Santos Tour Down Under 2016: Stage 2

Hello and welcome to live coverage from stage 2 of the Tour Down Under.

• Tour Down Under Race Page
• Tour Down Under: Ewan wins stage 1
• Tour Down Under: Stage 2 preview
• Groupset gossip from the Tour Down Under
• Vote for your favourite WorldTour jersey of 2016

Welcome to today's coverage of the Tour Down Under's second stage. 

Yesterday's stage was taken out by Orica-GreenEdge sprinter Caleb Ewan with an exciting run to the line.

Here's the top 10:

# Rider Name (Country) Team Result
1 Caleb Ewan (Aus) Orica–GreenEdge 3:24:13
2 Mark Renshaw (Aus) Team Dimension Data
3 Wouter Wippert (Ned) Cannondale
4 Marko Kump (Slo) Lampre–Merida
5 Adam Blythe (GBr) Tinkoff
6 Giacomo Nizzolo (Ita) Trek–Segafredo
7 Ben Swift (GBr) Team Sky
8 Steele von Hoff (Aus) UniSA-Australia
9 José Joaquin Rojas (Esp) Team Movistar
10 Greg Henderson (NZl) Lotto Soudal
 

...And the General Classification after stage 1:

# Rider Name (Country) Team Result
1 Caleb Ewan (Aus) Orica–GreenEdge 3:24:13
2 Mark Renshaw (Aus) Team Dimension Data 0:00:04
3 Alexis Gougeard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
4 Wouter Wippert (Ned) Cannondale 0:00:06
5 Sean Lake (Aus) UniSA-Australia 0:00:07
6 Marko Kump (Slo) Lampre–Merida 0:00:10
7 Adam Blythe (GBr) Tinkoff
8 Giacomo Nizzolo (Ita) Trek–Segafredo
9 Ben Swift (GBr) Team Sky
10 Steele von Hoff (Aus) UniSA-Australia

Today's 132km stage from Unley to Stirling includes 1 KOM and 2 intermediate sprints.

Here's what Orica-GreenEdge sports director Matt White had to say about the stage:

"Same as stage 1, there will be an early breakaway and then it gets very fast on the Stirling circuits which makes life very hard for any break away to succeed purely from the speed of the nervous bunch. It's a stage that we will be looking to win with Simon Gerrans and I think the biggest opposition on the stage will be someone like Diego Ulissi (Lampre-Merida). He's won there before (2014, ed) and Lampre for me have a good team coming out and I think he will be one of our biggest competitors."

You can read more abut the stage here.

You can read about Ewan's win yesterday here.

In case you missed our earlier coverage at the Tour de San Luis, Etixx-QuickStep's young sprinter Fernando Gaviria won the sprint finish ahead of Peter Sagan and Elia Viviani. You can read about he stage here.

Here's the top 10 from today:

# Rider Name (Country) Team Result
1 Fernando Gaviria Rendon (Col) Etixx - Quick-Step 4:23:54
2 Peter Sagan (Svk) Tinkoff Team
3 Elia Viviani (Ita) Italy
4 Eduard Michael Grosu (Rom) Nippo - Vini Fantini
5 Lucas Sebastian Haedo (Arg) Team Jamis
6 Mauro Abel Richeze (Arg) San Luis Somos Todos
7 Francesco Chicchi (Ita) Androni Giocattoli - Sidermec
8 Jason Lowndes (Aus) Drapac Professional Cycling
9 Jakub Mareczko (Ita) Italy
10 Marco Canola (Ita) UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team

And the overall after stage 2:

# Rider Name (Country) Team Result
1 Fernando Gaviria (Col) Etixx - Quick-step 4:47:37
2 Maximiliano Richeze (Arg) Etixx - Quick-step 0:00:10
3 Rodrigo Contreras (Col) Etixx - Quick-step
4 Lukasz Wisniowski (Pol) Etixx - Quick-step
5 Dayer Quintana (Col) Movistar Team 0:00:18
6 Adriano Malori (Ita) Movistar Team
7 Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar Team
8 Marc Soler (Spa) Movistar Team
9 Daniel Moreno (Spa) Movistar Team
10 Peter Sagan (Svk) Tinkoff-Saxo 0:00:27

Today's Tour Down Under stage is nearly ready to begin. Just a matter of minutes now.

