
8 Ruben Fernandez (Spa) Movistar, st
9 Maxime Bouet (Fra) Etixx - Quick-Step, st
10 Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) Ag2r-La Mondiale, st Stage 5: Saturday, January 24 - McLaren Vale to Willunga Hill - 151.5km | Report Result 1 Richie Porte (Aus) Team Sky, 3:37:32
2 Rohan Dennis (Aus) BMC Racing, +9secs
3 Ruben Fernandez (Spa) Movistar, +16
4 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing, same time
5 Tom Dumoulin (Ned) Giant-Alpecin, st
6 Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) Ag2r-La Mondiale, +19
7 Tiago Machado (Por) Katusha, +24
8 Moreno Moser (Ita) Cannondale-Garmin, +26
9 Gorka Izagirre (Spa) Movistar, +28
10 Arnold Jeannesson (Fra) FDJ.fr, +28 General classification 1 Rohan Dennis (Aus) BMC Racing, 17:19:09
2 Richie Porte (Aus) Team Sky, +2secs
3 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing, +20
4 Tom Dumoulin (Ned) Giant-Alpecin, +22
5 Ruben Fernandez (Spa) Movistar, +24
6 Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) Ag2r-La Mondiale, +31
7 Daryl Impey (RSA) Orica-GreenEdge, +38
8 Tiago Machado (Por) Katusha, +46
9 Gorka Izagirre (Spa) Movistar, +52
10 Jarlinson Pantano (Col) IAM Cycling, +53 Stage 6: Sunday, January 25 - Adelaide to Adelaide - 90km | Report

Stage six result

1 Wouter Wippert (Ned) Drapac Professional Cycling, 1:56:09
2 Heinrich Haussler (Aus) IAM Cycling, same time
3 Boris Vallee (Bel) Lotto Soudal, st
4 Pavel Brutt (Rus) Tinkoff-Saxo, st
5 Daryl Impey (RSA) Orica-GreenEdge, st
6 Niccolo Bonifazio (Ita) Lampre-Merida, st
7 Steele von Hoff (Aus) Uni SA, st
8 Ruslan Tleubayev (Kaz) Astana, st
9 Rudiger Selig (Ger) Katusha, st
10 Sebastien Chavanel (Fra) FDJ.fr, st
Selected others
24 Richie Porte (Aus) Team Sky, st
28 Rohan Dennis (Aus) BMC Racing, st

General classification

1 Rohan Dennis (Aus) BMC Racing, 19:15:18
2 Richie Porte (Aus) Team Sky, +2secs
3 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing, +20
4 Tom Dumoulin (Ned) Giant-Alpecin, +22
5 Ruben Fernandez (Spa) Movistar, +24
6 Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) Ag2r-La Mondiale, +31
7 Daryl Impey (RSA) Orica-GreenEdge, +35
8 Gorka Izagirre (Spa) Movistar, +52
9 Jarlinson Pantano (Col) IAM Cycling, +53
10 George Bennett (NZ) LottoNL-Jumbo, st

Key stage

Stage five. The summit finish on Willunga Hill should create the biggest gaps in the general classification and could prove decisive.

THE FAVOURITES

Richie Porte (Team Sky)
The Australian is arguably the best climber in the field and is the bookmakers' favourite. Finished fourth last year and is backed by a powerful Team Sky squad. Cadel Evans (BMC Racing)
It's the veteran Australian's final major race before retirement, so he will be keen to go out with a win - and also to make amends for last year, when he finished runner-up, just one second down on winner Gerrans. Tiago Machado (Katusha)
The Portuguese climber finished third at the 2012 Tour Down Under and will like the look of this year's short and punchy ascents. Nathan Haas (Cannondale-Garmin)
Another home favourite, Haas finished fifth last year and the varied course once again suits his style. The only problem is whether he might end up having to work for Ryder Hesjedal. Mick Rogers (Tinkoff-Saxo)
A final Australian who could contend for victory, Rogers is a powerful rider who can climb with the best. He won the Tour Down Under way back in 2002 and finished fourth in last appearance, in 2012.

BRIT WATCH

Pete Kennaugh (Team Sky)
Luke Rowe (Team Sky)
Ian Stannard (Team Sky)
Geraint Thomas (Team Sky)

THE JERSEYS

- Ochre: General classification.
- Red: Sprints classification.
- White and blue polka dots: King of the mountains.
- White and pink: Best young rider.
- Green: Most competitive rider.

TIME BONUSES

- 10, 6 and 4 bonus seconds will be awarded to the first three finishers on each stage.
- 3, 2 and 1 second will be awarded to the first three riders over the line at intermediate sprints.

