Tour Down Under 2018: Stage 6 preview

Mitchelton-Scott DS Matt White says:

"This is our last chance for a stage win and it is harder than the People's Choice Classic, but it goes very quick in under two hours. It is one of the fastest sprints of the season, really. When the sprint starts, the guys are already doing about 70 km/h.

"The secret to getting into position for the final lap is not getting caught behind the washing machine going up the hill. If you can get a clear run over the top of the KOM, then it is a pretty clear run no matter how far back you are, there is always room to move, but you don't want to get caught behind any crashes. It is very wide, then it goes narrow, then opens up a little bit towards the top of the climb. If you are in the first 20 wheels at the top of the climb with over a kilometre to go, there is time to move up. But if you are too far behind, then you could be in a bit of trouble there. We have seen guys come from quite far behind in the sprint and win but if you get your timing wrong and go too early you are a sitting duck.

"I wouldn't expect any riders who didn't feature in the early sprints to feature here. I would expect Caleb [Ewan], Andre [Greipel] and Peter [Sagan] to be the main guys to feature for the stage win."