Today's weather looks ideal for a bike race. Here's a brief forecast:

Stage 2 will be drier, sunnier and cooler than Stage 1 but similarly windy and similarly sheltered by trees

Summary - Dry, sunny (just a bit of high clouds) and about 30 degrees with moderate westerly winds

Start at Unley - 29-30 degrees with westerly winds 15-20km/h

Climb to Crafers - 30 degrees cooling to 25-26 degrees at the top as westerlies persist at 15-20km/h (cross-tail wind)

Looping around the Adelaide Hills to the finish at Stirling - warming to 27-30 degrees as westerlies pick up to 20-25km/h (tail wind for Crafers to Carey Gully, cross wind for most of the remainder apart from the section coming through Aldgate to Stirling)
 

And the race has started. Riders are on the cobbles and a Trek rider hits the deck. He's back up and in the peloton, however. We're underway.

Mark Cavendish has been impressed so far with the two young sprinters in Australia and Argentina, Tweeting this just minutes ago:

The way @FndoGaviria & @CalebEwan have destroyed their competitors so early in the season is actually quite terrifying! Young superstars!

The power struggle in cycling between the UCI and Tour de France owner ASO continues, but UCI President Brian Cookson has vowed to meet with Tour de France Director Christian Prudhomme in hopes of talking things out. Read more here.

Riders have completed the 6km neutral, and we're racing!

In other news today, Cannondale's Rigoberto Uran says he's ready to take on the Giro this year. Read about Uran's Giro hopes here.

While we're waiting for today's breakaway to gain traction, you can vote for your favourite WorldTour jersey of 2016 here.

Four riders are on the attack and have gained a slight advantage.

This initial attack includes Thomas De Gendt, Manuele Boaro, Yoann Offredo and Patrick Lane.

The lead quartet had 30 seconds on the peloton. Will this early move be the one to stick?

Riders are gearing up for today's Subaru KOM at Rangeview Rd. Things will definitely split up on the climb

The four leaders have crossed the KOM. We'll have result shortly. Meanwhile, the road continues to climb.

Boaro takes the maximum KOM points ahead of Lane De Gendt and Offredo.

We're getting word that Matteo Pelucchi of IAM Cycling has abandoned the race.

113km remaining from 132km

As the riders enter today's circuit, the gap has been cut to 10 seconds.

There were some surprise picks for the Giro d'Italia wildcard invitations. We analyse them for you here.

The peloton has brought back the leaders. It's all together again. 

105km remaining from 132km

The peloton has gone under finish banner on the circuit they'll be on until the end of the race. They've got five laps to go now.

Adam Hansen (Lotto Soudal) has escaped the field and has 1:15 on the peloton 

Solo leader Adam Hansen's advantage has grown to 2:20 as he passes underneath the fish banner for the second time.

Hansen takes the first intermediate sprint, followed by Orica-GreenEdge teammates Simon Gerrans and Caleb Ewan.

80km remaining from 132km

The amped up sped for the sprint cut into Hansen'e lead, which is down to 55 seconds.

With the time bonus, Gerrans is just two seconds behind Ewan in the overall battle.

72km remaining from 132km

Hansen's lead has spring back up to 1:20 after the sprint

Former ski jumper Primož Roglič is on domestique duty for LottoNL-Jumbo this week at the Tour Down Under. Read Australian editor Zeb Woodpower's profile of Roglič here.

63km remaining from 132km

Adam Hansen has rebuilt his gap to two minutes at the halfway point. And we have another abandon, this time it's Team Sky's Salvatore Puccio.

50 km remaining and Hansen has 2:05 on the Orica-led peloton.

45km remaining from 132km

Hansen has 2:30 on the peloton now as he rides the fourth of five laps not he circuit.

Hansen is on the 7km climb now, sitting down and looking relatively comfortable.

Orica continues to lead the chase, followed by a pair from UniSA

39km remaining from 132km

With less than 40km remaining, Orica-GreenEdge has pulled Hansen's gap down to 1:48.

36km remaining from 132km

They've pulled back another 10 seconds on Hansen.

