2010 Tour Down Under
Encyclopedia
The 2010 Tour Down Under was the 12th edition of the Tour Down Under
cycling stage race. It was held from 19 January to 24 January 2010, traveling from Clare
to Adelaide
in South Australia
. It was the first event in the 2010 UCI World Calendar
. The race was won by André Greipel
of after he won the sprint finishes to three of the race's stages.
, now with , Gert Steegmans
of , Baden Cooke
of , Greg Henderson
from , and 2008 champion André Greipel
from . Greipel specifically shied away from talk of him being a favourite for victory. Additionally, was noted to be bringing a strong squad, including reigning Vuelta a España
champion Alejandro Valverde
. Valverde's presence was speculated to increase the chances for 2005 Tour Down Under champion Luis León Sánchez
, who is riding a program in 2010 meant to lead to victory in Paris–Nice
. Along with Sánchez, Cooke's teammate Stuart O'Grady
, Martin Elmiger
from , Wesley Sulzberger
of , and rider Robbie Hunter
were also named as contenders. The race also featured reigning World Road Race Champion Cadel Evans
and seven-time Tour de France
champion Lance Armstrong
; they were not, however, considered to be contenders in the race as they would focus on later events in the 2010 season.
event, all ProTour teams were invited automatically and obligated to send a squad. Thus, the event was the debut for the new ProTour entries and . Additionally, the Australian national team known as UniSA competed in the event. also attended, as the first UCI Professional Continental team ever to be granted a wild card. This was likely to allow new world champion Cadel Evans
to ride with the rainbow jersey in his home nation.
The teams participating in the race were:
to Tanunda
, 141 km (87.6 mi)
The first stage had a sloping profile, with a point-awarding climb coming up Menglers Hill Road at the 114 km (70.8 mi) mark. The final 25 km (15.5 mi) were totally flat.
The first UCI ProTour race of the season began with a crash. About 300 m (984.3 ft) after the true beginning of the stage, a rider crashed in the middle of the peloton and brought half the group down with him. Among the riders caught up was Cadel Evans
, riding with the rainbow jersey in his home nation for the first time. The world champion had to have his shoes attached to his bicycle with electrical tape to continue the stage.
Timothy Roe, Martin Kohler
, and Blel Kadri formed the day's significant breakaway, coming clear of the peloton after 20 km (12.4 mi). They were away through the day's intermediate sprint, and Roe was able to claim the Mengler Hill climb, putting three of the four major jerseys on these riders' shoulders at day's end. In the last 20 km (12.4 mi), a driving , led by time trial specialist Bert Grabsch
, absorbed all of them back into the peloton. Roe had also crashed while descending Mengler Hill. The group sprint finish was won by HTC-Columbia rider André Greipel
.
Defending champion Allan Davis
all but lost any chance to repeat as Tour champion. His team had come to the race without radios, and therefore his teammates did not know that he was not with the main group during the Mengler Hill climb. Unaware, the Astana team pulled the peloton away from Davis, who finished in the second large group, 8'22" back.
Stage 1 Result
General Classification after Stage 1
to Hahndorf
, 133 km (82.6 mi)
After climbing a few hundred meters in the first 30 km (18.6 mi), this stage was mostly flat. There was, as with all stages, a categorized climb, up Checker Hill Road 90 km (55.9 mi) in.
This stage was mostly similar to the first one. teammates Mickaël Delage
and Olivier Kaisen
formed the day's breakaway with UniSA rider David Kemp. Euskaltel-Euskadi, Team Milram, and Team Saxo Bank tried to send riders to follow, but the peloton did not allow them to get away. Kemp allowed the Omega Pharma-Lotto riders to take the two intermediate sprints so that he would be allowed maximum points on the Checker Hill climb, allowing his teammate Timothy Roe to keep the white jersey. Kemp then tried to solo for the stage win, but Team Sky and Team HTC-Columbia chased him down, with race leader Greipel again coming away with a stage win. Minor controversy followed, as both Greg Henderson
and Danilo Wyss
accused other riders (namely Robbie McEwen
and Graeme Brown
) of poaching their leadouts and therefore causing them to lose finishing positions.
Stage 2 Result
General Classification after Stage 2
to Stirling
, 132.5 km (82.3 mi)
This stage contained the Tour's most difficult climb to this point, Wickhams Hill Road, which came just before the 40 km (24.9 mi) mark. Afterward, the course remained at approximately the elevation reached after the climb, and undulated.
The temperature topped out at over 40 °C (104 °F) on this day, which combined with the hilly terrain made the stage very difficult for some riders. A 40-rider group contested the final sprint finish, while half the peloton lost more than a minute and 13 riders lost more than ten minutes. The day's breakaway involved Simon Clarke
of UniSA and Karsten Kroon from BMC Racing Team, who were joined at the 70 km (43.5 mi) mark by Maciej Paterski
, Jens Voigt
, and Jack Bobridge
. was the team who worked the hardest to chase them down, thinning the leading group to try to protect Alejandro Valverde
, José Joaquin Rojas
, or Luis León Sánchez
for a stage-winning attack. Portuguese national champion Manuel Cardoso from broke out of the leading group within the final kilometer and took the stage win away from Valverde or Cadel Evans
, who had seemed poised to contest a sprint with Valverde. After the stage, Valverde described holding Evans' wheel, and that a moment of hesitation when he was unsure if Evans was attacking for victory had cost him his chance of catching Cardoso. Cardoso's win was his first as a ProTour rider.
Stage 3 Result
General Classification after Stage 3
to Goolwa
, 149.5 km (92.9 mi)
This stage began with climbing and ended at lower elevation. The climb up Fox Creek Road, visited after 25 km (15.5 mi), reached over 500 m (1,640.4 ft) in elevation. After a long descent from that height 35 km (21.7 mi) later, the last 70 km (43.5 mi) were completely flat.
