Sutton secures Sky's second

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It pays to have two cards up your sleeve. Team Sky proved that today when it launched Greg Henderson and Chris Sutton at the finish line of the Tour Down Under's final stage and in doing so took another one-two during the squad's first week of competition.

Forming and executing a perfect leadout in the final two kilometres of the 90km stage, Sutton was the beneficiary of a train that again dominated the finale. Graeme Brown (Rabobank) secured third place while compatriot Robbie McEwen (Team Katusha) took fourth.

Sutton’s victory bookends a successful debut for the British outfit, with the outfit reversing its Cancer Council Helpline Classic criterium result one week ago to finish with Sutton leading Henderson across the line.

“I couldn’t believe it,” said Sutton. “We spoke about our tactics last night and had a meeting again this morning... it’s all about teamwork.

"As you saw we just took control with two kilometres to go and we had the perfect leadout; obviously I was the last man to lead out Greg and I waited off Ben Swift and he accelerated then I ran off him. I just went as long as I could, if Hendy could come around, he would.”

"I held on and we went one-two, which is incredible."

Asked if the win for Sutton was pre-meditated between himself and the team's kiwi sprinter, the Australian explained: "I don't think he would have held back; I think Greg got a little sandwiched by Graeme Brown and even Greipel, I'm not sure... it's about team work - not just my effort - from Davide Vigano, Chris Froome, Ben Swift, Russell Downing, Mat Hayman and Hendy.

“We’re a new team, everyone’s working well together,” said Sutton. “Greg said at the start of the week he thinks we’ve got one of the fastest trains here. We're just all learning to know each other's strengths and weaknesses.

"We've had a week of ups and downs - I've wrecked up a few sprints for Greg, but it's all about learning. I’m still young, I’m 25, I’m here to learn off guys like Greg Henderson and Mat Hayman.”

Sutton’s family was watching near the finish line as the New South Welshman claimed his victory. Sutton doesn’t think Henderson was holding back to repay Sutton’s favour, after the rider sat up and let Henderson pass him in last Sunday’s criterium.

“I just went and saw my old man at the top of the hill and my sister said he nearly had a heart attack so I hope he’s okay,” laughed Sutton.

The Greipel gang strikes again

The week belonged to HTC-Columbia and André Greipel however, the German crushing the competition in the first two stages before using the firepower of his star-studded team to defend that lead.

In doing the 27-year-old became only the second rider to win the Tour Down Under twice, after Stuart O'Grady took the 1999 and 2001 editions in front of a home crowd. This time around it was another Australian, Allan Peiper, who got to enjoy the spoils of victory.

"We came here and knew André was on a mission after winning two years ago and crashing out last year," said Peiper. "Grabschy [Bert Grabsch] wasn't in the original selection for the Tour Down Under so he sent me a dirty email asking why he wasn't riding and that he wanted to be in the team... So when you get guys at you to ride the race that's really good as well."

Talk before the race began surrounded Greipel's great form and meticulous preparation, something to which Peiper attributed the team's success. "We've worked damn hard the last three weeks and we've backed it up with three stage wins - the team's rock solid," he explained.

"André never would have won without them and the efforts they've made during the last few days. Even the stage to Goolwa was epic - an epic battle. Yesterday it was the same again but we had a tickle of luck and got some help from Katusha and Saxo Bank to lead their guys out for the sprint. That turned the tide.

"You've always got to have luck with you anyway, so it couldn't have been more successful."

More doomed breaks and bonus seconds

There were two main breaks that animated the stage, with the most dangerous forming in the last quarter of the race and staying away until the last lap. Australian riders Wes Sulzberger (Française des Jeux) and Trent Lowe (Garmin-Transitions) plus Fabio Sabatini (Liquigas-Doimo) rode off the front for the last five laps, giving the peloton a target for its fury in the final kilometres.

It came after Robbie McEwen had sealed fourth place on general classification courtesy of winning the second intermediate sprint while Henderson benefited from winning the first of the intermediates, securing his place on the overall podium ahead of Luke Roberts, who started the day in third.

The kiwi's second place in the finale ensured he would take third in this year's Santos Tour Down Under, a fantastic result for Team Sky after Sutton's first ProTour win.

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