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The champion of Willunga Hill from 2024, Oscar Onley (Picnic-PostNL), is coming for another crack at winning the Tour Down Under. The Brit finished fourth overall last year, 20 seconds behind winner Stephen Williams (Israel-PremierTech).
Browning continues on solo. He now has 1:23 on the peloton with 127km to go.
Will Browning continue solo? It’s a long way to the next KOM.
Swift on the team radio, and lets go of Browning’s wheel with 131.5km to go, as the duo has 1:23 gap.
“Coming in, I was still thinking Willunga was the main stage, but after reconning the third stage, I think it might be the most important,” Finn Fisher-Black told Cyclingnews.
As for the weather today. It looks like stage 3 will be the coolest day at the Tour Down Under – forecast of just 26C in Adelaide and it’s a bit overcast too.
Now that the breakaway is established. Let’s take a closer look at today’s stage. The climbing started early, with Norton Summit, and then it is an up-and-down journey that will end with the category 1 Knotts Hill, which the racers will tackle twice. The second time up Knotts Hill comes at 5.6km from the line.
Break
Browning takes maximum KOM points with Swift on his wheel. Browning now has 51 points, and has a big lead in that competition.
Browning goes the front with 200 metres to go, Swift gave him a look but stays close on his wheel.
Browning catches Swift, about 400 metres before the KOM line.
Race leader Welsford is at the back of the peloton, still looking comfortable.
Browning is responding to Swift’s move.
Connor Swift takes a solo flyer with 141km to go, on a false flat but the road will kick up again soo.
Sprinter Walls, third on stage 1, is having trouble keeping with the pace of the peloton
Peloton is strung out, flying up at 40kmph on Norton Summit. Still Harper driving the front.
IPT is covering all the attacks from Jayco. Schultz was on Harper’s wheel for this acceleration.
And the four riders were caught. Harper counters, with Soler still following the moves.
Schelling accelerated from the peloton to join the four riders up the road. And that created a reaction from the peloton. A 5-rider chase group is forming behind.
Swift is the Ineos rider who joined to make it four off the front. Peloton is spread across the road – 145km to go.
Seeing the peloton not responding. Geoffrey Bouchard jumps to bridge up followed by Browning and an Ineos rider.
And now Dries de Pooter goes solo off the front. Field has not reacted … so far.
Durbrudge accelerates again with Gerrans on his wheel. The 137-rider field is lined up behind the Australian champion.
And we have the first attack. Durbridge makes a move. And IPT marks his wheel.
And we are racing!
Race director O’Grady is blowing his whistle and slowing the riders in the neutral zone. Nerves are high and everyone is ready to go.
Racers are now riding through the 5.1km neutral zone. As soon as the flag drops, the peloton will be climbing cat. 2 Ashton, a 10km ascent with 4.1% average gradient and max of 12.6% Ouch.
Anticipation is high for stage 3 of the Tour Down Under which will start in a few minutes.
Race director Stuart O’Grady expects stage 3, with 3236 meters of elevation gain over 145.3 kilometres, to be the toughest stage this year.
Racers will begin in Norwood and head for the slopes of Norton Summit, then push further into the Adelaide Hills and towards the Uraidla finish. The journey there is anything but cruisy, with the new ascent of Knotts Hill climbed twice, tight turns, and a rollercoaster last approach in the mix.
Double stage winner Sam Welsford (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) leads the general classification with Arne Marit (Intermarché-Wanty) in second place and Matthew Brennan (Visma-Lease A Bike) in third. Both are tied at 14 seconds back.
Welcome to Cyclingnews‘ live coverage of stage 3, from Norwood to Uraidla, of the Tour Down Under. The stage starts at 11:10am local time or 12:30am GMT and finishes roughly four hours later.
