Stuart O'Grady with Lance Armstrong. (Image credit: Mark Gunter)
By Greg Johnson in Adelaide, Australia
On the eve of Tour Down Under's decisive stage to Willunga, Stuart O'Grady of Team Saxo Bank holds third place just 15 seconds behind race leader Allan Davis. If O'Grady can overcome the deficit on tomorrow's 148-kilometre stage, it will take the local rider to his third Tour Down Under win in the event's 11-year history. But has he got what it takes for the race win?
"I think with the form Alby's got at the moment I really can't see him being beaten," said O'Grady on the Hilton Hotel's pool deck. "I think he's proven that he's powerful enough on the climb into Stirling the other day. I think there's going to be quiet a few of us with the same kind of climbing form and I think probably guys like Matt Lloyd, Luis León Sánchez and Michael Rogers are going to have to unleash everything up the climb and then it's just a matter of if we can get organised behind and catch them before the finish. That's how I see the race."
With just 15 seconds covering the top three riders – including second placed Graeme Brown of Team Rabobank – there's a chance the event could be decided on time bonuses. There's 10 seconds on offer for the stage win tomorrow, but O'Grady isn't so sure his home ProTour event will be decided with a sprint.
