Video: Watch Richie Porte win on Willunga Hill

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Stage 5 winner Richie Porte (Sky) (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)

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Richie Porte (Team Sky) on his way to the stage win (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

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Simon Gerrans drops Cadel Evans but Porte is already too far ahead to win the stage (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

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Richie Porte (Team Sky) cools down after his win (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

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Stage 5 winner: Richie Porte (Team Sky) (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

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Richie Porte (Team Sky) on the podium (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

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Richie Porte (Sky) gives the crowd a wave (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)

Although the overall win may have been beyond him, Richie Porte (Team Sky) threw down an early season performance of some muster to win atop Willunga Hill on stage five of the Tour Down Under.

Porte wins Willunga Hill battle while Gerrans winning war with Evans

The Tasmanian attacked on the final ascent of the stage and despite being briefly joined by rival Cadel Evans (Team BMC) the Sky captain was strong enough to dispatch the veteran and hold on for the win, with Diego Ulissi (Lampre-Merida) and Simon Gerrans (Orica-GreenEdge) taking second and third.

Gerrans made up enough time to regain the race lead over Evans and with one stage remaining looks on course for a record breaking third win in the race.

However with both Evans and Porte set to battle it out at the Giro d’Italia with Joaquim Rodriguez and Nairo Quintana, Australian cycling looks to be in rude health.

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