Seven riders formed a breakaway group shortly after the true beginning of the stage. Among them were the top two men in the mountains classification, David Kemp and Thomas Rohregger
, with Rohregger out-climbing Kemp to claim the white jersey at day's end. The group held a maximum advantage of 3'15", but the flat terrain and the strong crosswinds the group faced meant they stood no chance of staying away. Graeme Brown
and Robbie McEwen
started their sprints earlier than race leader André Greipel
, but for the third time the big German was delivered safely first to the line by his leadout train. Greipel specifically mentioned new acquisition Matthew Goss
as having been a key asset to him in the sprint.
Stage 4 Result
General Classification after Stage 4
, 148 km (92 mi)
This was the Tour's most difficult stage, concluding with a two-lap circuit in Willunga that included two visits to the Old Willunga Hill Road, the hardest climb in the race due to its steepness. Adelaide's Sunday Mail newspaper stated that this was "the most exciting day in Tour [Down Under] history".
The stage was won by 's Luis León Sánchez
. After this grueling stage, André Greipel
, with the help of his team, managed to keep both the ochre jersey and the blue jersey. The young Belgian rider Jurgen Roelandts
from still holds the black jersey. In the mountains classification, Thomas Rohregger
of Team Milram
held an insurmountable lead with 56 points. is the leading team, 2 seconds ahead of .
The principal breakaway of the day occurred on the second ascent of the Old Willunga Hill Road. It included two riders from in Alejandro Valverde
and Luis León Sánchez
, who had come to the race eager to earn victories. The other two riders were Peter Sagan
from , who had figured into breakaways in previous stages and in the Cancer Council Helpline Classic earlier in the week, and Cadel Evans
. With 4 km (2.5 mi) left to race, the four had a lead of 31 seconds, which potentially put Evans in position to take the race lead away from André Greipel
. During the final few minutes of the stage, Greipel's teammates Hayden Roulston
, Michael Rogers, and Matthew Goss
pulled the peloton hard, so that they finished just 9 seconds behind stage winner Sánchez. While pulled, the strain of the breakaway and the final meters of the climb took its toll on the other three members of the leading group, who fell off as Sánchez soloed to the finish line. Greipel's lead was reduced to 11 seconds, but with only a very short flat stage remaining, it was likely to be secure.
Stage 5 Result
General Classification after Stage 5
, 90 km (55.9 mi)
The Tour concluded with a criterium
around the Adelaide
City Council. The race was held on a closed road circuit 4.5 km (2.8 mi) in length.
Robbie McEwen
and Greg Henderson
formed a breakaway early in the criterium which gave them, respectively, the two intermediate sprints the stage offered. The bonus seconds that came with them propelled them both past Luke Roberts
, who began the day in third place overall. Henderson was two seconds better than McEwen, and thus made it to the podium.
Later, Wesley Sulzberger
, Trent Lowe
, and Fabio Sabatini
broke away to try for the stage win, riding the last five laps of the criterium ahead of the peloton, but brought them back before the finish. As they had in the Cancer Council Helpline Classic earlier in the week, the new British team took the top two finishing positions in this stage, with Christopher Sutton
ahead of Henderson this time. Though it was his worst performance in a sprint finish in this Tour, in fifth place, André Greipel
still emerged as Tour champion.
Stage 6 Result
Final General Classification
, calculated by adding each cyclist's finishing times on each stage, and allowing time bonuses for the first three finishers on each stage and in intermediate sprints, the leader received an ochre jersey. This classification is considered the most important of the Tour Down Under, and the winner is considered the winner of the Tour.
Additionally, there was a sprint classification
, which awarded a blue jersey. In the sprint classification, cyclists got points for finishing in the top three in a stage or intermediate sprint, with the top three finishers in the stage getting 8, 6, and 4 points respectively, and the top three in the intermediate sprints getting 6, 4, and 2.
There was also a mountains classification, which awards a white jersey. In the mountains classifications, points were won by reaching the top of a mountain before other cyclists. Unlike most other cycling events, there was no categorization of climbs - each awarded the same points (16, 12, 8, 6, and 4) to the first five riders past the summit.
The fourth jersey represented the young rider classification. This classification awards a black jersey.
Due to UCI rules limiting the number of jersey awards to four, the above were the only jerseys awarded to riders which were then worn the next day during the stage. But there were two other jerseys. The first was the red jersey for the most aggressive rider. This award is comparable to the combativity award
of the Tour de France
. While the rider received a red jersey on the podium after the stage, he wore his normal jersey (unless holding one of the above four) in the next stage, with the aggressive rider award indicated by a red bib number.
The sixth and final jersey was for the teams classification. This jersey was not presented on the podiums daily, but it was awarded to the winning team at the end of the Tour. The teams classification is calculated by adding the times of each team's best four riders per stage per day. The jersey is blue.
Tour Down Under
The Tour Down Under is a cycling race in Adelaide, South Australia and surrounding area. The race starts on the third Tuesday of January each year and attracts riders from across Australia and the world. In 2005, the Tour Down Under was promoted by the Union Cycliste Internationale to the...
cycling stage race. It was held from 19 January to 24 January 2010, traveling from Clare
Clare, South Australia
The town of Clare is located in South Australia in the Mid North region, 136 km north of Adelaide. It gives its name to the Clare Valley wine and tourist region.-History:One of the first settlers in the area was John Horrocks, in 1839...
to Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
in South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
. It was the first event in the 2010 UCI World Calendar
2010 UCI World Ranking
The 2010 UCI World Ranking was the second edition of the ranking system launched by the International Cycling Union in 2009. The series started with the Tour Down Under's opening stage on 19 January, and consisted of 13 stage races and 13 one-day races, culminating in the Giro di Lombardia on 16...
. The race was won by André Greipel
Andre Greipel
André Greipel is a German professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam .He currently lives in Hürth, close to Cologne in Germany...
of after he won the sprint finishes to three of the race's stages.