PREVIOUS WINNERS

2014: Simon Gerrans (Aus)
2013: Tom-Jelte Slagter (Ned)
2012: Simon Gerrans (Aus)
2011: Cameron Meyer (Aus)
2010: Andre Greipel (Ger)
2009: Allan Davis (Aus)
2008: Andre Greipel (Ger)
2007: Martin Elmiger (Swi)
2006: Simon Gerrans (Aus)
2005: Luis Leon Sanchez (Spa)

THE TEAMS

AG2R-LA MONDIALE
Country: France. Status: WorldTour
Team: Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita), Samuel Dumoulin (Fra), Axel Domont (Fra), Blel Kadri (Fra), Christophe Riblon (Fra), Julien Berard (Fra), Alexis Gougeard (Fra). ASTANA
Country: Kazakhstan. Status: WorldTour
Team: Luis Leon Sanchez (Spa), Lars Boom (Ned), Dario Cataldo (Ita), Davide Malacarne (Ita), Ruslan Tleubayev (Kaz), Lieuwe Westra (Ned), Laurens de Vreese (Bel). BMC RACING
Country: United States. Status: WorldTour
Team: Cadel Evans (Aus), Michael Schar (Swi), Peter Stetina (USA), Danilo Wyss (Swi), Silvan Dillier (Swi), Campbell Flakemore (Aus), Rohan Dennis (Aus). CANNONDALE-GARMIN
Country: United States. Status: WorldTour
Team: Ryder Hesjedal (Can), Nathan Haas (Aus), Lasse Hansen (Den), Jack Bauer (NZ), Alex Howes (USA), Moreno Moser (Ita), Davide Villella (Ita). DRAPAC PRO CYCLING
Country: Australia. Status: Pro Continental
Team: Wouter Wippert (Ned), William Clarke (Aus), Timothy Roe (Aus), Graeme Brown (Aus), Martin Kohler (Swi), Jordan Kerby (Aus), Travis Meyer (Aus). ETIXX - QUICK-STEP
Country: Belgium. Status: WorldTour
Team: Maxime Bouet (Fra), David de la Cruz (Spa), Yves Lampaert (Bel), Gianni Meersman (Bel), Pieter Serry (Bel), Martin Velits (Svk), Mark Renshaw (Aus). FDJ.FR
Country: France. Status: WorldTour
Team: Jeremy Roy (Fra), Arnold Jeannesson (Fra), Olivier le Gac (Fra), Lorrenzo Manzin (Fra), Cedric Pineau (Fra), Sebastien Chavanel (Fra), Jussi Veikkanen (Fin). GIANT-ALPECIN
Country: Germany. Status: WorldTour
Team: Marcel Kittel (Ger), Simon Geschke (Ger), Lawson Craddock (USA), Koen de Kort (Ned), Tom Dumoulin (Ned), Albert Timmer (Ned), Chad Haga (USA). IAM CYCLING
Country: Switzerland. Status: WorldTour
Team: Martin Elmiger (Swi), Stef Clement (Ned), Heinrich Haussler (Aus), Roger Kluge (Ger), Jarlinson Pantano (Col), Vicente Reynes (Spa), David Tanner (Aus). KATUSHA
Country: Russia. Status: WorldTour
Team: Maxim Belkov (Rus), Giampaolo Caruso (Ita), Sergey Lagutin (Rus), Tiago Machado (Por), Rudiger Selig (Ger), Alexey Tsatevich (Rus), Vladimir Isaychev (Rus). LAMPRE-MERIDA
Country: Italy. Status: WorldTour
Team: Niccolo Bonifazio (Ita), Matteo Bono (Ita), Davide Cimolai (Ita), Kristijan Durasek (Cro), Roberto Ferrari (Ita), Manuele Mori (Ita), Tsgabu Grmay (Eth). LOTTONL-JUMBO
Country: Netherlands. Status: WorldTour
Team: George Bennett (NZ), Bert-Jan Lindeman (Ned), Timo Roosen (Ned), Barry Markus (Ned), Martijn Keizer (Ned), Maarten Tjallingii (Ned), Rick Flens (Ned). LOTTO SOUDAL
Country: Belgium. Status: WorldTour
Team: Thomas de Gendt (Bel), Lars Bak (Den), Gert Dockx (Bel), Kenny Dehaes (Bel), Adam Hansen (Aus), Greg Henderson (NZ), Boris Vallee (Bel). MOVISTAR
Country: Spain. Status: WorldTour
Team: Eros Capecchi (Ita), Ruben Fernandez (Spa), Gorka Izagirre (Spa), Pablo Lastras (Spa), Juan Jose Lobato (Spa), Jose Herrada (Spa), Enrique Sanz (Spa). ORICA-GREENEDGE
Country: Australia. Status: WorldTour
Team: Cameron Meyer (Aus), Simon Clarke (Aus), Luke Durbridge (Aus), Michael Hepburn (Aus), Mathew Hayman (Aus), Sam Bewley (NZ), Daryl Impey (RSA). TEAM SKY
Country: Great Britain. Status: WorldTour
Team: Richie Porte (Aus), Pete Kennaugh (GB), Luke Rowe (GB), Ian Stannard (GB), Salvatore Puccio (Ita), Geraint Thomas (GB), Chris Sutton (GB). TINKOFF-SAXO
Country: Russia. Status: WorldTour
Team: Mick Rogers (Aus), Pavel Brutt (Rus), Manuele Boro (Ita), Chris Juul-Jensen (Den), Michael Kolar (Svk), Oliver Zaugg (Swi), Jesper Hansen (Den). TREK FACTORY RACING
Country: United States. Status: WorldTour
Team: Eugenio Alafaci (Ita), Marco Coledan (Ita), Laurent Didier (Lux), Daniel McConnell (Aus), Giacomo Nizzolo (Ita), Hayden Roulston (NZ), Calvin Watson (Aus). UNISA-AUSTRALIA
Country: Australia. Status: N/A
Team: Jack Bobridge (Aus), Alex Edmondson (Aus), Jack Haig (Aus), Robert Power (Aus), Miles Scotson (Aus), Neil van der Ploeg (Aus), Steele von Hoff (Aus).