30km remaining from 132km

Hansen's advantage is sticking at around 1:30 now. Orica continues to lead the chase. They've got to confident they can whittle away this gap pretty quickly when the race heats up.

Hansen is in the tuck position now as he descends off a slight climb.

The peloton is spread across the road now, likely not wanting to catch Hansen too soon.

BMC have taken up the chase now.

A touch of wheels and AG2R's Pozzovivo hits the deck. He's back up and chasing.

25km remaining from 132km

BMC's chase has dropped Hansen's advantage under a minute.

21km remaining from 132km

Hansen is starting the final lap with a gap of just 31 seconds.

We're looking at about a half hour of racing left.

Orica-GreenEdge has picked up the chase from BMC.

Hansen is on the descent and pushing the pace.

19km remaining from 132km

The bunch has Hansen in their sights now. The catch is imminent.

Hansen is drinking from his bidon, and the catch is made.

Three trains in the front now, with Orica, Katusha and Tinkoff fighting for position.

American Kiel Reijnen (Trek) punctures and goes off the road but manages to keep it upright.

Poor timing for Trek's 29-year-old Neo pro

4km remaining from 132km

Sky took a turn on the front that thinned things out, and now Cannondale has taken over the lad position.

Sky may have hit the front too early, as they've been swarmed by Giant-Alpecin and LottoNL-Jumbo.

Less than 4km to go, and teams are trying to set up their climbers for the finish.

They're averaging 41 km/h up this final climb.

Daryl Impey is pacing Simon Gerrans up the climb for Orica.

2km remaining from 132km

Lampre-Merida on the front now, with Astana moving up as well.

1km remaining from 132km

A Lampre rider gets a small advantage, but they're quickly on him.

A Movistar rider on the attack now with 1km to go.

Peter Kennaugh makes a move.

There's a crash near the front and Tinkoff takes control.

It's Ulissi and McCarthy in a close finish.

Jay McCarthy (Tinkoff) gets the win!

Today's top 10 

# Rider Name (Country) Team Result
1 Jay Mccarthy(Aus) Tinkoff 6:50:43
2 Diego Ulissi (Ita) Lampre - Merida
3 Rohan Dennis (Aus) Bmc Racing Team
4 Patrick Bevin (Nzl) Cannondale Pro Cycling Team
5 Enrico Battaglin (Ita) Team Lottonl-Jumbo
6 Juan José Lobato (Spain) Movistar Team
7 Anthony Roux (Fra) Fdj
8 Tobias Ludvigsson (Swe) Team Giant - Alpecin
9 Julián David Arredondo (Col) Trek-Segafredo
10 Patrick Shaw (Aus) Unisa-Australia

Corrected Stage results and GC:

Brief Results

# Rider Name (Country) Team Result
1 Jay McCarthy(Aus) Tinkoff 3:28:40
2 Diego Ulissi (Ita) Lampre - Merida
3 Rohan Dennis (Aus) Bmc Racing Team
4 Danilo Wyss (Sui) Bmc Racing Team
5 Petr Vakoc (Cze) Etixx - Quick Step
6 Patrick Bevin (Nzl) Cannondale Pro Cycling Team
7 Juan José Lobato (Spa) Movistar Team
8 Sergio Henao (Col) Team Sky
9 Anthony Roux (Fra) Fdj
10 Enrico Battaglin (Ita) Team Lottonl-Jumbo

General Classification
# Rider Name (Country) Team Result
1 Jay Mccarthy(Aus) Tinkoff 6:50:43
2 Diego Ulissi (Ita) Lampre - Merida 0:00:04
3 Rohan Dennis (Aus) Bmc Racing Team 0:00:06
4 Patrick Bevin (Nzl) Cannondale Pro Cycling Team 0:00:10
5 Enrico Battaglin (Ita) Team Lottonl-Jumbo
6 Juan José Lobato (Spain) Movistar Team
7 Anthony Roux (Fra) Fdj
8 Tobias Ludvigsson (Swe) Team Giant - Alpecin
9 Julián David Arredondo (Col) Trek-Segafredo
10 Patrick Shaw (Aus) Unisa-Australia