Overall favourites
As the Tour Down Under has historically been a race which favours sprinters winning the overall classification, several sprinters were tabbed as favourites for victory in the 2010 Tour. These included defending champion Allan DavisAllan Davis
Allan Howard Davis is an Australian professional road racing cyclist for UCI ProTour team . Born in Ipswich, Queensland, Davis resides in Bundaberg, Queensland and in Spain. Known for his sprinting ability, he started competitive cycling at the age of 10, and turned professional in 2002...
, now with , Gert Steegmans
Gert Steegmans
Gert Steegmans is a Belgian professional road bicycle racer who rides for UCI ProTeam . He has a strong finishing sprint and can compete in the sprint with fellow Belgian cyclist Tom Boonen.-Career overview:...
of , Baden Cooke
Baden Cooke
Baden Cooke is an Australian professional racing cyclist for UCI ProTour team .Cooke began competitive cycling at 11. He completed secondary school at Galen College in Wangaratta, Victoria....
of , Greg Henderson
Greg Henderson
Gregory Henderson is a professional track and road racing cyclist who rides for , but who will ride for Lotto in 2012. His career includes winning the 15 km scratch race at the 2004 world championships and, in road cycling, winning the points competition at the 2005 Tour de Georgia. He...
from , and 2008 champion André Greipel
Andre Greipel
André Greipel is a German professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam .He currently lives in Hürth, close to Cologne in Germany...
from . Greipel specifically shied away from talk of him being a favourite for victory. Additionally, was noted to be bringing a strong squad, including reigning Vuelta a España
Vuelta a España
The Vuelta a España is a three-week road bicycle racing stage race that is one of the three "Grand Tours" of Europe and part of the UCI World Ranking calendar. The race lasts three weeks and attracts cyclists from around the world. The race is broken into day-long segments, called stages...
champion Alejandro Valverde
Alejandro Valverde
Alejandro Valverde Belmonte is a Spanish road racing cyclist currently under suspension. He last rode for UCI ProTour team . Valverde's biggest wins have been the 2009 Vuelta a España, the Liège–Bastogne–Liège in 2006, 2008 and 2006 UCI ProTour series championship...
. Valverde's presence was speculated to increase the chances for 2005 Tour Down Under champion Luis León Sánchez
Luis León Sánchez
Luis León Sánchez Gil is a Spanish road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam . He is also known as Lulu Sanchez. He rode for team Liberty Seguros-Würth from 2004 until 2006, when he moved to the Caisse d'Epargne team following the collapse of the Liberty Seguros-Würth team in the wake of the Operación...
, who is riding a program in 2010 meant to lead to victory in Paris–Nice
2010 Paris–Nice
The 2010 Paris–Nice was the 68th running of the Paris–Nice cycling stage race, often known as the Race to the Sun. It started on 7 March and ended on 14 March in Nice and consisted of a prologue time-trial and seven stages. Alberto Contador of Spain won the race, regaining the title he had won in...
. Along with Sánchez, Cooke's teammate Stuart O'Grady
Stuart O'Grady
Stuart O'Grady OAM , nicknamed Stuey, is an Australian professional road bicycle racer on UCI ProTeam , who started as a track cyclist. He and Graeme Brown won a gold medal in Men's Madison at the 2004 Summer Olympics...
, Martin Elmiger
Martin Elmiger
Martin Elmiger is a Swiss professional road racing cyclist for UCI ProTeam . He turned pro in 2001 with the Swiss Post Office team. Elmiger was a member of from 2002–2006...
from , Wesley Sulzberger
Wesley Sulzberger
Wesley Sulzberger is an Australian cyclist. He was born in Launceston, Tasmania Australia and started cycling with the West Tamar Cycling Club.He began his career with the Australian Continental Team Southaustralia.com-AIS cycling Team and later joined the FDJ. His older brother Bernard Sulzberger...
of , and rider Robbie Hunter
Robert Hunter (cyclist)
Robert Hunter is a South African professional road cyclist, for UCI ProTour team . He became in 2001 the first South African to compete in the Tour de France. In 2006 he rode for the Phonak Hearing Systems team on the UCI ProTour, but after their disbandment he signed for UCI Continental Circuits...
were also named as contenders. The race also featured reigning World Road Race Champion Cadel Evans
Cadel Evans
Cadel Lee Evans is an Australian professional racing cyclist and winner of the 2011 Tour de France. Early in his career, Evans was a champion mountain biker, winning the World Cup in 1998 and 1999 and placing seventh in the men's cross-country mountain bike race at the 2000 Summer Olympics in...
and seven-time Tour de France
Tour de France
The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
champion Lance Armstrong
Lance Armstrong
Lance Edward Armstrong is an American former professional road racing cyclist who won the Tour de France a record seven consecutive times, after having survived testicular cancer. He is also the founder and chairman of the Lance Armstrong Foundation for cancer research and support...
; they were not, however, considered to be contenders in the race as they would focus on later events in the 2010 season.
Participating teams
As the Tour Down Under is a UCI ProTourUCI ProTour
The UCI ProTour was a series of road bicycle races in Europe, Australia and Canada organised by the UCI . Created by Hein Verbruggen, former president of the UCI, it comprises a number of 'ProTour' cycling teams, each of whom are required to compete in every round of the series...
event, all ProTour teams were invited automatically and obligated to send a squad. Thus, the event was the debut for the new ProTour entries and . Additionally, the Australian national team known as UniSA competed in the event. also attended, as the first UCI Professional Continental team ever to be granted a wild card. This was likely to allow new world champion Cadel Evans
Cadel Evans
Cadel Lee Evans is an Australian professional racing cyclist and winner of the 2011 Tour de France. Early in his career, Evans was a champion mountain biker, winning the World Cup in 1998 and 1999 and placing seventh in the men's cross-country mountain bike race at the 2000 Summer Olympics in...
to ride with the rainbow jersey in his home nation.
