100th career victory for Greipel in Adelaide City

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André Greipel has repaid his hardworking Lotto Belisol team once again by winning the final stage at the Santos Tour Down Under. Greipel captured his 100th professional victory along the streets of Adelaide City. As Greipel celebrated yet another win in Australia, the team of Blanco was rejoicing as Tom-Jelte Slagter safely crossed the line in the ochre jersey. 

Tom-Jelte Slagter was perfectly escorted to the finish by his Blanco teammates and crossed the line as the winner of the opening round of the WorldTour in Australia. The young Dutchman captured his first professional victory earlier in the week by winning Stage 3 into Stirling and capped-off an amazing week for the third-year professional by winning the final ochre jersey.

"I've never won a race like this," said Slagter at the finish. "My first win was on Stirling and that I take the jersey now, it's really amazing. I can't believe it."

The overall victory by Slagter at the 15th edition of the Tour Down Under brought a refreshing change for the revitalised Dutch team that lost its long-serving sponsor Rabobank at the end of 2012. For Slagter, it's the start of a season which will no doubt be filled with expectation. The season however, does not start and end in January.

"It brings some pressure also for me. It's the first race of the year. I win it directly, it's still a long season and I want to keep this level but the start couldn't be better, for the team and for me.

The other big winners of the week was the team of Lotto Belisol and more specifically André Greipel - who took three wins at the WorldTour event in addition to winning the People's Choice Classic.

His win around the streets of Adelaide appeared to be a forgone conclusion entering the final few hundred metres but that was until Mark Renshaw (Blanco) hit out early. Renshaw seemed to have gotten the jump on Greipel before the 'Gorilla' unleashed his crushing blow. Renshaw would eventually finish second to the German who clinched his 100th career win while Sky's Edvald Boasson Hagen rounded-out the podium with third-place.

"I don't know, I didn't count," said a surprised Greipel after being informed of his 100th professional victory. "I thought I already had 100.

"It was nearly the scenario as last year," said Greipel in response to the early acceleration of Renshaw. "He surprised me a bit but I had some power left to pass him again."

While Slagter's overall victory was never really in doubt entering today's stage, the final spot on the podium and remaining places in the top-10 were up for grabs.

Geraint Thomas, after losing the overall lead and dropping to fifth overall at the end of yesterday's stage, was on a mission. His Sky Procycling team were on the front from the first pedal strokes and ensured the team could launch him to the line at each of the two intermediate sprints.

Thomas' sprinting ability meant he picked up four-seconds and that was enough to push Ben Hermans (RadioShack Leopard) off the final podium step.

"We were disappointed yesterday but there was still one day of racing left and we still had the chance of getting third," explained Thomas after he also collected the blue Jayco Sprints jersey from the stage.

"The boys [were] just incredible again really, all I had to do was just, well, try and get passed Eddy [Boasson Hagen].

"It was a perfect day really," said Thomas.

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How it happened

The final stage of the 2013 Santos Tour Down Under got underway around the streets of Adelaide City on a perfect summer day. There were no abandonments from yesterday's stage to Old Willunga Hill and all 128 riders took to the start for the final 90km circuit race.

The pace around the 4.5km course was so fast that small groups could never really establish themselves off the front. The biggest gap ballooned at around 20 seconds before the Sky-lead reeled them in for each of the intermediate sprints.

Sky's interest in pushing Thomas back up the standings was no secret. Bernhard Eisel and Ian Stannard (Sky) controlled the tempo and futile escapees while the remaining teammates waited until the final straight to launch Thomas into action. Mathew Hayman was the final man to hit out before Edvald Boasson Hagen took off with Thomas on his wheel.

Thomas took maximum points and three-seconds bonus at Jayco Sprint #1 much to the frustration of Euskaltel-Euskadi was evident. Thomas' first place across the line had just bumped him over the top of Ion Izagirre and into fifth place.

At the next sprint it was a similar situation with Hayman again one of the final men to line the bunch out. Thomas did enough to get a one-second bonus and move into third-overall on GC. That move also earned him the overall lead in the sprint classification - which he was not aware of until the finish.

Coming into the final lap Lotto Belisol was around the front but allowed Sky to do much of the early work. The British team had stepped on the gas too early and with a full contingent of Lotto riders now at the front with less than 2km remaining, the whole bunch was struggling merely to hold on.

Entering the final straight it was Greipel's teammate Greg Henderson who was about to up the speed and was caught out by a fast charging Renshaw. The Australian riding for the former Rabobank team looked like he had got the better of the German but Greipel was merely waiting to pounce.

Greipel hit-out and his win was immediately secure. Renshaw held on for another podium spot for the week with Boasson Hagen rounding out an impressive tour for Sky.

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