Swift shifts into top gear

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Robbie McEwen predicted mayhem at today's stage of the Santos Tour Down Under and he benefited from the ensuing madness, taking second behind Ben Swift and assuming the overall lead of this year's edition.

Two crashes within the final three kilometres put paid to HTC-Highroad chances of securing back-to-back stage victories, as Mark Cavendish (who required several stitches after falling) and erstwhile leader Matt Goss found themselves on the receiving end of a chaotic finale.

And unlike the Cancer Council Classic on Sunday, Team Sky managed to successfully change tack, despite having one of its fancied riders fall victim to a last-minute mishap as Ben Swift claimed his first ProTour victory.

"I can't believe it. There was just a pile up... it was carnage in the end," said Swift. "The first crash we lost our sprinter, two riders fell in front of him. I jumped with 200m to go. Robbie [McEwen] tried to get the jump on me, I felt brilliant.

"I was on the wheel of Mat Hayman and he knows how to avoid the crashes; I felt so comfortable following him. Unfortunately one of our guys did crash like I said, but I could just pick one of the other guys. Hopefully we can get another win. It is great to get the first win of the year. I will just have to keep the ball rolling."

The Briton moved into third overall with his win, sitting on the same time as overall leader Robbie McEwen, who is getting stronger as the race continues and may have his best shot at the title in what could be his last year as a professional.

The man who finished behind him today, Graeme Brown, managed to take the last podium spot in Mannum despite suffering a slowdown of sorts in the first of the afternoon's crashes. "The one [crash] at the top of the hill, just where we turn left my team mate actually crashed right in front of me, and I was caught up in the mix and I was off the road," said Brown.

"I had to come back through the bunch again and then the one [crash] at the finish I didn't even know about - I just spoke to Geraint Thomas about it and he said he just got hit from behind at 200m to go."

That accident just 200 metres from the line involved Cameron Meyer, who was able to maintain some stoicism after falling heavily whilst helping leadout teammate Tyler Farrar. "Three years I've done this tour and I've come down each year, so I'm starting to get used to it now," he quipped.

"I was in that last crash, at the 150m to go, and there was a pile up and I had nowhere to go. I went straight over the handlebars, ran up the back of some people. I mean I guess that's how it goes. It was always going to be tight with so many sprinters and lead out men and its going to get pretty fast when going into the finishes."

Krivtsov provides the calm before the storm

The day's main break was initiated some 18km into the stage by Ag2R-La Mondiale's Yuriy Krivtsov, who took the most aggressive rider prize for his efforts in a move that gained 4:20 at its zenith.

Joined by Saxo Bank's David Tanner and UniSA rider Mitchell Docker, the trio spent most of the day off the front and contested the KOM and intermediate sprint points ahead of anyone else. Behind them, Luke Roberts secured his position as mountains classification leader - a title he could well claim in Adelaide on Sunday.

"At the start of the stage I wanted to get into the break, but I didn't think it would be possible but there was one guy up the road and I sort have just rolled off the front and next thing I knew the peloton just let me go so I was wrapped," said Docker after the stage.

"It was a pity though, because I did feel it from yesterday and in the sprints I didn't do as well as I hoped. I only got third and second but it's still better than not getting anything at all and it was another tough day so I'm going to be feeling it tomorrow."

Joined by Simon Zahner and Tim Roe of BMC Racing plus Roberts, the late-stage sextet managed a lead of a minute but that soon evaporated; before that point Roe attacked, going on a solo spree that again demonstrated - after his efforts on the first day of last year's Tour Down Under - that he's an immensely talented young rider.

"I was going a bit quicker than I was last year, but I thought we were up the road and the opportunity was there so I might as well have a go; my legs were good, so I thought I might as well give it a crack," said Roe afterwards.

He was caught just eight kilometres from the finish and explained: "I was pretty sure we were going to get caught, but I thought I might as well give it a crack, and on the climb, I just had it in a big gear and just kept it there - I just ended up riding away from everyone."

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