The teams participating in the race were:
- Team UniSA
Stage 1
19 January 2010 - ClareClare, South Australia
The town of Clare is located in South Australia in the Mid North region, 136 km north of Adelaide. It gives its name to the Clare Valley wine and tourist region.-History:One of the first settlers in the area was John Horrocks, in 1839...
to Tanunda
Tanunda, South Australia
Tanunda is a town situated in the Barossa Valley region of South Australia, 70 kilometres north east of the state capital, Adelaide. The town derives its name from an Aboriginal word meaning water hole. Town population is approximately 3500.-Settlement:...
, 141 km (87.6 mi)
The first stage had a sloping profile, with a point-awarding climb coming up Menglers Hill Road at the 114 km (70.8 mi) mark. The final 25 km (15.5 mi) were totally flat.
The first UCI ProTour race of the season began with a crash. About 300 m (984.3 ft) after the true beginning of the stage, a rider crashed in the middle of the peloton and brought half the group down with him. Among the riders caught up was Cadel Evans
Cadel Evans
Cadel Lee Evans is an Australian professional racing cyclist and winner of the 2011 Tour de France. Early in his career, Evans was a champion mountain biker, winning the World Cup in 1998 and 1999 and placing seventh in the men's cross-country mountain bike race at the 2000 Summer Olympics in...
, riding with the rainbow jersey in his home nation for the first time. The world champion had to have his shoes attached to his bicycle with electrical tape to continue the stage.
Timothy Roe, Martin Kohler
Martin Kohler
Martin Kohler is a Swiss road racing cyclist, currently riding for the American UCI ProTeam .He competed in the 2010 Giro d'Italia but had to withdraw in the second stage due to a crash.-External links:*...
, and Blel Kadri formed the day's significant breakaway, coming clear of the peloton after 20 km (12.4 mi). They were away through the day's intermediate sprint, and Roe was able to claim the Mengler Hill climb, putting three of the four major jerseys on these riders' shoulders at day's end. In the last 20 km (12.4 mi), a driving , led by time trial specialist Bert Grabsch
Bert Grabsch
Bert Grabsch is a German road bicycle racer racing for UCI ProTour squad . He is the younger brother of fellow road racing cyclist Ralf Grabsch, and is a former UCI time trial world champion, having won the title in Varese, Italy on September 25, 2008.He competed at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games...
, absorbed all of them back into the peloton. Roe had also crashed while descending Mengler Hill. The group sprint finish was won by HTC-Columbia rider André Greipel
Andre Greipel
André Greipel is a German professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam .He currently lives in Hürth, close to Cologne in Germany...
.
Defending champion Allan Davis
Allan Davis
Allan Howard Davis is an Australian professional road racing cyclist for UCI ProTour team . Born in Ipswich, Queensland, Davis resides in Bundaberg, Queensland and in Spain. Known for his sprinting ability, he started competitive cycling at the age of 10, and turned professional in 2002...
all but lost any chance to repeat as Tour champion. His team had come to the race without radios, and therefore his teammates did not know that he was not with the main group during the Mengler Hill climb. Unaware, the Astana team pulled the peloton away from Davis, who finished in the second large group, 8'22" back.
Stage 1 Result
| Cyclist | Team | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3h 15' 30" | ||
| 2 | s.t. | ||
| 3 | s.t. | ||
| 4 | s.t. | ||
| 5 | s.t. | ||
| 6 | s.t. | ||
| 7 | s.t. | ||
| 8 | s.t. | ||
| 9 | s.t. | ||
| 10 | s.t. |
General Classification after Stage 1
| Cyclist | Team | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  |
3h 15' 20" | |
| 2 | + 4" | ||
| 3 |   |
+ 4" | |
| 4 | + 6" | ||
| 5 | + 6" | ||
| 6 |   |
UniSA | + 8" |
| 7 | + 10" | ||
| 8 | + 10" | ||
| 9 | + 10" | ||
| 10 | + 10" |
Stage 2
20 January 2010 - GawlerGawler, South Australia
Gawler is the first country town in the state of South Australia, and is named after the second Governor of the colony of South Australia, George Gawler. It is located north of the centre of the state capital, Adelaide, and is close to the major wine producing district of the Barossa Valley...
to Hahndorf
Hahndorf, South Australia
Hahndorf is a small town about 30 minutes drive out of Adelaide, South Australia along the South Eastern Freeway . The town was settled by Lutheran migrants largely from in and around a small village then named "Kay" in Prussia, many of whom were aboard the Zebra...
, 133 km (82.6 mi)
After climbing a few hundred meters in the first 30 km (18.6 mi), this stage was mostly flat. There was, as with all stages, a categorized climb, up Checker Hill Road 90 km (55.9 mi) in.
This stage was mostly similar to the first one. teammates Mickaël Delage
Mickaël Delage
Mickaël Delage is a French professional racing cyclist. He rides for . He is also active as a track cyclist.As a junior he participated at the World Championships in track cycling in Moscow 2003, where he won the silver medal at the points race, after Australian Miles Olman...
and Olivier Kaisen
Olivier Kaisen
Olivier Kaisen is a Belgian professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTour team .- Palmares :2001200220032004- External links :**...
formed the day's breakaway with UniSA rider David Kemp. Euskaltel-Euskadi, Team Milram, and Team Saxo Bank tried to send riders to follow, but the peloton did not allow them to get away. Kemp allowed the Omega Pharma-Lotto riders to take the two intermediate sprints so that he would be allowed maximum points on the Checker Hill climb, allowing his teammate Timothy Roe to keep the white jersey. Kemp then tried to solo for the stage win, but Team Sky and Team HTC-Columbia chased him down, with race leader Greipel again coming away with a stage win. Minor controversy followed, as both Greg Henderson
Greg Henderson
Gregory Henderson is a professional track and road racing cyclist who rides for , but who will ride for Lotto in 2012. His career includes winning the 15 km scratch race at the 2004 world championships and, in road cycling, winning the points competition at the 2005 Tour de Georgia. He...
and Danilo Wyss
Danilo Wyss
Danilo Wyss is a Swiss road racing cyclist, currently riding for UCI ProTeam .He competed in and finished the 2010 Giro d'Italia.- Palmares :20072009-External links:...
accused other riders (namely Robbie McEwen
Robbie McEwen
Robbie McEwen is an Australian professional road bicycle racer, for on the UCI ProTour, specializing in sprint finishes...
and Graeme Brown
Graeme Brown
Graeme Allen Brown OAM is a professional cyclist and dual Olympic gold medallist from Australia.-Cycling career - road and track:...
) of poaching their leadouts and therefore causing them to lose finishing positions.
Stage 2 Result
| Cyclist | Team | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | |
3h 23' 49" | |
| 2 | s.t. | ||
| 3 | s.t. | ||
| 4 | s.t. | ||
| 5 | s.t. | ||
| 6 | s.t. | ||
| 7 | s.t. | ||
| 8 | s.t. | ||
| 9 | s.t. | ||
| 10 | s.t. |
General Classification after Stage 2
| Cyclist | Team | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | |
6h 38' 59" | |
| 2 | + 14" | ||
| 3 | + 14" | ||
| 4 | + 16" | ||
| 5 | |
+ 16" | |
| 6 | + 20" | ||
| 7 | + 20" | ||
| 8 | + 20" | ||
| 9 | + 20" | ||
| 10 | + 20" |
Stage 3
21 January 2010 - UnleyUnley, South Australia
Unley is an inner-southern suburb of Adelaide, South Australia. The relatively wealthy area lies within the City of Unley. The suburb is the home of the Sturt Football Club, an SANFL team...
to Stirling
Stirling, South Australia
Stirling is a town located in the Adelaide Hills. It is administered by the Adelaide Hills Council. Its population is about 2500, though the town has largely merged with neighbouring townships such as Crafers and Aldgate. The towns closely surrounding it are: Aldgate, Crafers, Bridgewater and...
, 132.5 km (82.3 mi)
This stage contained the Tour's most difficult climb to this point, Wickhams Hill Road, which came just before the 40 km (24.9 mi) mark. Afterward, the course remained at approximately the elevation reached after the climb, and undulated.
The temperature topped out at over 40 °C (104 °F) on this day, which combined with the hilly terrain made the stage very difficult for some riders. A 40-rider group contested the final sprint finish, while half the peloton lost more than a minute and 13 riders lost more than ten minutes. The day's breakaway involved Simon Clarke
Simon Clarke (cyclist)
Simon Clarke is a professional Australian road and former track cyclist, currently riding for Astana. On the 23rd August 2011, Clarke announced he was signing for new Australian team GreenEDGE for 2012...
of UniSA and Karsten Kroon from BMC Racing Team, who were joined at the 70 km (43.5 mi) mark by Maciej Paterski
Maciej Paterski
Maciej Paterski is a Polish professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam .-Palmares:2009...
, Jens Voigt
Jens Voigt
Jens Voigt is a German professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam . Voigt is known for his propensity to attack, and for his positive racing attitude. He is capable of repeated attacking, holding a high tempo, and breaking away from the peloton...
, and Jack Bobridge
Jack Bobridge
Jack Bobridge is an Australian professional racing cyclist. He came fourth as part of the Australian team pursuit at the 2008 Olympics, losing the bronze medal race to New Zealand. In May 2009, Bobridge signed with , with his contract starting on 1 January 2010 and continuing until 2012...
. was the team who worked the hardest to chase them down, thinning the leading group to try to protect Alejandro Valverde
Alejandro Valverde
Alejandro Valverde Belmonte is a Spanish road racing cyclist currently under suspension. He last rode for UCI ProTour team . Valverde's biggest wins have been the 2009 Vuelta a España, the Liège–Bastogne–Liège in 2006, 2008 and 2006 UCI ProTour series championship...
, José Joaquin Rojas
José Joaquín Rojas
José Joaquín Rojas Gil is a Spanish professional road bicycle racer, currently riding for UCI ProTeam . He turned professional in 2006 with the Liberty Seguros-Würth team. His older brother Mariano was a professional cyclist as well, riding for ONCE until 1996...
, or Luis León Sánchez
Luis León Sánchez
Luis León Sánchez Gil is a Spanish road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam . He is also known as Lulu Sanchez. He rode for team Liberty Seguros-Würth from 2004 until 2006, when he moved to the Caisse d'Epargne team following the collapse of the Liberty Seguros-Würth team in the wake of the Operación...
for a stage-winning attack. Portuguese national champion Manuel Cardoso from broke out of the leading group within the final kilometer and took the stage win away from Valverde or Cadel Evans
Cadel Evans
Cadel Lee Evans is an Australian professional racing cyclist and winner of the 2011 Tour de France. Early in his career, Evans was a champion mountain biker, winning the World Cup in 1998 and 1999 and placing seventh in the men's cross-country mountain bike race at the 2000 Summer Olympics in...
, who had seemed poised to contest a sprint with Valverde. After the stage, Valverde described holding Evans' wheel, and that a moment of hesitation when he was unsure if Evans was attacking for victory had cost him his chance of catching Cardoso. Cardoso's win was his first as a ProTour rider.
Stage 3 Result
| Cyclist | Team | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3h 14' 38" | ||
| 2 | + 1" | ||
| 3 | s.t. | ||
| 4 | s.t. | ||
| 5 | s.t. | ||
| 6 | s.t. | ||
| 7 | s.t. | ||
| 8 | s.t. | ||
| 9 | s.t. | ||
| 10 | s.t. |
General Classification after Stage 3
| Cyclist | Team | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | |
9h 53' 38" | |
| 2 | + 14" | ||
| 3 | + 14" | ||
| 4 | + 14" | ||
| 5 | + 16" | ||
| 6 | |
+ 16" | |
| 7 | + 16" | ||
| 8 | + 19" | ||
| 9 | + 20" | ||
| 10 | + 20" |
Stage 4
22 January 2010 - NorwoodNorwood, South Australia
Norwood is a suburb of Adelaide, about 4 km east of the Adelaide city centre. The suburb is in the City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters, the oldest South Australian local government municipality, with a city population over 34,000.-History:...
to Goolwa
Goolwa, South Australia
Goolwa is a historic river port on the Murray River near the Murray Mouth in South Australia, and joined by a bridge to Hindmarsh Island. The name "Goolwa" means "elbow" in Ngarrindjeri, the local Aboriginal language....
, 149.5 km (92.9 mi)
This stage began with climbing and ended at lower elevation. The climb up Fox Creek Road, visited after 25 km (15.5 mi), reached over 500 m (1,640.4 ft) in elevation. After a long descent from that height 35 km (21.7 mi) later, the last 70 km (43.5 mi) were completely flat.
Seven riders formed a breakaway group shortly after the true beginning of the stage. Among them were the top two men in the mountains classification, David Kemp and Thomas Rohregger
Thomas Rohregger
Thomas Rohregger is an Austrian professional road bicycle racer. He currently rides for UCI ProTeam Leopard Trek.-Palmarès:2006...
, with Rohregger out-climbing Kemp to claim the white jersey at day's end. The group held a maximum advantage of 3'15", but the flat terrain and the strong crosswinds the group faced meant they stood no chance of staying away. Graeme Brown
Graeme Brown
Graeme Allen Brown OAM is a professional cyclist and dual Olympic gold medallist from Australia.-Cycling career - road and track:...
and Robbie McEwen
Robbie McEwen
Robbie McEwen is an Australian professional road bicycle racer, for on the UCI ProTour, specializing in sprint finishes...
started their sprints earlier than race leader André Greipel
Andre Greipel
André Greipel is a German professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam .He currently lives in Hürth, close to Cologne in Germany...
, but for the third time the big German was delivered safely first to the line by his leadout train. Greipel specifically mentioned new acquisition Matthew Goss
Matthew Goss
Matthew Harley Goss is an Australian professional road and track racing cyclist, currently riding for the UCI ProTour outfit .-Career:Goss started in the business with track cycling...
as having been a key asset to him in the sprint.
Stage 4 Result
| Cyclist | Team | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | |
3h 30' 29" | |
| 2 | s.t. | ||
| 3 | s.t. | ||
| 4 | s.t. | ||
| 5 | s.t. | ||
| 6 | s.t. | ||
| 7 | |
s.t. | |
| 8 | s.t. | ||
| 9 | s.t. | ||
| 10 | s.t. |
General Classification after Stage 4
| Cyclist | Team | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | |
13h 23' 57" | |
| 2 | + 20" | ||
| 3 | + 24" | ||
| 4 | + 24" | ||
| 5 | + 26" | ||
| 6 | |
+ 26" | |
| 7 | + 26" | ||
| 8 | + 29" | ||
| 9 | + 30" | ||
| 10 | + 30" | ||
Stage 5
23 January 2010 - Snapper Point to WillungaWillunga, South Australia
Willunga is a town south of Adelaide, South Australia in the City of Onkaparinga local government area. It is 5 km away from the wine growing region of McLaren Vale and is approx. 47 km from the Adelaide CBD...
, 148 km (92 mi)
This was the Tour's most difficult stage, concluding with a two-lap circuit in Willunga that included two visits to the Old Willunga Hill Road, the hardest climb in the race due to its steepness. Adelaide's Sunday Mail newspaper stated that this was "the most exciting day in Tour [Down Under] history".
The stage was won by 's Luis León Sánchez
Luis León Sánchez
Luis León Sánchez Gil is a Spanish road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam . He is also known as Lulu Sanchez. He rode for team Liberty Seguros-Würth from 2004 until 2006, when he moved to the Caisse d'Epargne team following the collapse of the Liberty Seguros-Würth team in the wake of the Operación...
. After this grueling stage, André Greipel
Andre Greipel
André Greipel is a German professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam .He currently lives in Hürth, close to Cologne in Germany...
, with the help of his team, managed to keep both the ochre jersey and the blue jersey. The young Belgian rider Jurgen Roelandts
Jurgen Roelandts
Jürgen Roelandts is a Belgian road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam team .-Palmares:20012002Jürgen Roelandts is a Belgian road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam team .-Palmares:2001...
from still holds the black jersey. In the mountains classification, Thomas Rohregger
Thomas Rohregger
Thomas Rohregger is an Austrian professional road bicycle racer. He currently rides for UCI ProTeam Leopard Trek.-Palmarès:2006...
of Team Milram
Team MILRAM
Team Milram was a German pro cycling team, participating at the UCI ProTour.The pro cycling team was founded in the beginning of 2006, taking over the UCI ProTeam license of Team Domina Vacanze. The main sponsor is the Milram brand of the Bremen based Nordmilch company...
held an insurmountable lead with 56 points. is the leading team, 2 seconds ahead of .
The principal breakaway of the day occurred on the second ascent of the Old Willunga Hill Road. It included two riders from in Alejandro Valverde
Alejandro Valverde
Alejandro Valverde Belmonte is a Spanish road racing cyclist currently under suspension. He last rode for UCI ProTour team . Valverde's biggest wins have been the 2009 Vuelta a España, the Liège–Bastogne–Liège in 2006, 2008 and 2006 UCI ProTour series championship...
and Luis León Sánchez
Luis León Sánchez
Luis León Sánchez Gil is a Spanish road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam . He is also known as Lulu Sanchez. He rode for team Liberty Seguros-Würth from 2004 until 2006, when he moved to the Caisse d'Epargne team following the collapse of the Liberty Seguros-Würth team in the wake of the Operación...
, who had come to the race eager to earn victories. The other two riders were Peter Sagan
Peter Sagan
Peter Sagan is a Slovak professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTour team . Sagan had a successful junior mountain bike racing career, winning the Junior World Championship in 2008, before moving to road racing....
from , who had figured into breakaways in previous stages and in the Cancer Council Helpline Classic earlier in the week, and Cadel Evans
Cadel Evans
Cadel Lee Evans is an Australian professional racing cyclist and winner of the 2011 Tour de France. Early in his career, Evans was a champion mountain biker, winning the World Cup in 1998 and 1999 and placing seventh in the men's cross-country mountain bike race at the 2000 Summer Olympics in...
. With 4 km (2.5 mi) left to race, the four had a lead of 31 seconds, which potentially put Evans in position to take the race lead away from André Greipel
Andre Greipel
André Greipel is a German professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam .He currently lives in Hürth, close to Cologne in Germany...
. During the final few minutes of the stage, Greipel's teammates Hayden Roulston
Hayden Roulston
Hayden Roulston, MNZM is a New Zealand professional racing cyclist for UCI ProTour team . He won the silver medal in the men's 4000 m individual pursuit and a bronze medal in the men's 4000 m team pursuit at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.Roulston was a talented junior rider on both road and...
, Michael Rogers, and Matthew Goss
Matthew Goss
Matthew Harley Goss is an Australian professional road and track racing cyclist, currently riding for the UCI ProTour outfit .-Career:Goss started in the business with track cycling...
pulled the peloton hard, so that they finished just 9 seconds behind stage winner Sánchez. While pulled, the strain of the breakaway and the final meters of the climb took its toll on the other three members of the leading group, who fell off as Sánchez soloed to the finish line. Greipel's lead was reduced to 11 seconds, but with only a very short flat stage remaining, it was likely to be secure.
Stage 5 Result
| Cyclist | Team | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3h 29' 39" | ||
| 2 | + 2" | ||
| 3 | + 4" | ||
| 4 | s.t. | ||
| 5 | + 6" | ||
| 6 | s.t. | ||
| 7 | s.t. | ||
| 8 | s.t. | ||
| 9 | + 9" | ||
| 10 | s.t. | ||
General Classification after Stage 5
| Cyclist | Team | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | |
16h 53' 45" | |
| 2 | + 11" | ||
| 3 | + 17" | ||
| 4 | + 20" | ||
| 5 | + 21" | ||
| 6 | + 24" | ||
| 7 | + 25" | ||
| 8 | |
+ 26" | |
| 9 | + 27" | ||
| 10 | + 29" | ||
Stage 6
24 January 2010 - AdelaideAdelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, 90 km (55.9 mi)
The Tour concluded with a criterium
Criterium
A criterium, or crit, is a bike race held on a short course , often run on closed-off city center streets....
around the Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
City Council. The race was held on a closed road circuit 4.5 km (2.8 mi) in length.
Robbie McEwen
Robbie McEwen
Robbie McEwen is an Australian professional road bicycle racer, for on the UCI ProTour, specializing in sprint finishes...
and Greg Henderson
Greg Henderson
Gregory Henderson is a professional track and road racing cyclist who rides for , but who will ride for Lotto in 2012. His career includes winning the 15 km scratch race at the 2004 world championships and, in road cycling, winning the points competition at the 2005 Tour de Georgia. He...
formed a breakaway early in the criterium which gave them, respectively, the two intermediate sprints the stage offered. The bonus seconds that came with them propelled them both past Luke Roberts
Luke Roberts
Luke Roberts is an Australian racing cyclist specialising in both track cycling and road bicycle racing, on for road racing....
, who began the day in third place overall. Henderson was two seconds better than McEwen, and thus made it to the podium.
Later, Wesley Sulzberger
Wesley Sulzberger
Wesley Sulzberger is an Australian cyclist. He was born in Launceston, Tasmania Australia and started cycling with the West Tamar Cycling Club.He began his career with the Australian Continental Team Southaustralia.com-AIS cycling Team and later joined the FDJ. His older brother Bernard Sulzberger...
, Trent Lowe
Trent Lowe
Trent Lowe is a professional road bicycle racer from Australia. He rode for on the UCI ProTour from 2008 to 2010. Lowe was one of only two Australians on the Slipstream Squad, the other being Chris 'CJ' Sutton who came from Cofidis in 2007...
, and Fabio Sabatini
Fabio Sabatini
Fabio Sabatini is an Italian professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam .- Palmares :20032005- External links :...
broke away to try for the stage win, riding the last five laps of the criterium ahead of the peloton, but brought them back before the finish. As they had in the Cancer Council Helpline Classic earlier in the week, the new British team took the top two finishing positions in this stage, with Christopher Sutton
Christopher Sutton (cyclist)
Christopher Sutton is professional cyclist from Australia, for UCI ProTour team .Born in Caringbah, Sydney, New South Wales, Sutton trained as a carpenter. He is the son of NSW Institute of Sport's head cycling coach, Gary Sutton, and nephew of British Cycling track coach, Shane Sutton; both...
ahead of Henderson this time. Though it was his worst performance in a sprint finish in this Tour, in fifth place, André Greipel
Andre Greipel
André Greipel is a German professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam .He currently lives in Hürth, close to Cologne in Germany...
still emerged as Tour champion.
Stage 6 Result
| Cyclist | Team | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1h 53' 20" | ||
| 2 | s.t. | ||
| 3 | s.t. | ||
| 4 | s.t. | ||
| 5 | |
s.t. | |
| 6 | s.t. | ||
| 7 | s.t. | ||
| 8 | s.t. | ||
| 9 | s.t. | ||
| 10 | s.t. | ||
Final General Classification
| Cyclist | Team | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | |
18h 47' 05" | |
| 2 | + 11" | ||
| 3 | + 15" | ||
| 4 | + 17" | ||
| 5 | + 17" | ||
| 6 | + 21" | ||
| 7 | + 25" | ||
| 8 | |
+ 26" | |
| 9 | + 26" | ||
| 10 | + 27" | ||
Classification leadership
In the 2010 Tour Down Under, six different jerseys were awarded. For the general classificationGeneral Classification
The general classification in bicycle racing is the category that tracks overall times for bicycle riders in multi-stage bicycle races...
, calculated by adding each cyclist's finishing times on each stage, and allowing time bonuses for the first three finishers on each stage and in intermediate sprints, the leader received an ochre jersey. This classification is considered the most important of the Tour Down Under, and the winner is considered the winner of the Tour.
Additionally, there was a sprint classification
Points classification
The points classification is a secondary award category in road bicycle racing. Points are given for high finishes and, in some cases, for winning intermediate sprints. The points classification is the top prize for many cycling sprinters and therefore is often known as the Sprint Classification;...
, which awarded a blue jersey. In the sprint classification, cyclists got points for finishing in the top three in a stage or intermediate sprint, with the top three finishers in the stage getting 8, 6, and 4 points respectively, and the top three in the intermediate sprints getting 6, 4, and 2.
There was also a mountains classification, which awards a white jersey. In the mountains classifications, points were won by reaching the top of a mountain before other cyclists. Unlike most other cycling events, there was no categorization of climbs - each awarded the same points (16, 12, 8, 6, and 4) to the first five riders past the summit.
The fourth jersey represented the young rider classification. This classification awards a black jersey.
Due to UCI rules limiting the number of jersey awards to four, the above were the only jerseys awarded to riders which were then worn the next day during the stage. But there were two other jerseys. The first was the red jersey for the most aggressive rider. This award is comparable to the combativity award
Combativity award
The combativity award, , is a prize given in the Tour de France. It favours constant attackers and since 1981 the winner of the award has not won the whole Tour.- History :...
of the Tour de France
Tour de France
The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
. While the rider received a red jersey on the podium after the stage, he wore his normal jersey (unless holding one of the above four) in the next stage, with the aggressive rider award indicated by a red bib number.
The sixth and final jersey was for the teams classification. This jersey was not presented on the podiums daily, but it was awarded to the winning team at the end of the Tour. The teams classification is calculated by adding the times of each team's best four riders per stage per day. The jersey is blue.
| Stage | Winner | General Classification |
Mountains Classification |
Sprint Classification |
Young Rider Classification |
Team Classification |
Aggressive Rider |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | André Greipel Andre Greipel André Greipel is a German professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam .He currently lives in Hürth, close to Cologne in Germany... |
André Greipel Andre Greipel André Greipel is a German professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam .He currently lives in Hürth, close to Cologne in Germany... |
Timothy Roe | Martin Kohler | Martin Kohler | Ag2r-La Mondiale | Timothy Roe |
| 2 | André Greipel Andre Greipel André Greipel is a German professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam .He currently lives in Hürth, close to Cologne in Germany... |
André Greipel | Jurgen Roelandts Jurgen Roelandts Jürgen Roelandts is a Belgian road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam team .-Palmares:20012002Jürgen Roelandts is a Belgian road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam team .-Palmares:2001... |
David Kemp | |||
| 3 | Manuel Cardoso | Thomas Rohregger Thomas Rohregger Thomas Rohregger is an Austrian professional road bicycle racer. He currently rides for UCI ProTeam Leopard Trek.-Palmarès:2006... |
Simon Clarke | ||||
| 4 | André Greipel Andre Greipel André Greipel is a German professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam .He currently lives in Hürth, close to Cologne in Germany... |
Stef Clement Stef Clement Stef Clement is a Dutch professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam Rabobank. He specializes in the time trial, in which discipline he is the reigning Dutch national champion. He also won the bronze medal at the Time Trial of the 2007 UCI Road World Championships.- Palmarès :20032005... |
|||||
| 5 | Luis León Sánchez Luis León Sánchez Luis León Sánchez Gil is a Spanish road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam . He is also known as Lulu Sanchez. He rode for team Liberty Seguros-Würth from 2004 until 2006, when he moved to the Caisse d'Epargne team following the collapse of the Liberty Seguros-Würth team in the wake of the Operación... |
Cadel Evans Cadel Evans Cadel Lee Evans is an Australian professional racing cyclist and winner of the 2011 Tour de France. Early in his career, Evans was a champion mountain biker, winning the World Cup in 1998 and 1999 and placing seventh in the men's cross-country mountain bike race at the 2000 Summer Olympics in... |
|||||
| 6 | Christopher Sutton Christopher Sutton (cyclist) Christopher Sutton is professional cyclist from Australia, for UCI ProTour team .Born in Caringbah, Sydney, New South Wales, Sutton trained as a carpenter. He is the son of NSW Institute of Sport's head cycling coach, Gary Sutton, and nephew of British Cycling track coach, Shane Sutton; both... |
Wesley Sulzberger Wesley Sulzberger Wesley Sulzberger is an Australian cyclist. He was born in Launceston, Tasmania Australia and started cycling with the West Tamar Cycling Club.He began his career with the Australian Continental Team Southaustralia.com-AIS cycling Team and later joined the FDJ. His older brother Bernard Sulzberger... |
|||||
| Final | André Greipel Andre Greipel André Greipel is a German professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam .He currently lives in Hürth, close to Cologne in Germany... |
Thomas Rohregger Thomas Rohregger Thomas Rohregger is an Austrian professional road bicycle racer. He currently rides for UCI ProTeam Leopard Trek.-Palmarès:2006... |
André Greipel | Jurgen Roelandts | Ag2r-La Mondiale | — | |