Tour Down Under 2017: People's Choice Classic Results

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Caleb Ewan celebrates his win (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

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Simon Gerrans leads the pack (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

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Fans cheers the riders on (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

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The peloton flies past (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

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The bunch splits up on the run to the line (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

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Team Sky control the bunch (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

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Geraint Thomas sits at the head of the Team Sky train (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

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Peter Sagan was one of the pre-race favourites (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

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Esteban Chaves racing in Australia for the first time (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

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Caleb Ewan shows of his national champion's jersey (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

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Tom-Jelte Slagterin the peloton (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

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Bahrain-Merida show off their colours for the first time in a race (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

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Ben O'Connor makes a break for it (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

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The Dimension Data riders seem happy in the bunch (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

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Francisco Ventoso racing in BMC colours for the first time (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

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Orica-Scott take control (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

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The Orica-Scott team relax before the start (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

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Tyler Farrar chats with Ben O'Connor (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

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A big smile Adam Hansen (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

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The riders race into the sunset (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

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Jack Bauer racing for Quick-Step floors this season (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

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Jan Bakelandts (AG2R La Mondiale) (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

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Peter Sagan is calm and relaxed as he waits for the start (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

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Ben O'Connor escapes with Will Clarke (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

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Caleb Ewan discusses his race victory (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

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Caleb Ewan surrounded by press at the finish (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

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Will Clarke took one of the intermediate sprints (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

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Ben O'Connor on stage after a good day out (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

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Geraint Thomas adds 500 Australian dollars to the coffers for winning a prime (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

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Domenico Pozzovivo finishes (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

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The Katusha team relaxes before the start (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

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Rohan Dennis signs autographs (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

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Miles Scotson looking relaxed (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

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Former teammates Richie Porte and Ben Swift catch up (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

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Domenico Pozzovivo awaits the start (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

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The riders begin the race (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

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The bunch passes through a corner (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

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The media attention on Caleb Ewan and Esteban Chaves, with women's race leader Amanda Spratt in the background (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

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Full steam ahead as Caleb Ewan leads the bunch sprint (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

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Calm and collected, Caleb Ewan looks over his shoulder to see where his rivals are (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

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Caleb Ewan takes the dash to the line (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

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Caleb Ewan won the People's Choice Classic for the second consecutive time (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

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Caleb Ewan on the podium (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

Caleb Ewan (Orica-Scott) beat Sam Bennett and world champion Peter Sagan to the line to win the People’s Choice Classic on Sunday.

Caleb Ewan's Scott Foil RC - Gallery

Ewan and Kluge partnership off to winning start

The national criterium champion held off a late charge from Bennett, after a perfect leadout from his Orica-Scott teammates in the closing stages of the 50.6 kilometre race in Adelaide.

Ewan came into the race as the main favourite, and on their home roads Orica rode a faultless race. They allowed Dimension Data’s Ben O’Connor to break away during the opening laps and then rode tempo for the majority of the race.

O’Connor built up a lead of 40 seconds during the 22-lap race but the youngster began to tighten up in the final five laps, just as the sprint trains began to organise their chase.

Katusha, Team Sky, Sunweb and Sagan’s Bora Hansgrohe all attempted to establish control in the closing stages as O’Connor sat up but Orica’s well-oiled machine was simply too strong.

Simon Gerrans, Darly Impey, Luke Durbridge and even Colombian climber Esteban Chaves took turns on the front but it was new recruit Roger Kluge who brought Ewan into the final 200 meters.

The German joined the team in the winter but Orica-Scott has tracked his progression since last May when he won a stage in the Giro d’Italia. He was just one of three new signings made this season by the Australian team but despite only arriving in Adelaide a few days ago, he instantly made a difference.

While Sagan and Bennett looked threatening they appeared to lack the same cohesion and, despite a strong finish from Bennett, the Irishman was left with too much to do in the closing meters.

Ahead of the Tour Down Under, which starts on Tuesday the People’s Choice Classic threw up few surprises in the end.

O’Connor put in a valiant ride and his teammate Nathan Haas looked in decent form with a couple of early attacks. Edward Theuns (Trek Segafredo) finished a creditable fifth after returning from back surgery. Niccolo Bonifazio took fourth in Bahrain Merida’s first outing.

Full Results

#	Rider Name (Country) Team	Result
1	Caleb Ewan (Aus) Orica-Scott	1:03:41
2	Sam Bennett (Irl) Bora-Hansgrohe
3	Peter Sagan (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe
4	Niccolo Bonifazio (Ita) Bahrain-Merida
5	Edward Theuns (Bel) Trek-Segafredo
6	Mark Renshaw (Aus) Dimension Data
7	Sean De Bie (Bel) Lotto Soudal
8	Baptiste Planckaert (Bel) Katusha-Alpecin
9	Patrick Bevin (NZl) Cannondale-Drapac
10	Jasha Sutterlin (Ger) Movistar Team
11	Carlos Barbero (Spa) Movistar Team
12	Robert Wagner (Ger) Team LottoNL-Jumbo
13	Matteo Montaguti (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale
14	Nikias Arndt (Ger) Team Sunweb
15	Roger Kluge (Ger) Orica-Scott
16	Danny Van Poppel (Ned) Team Sky
17	Miles Scotson (Aus) BMC Racing Team
18	Marko Kump (Slo) Team UAE Abu Dhabi
19	Chun-Kai Feng (Tpe) Bahrain-Merida
20	Martin Velits (Svk) Quick-Step Floors
21	Sven Bystrom (Nor) Katusha-Alpecin
22	Tom Van Asbroeck (Bel) Cannondale-Drapac
23	Julien Berard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
24	Michael Valgren DNK Astana Pro Team
25	Laurens De Vreese (Bel) Astana Pro Team	0:00:08
26	Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Bahrain-Merida
26	Clement Chevrier (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
28	Daryl Impey (RSA) Orica-Scott
29	Petr Vakoc (Cze) Quick-Step Floors
30	Matthieu Ladagnous (Fra) FDJ
31	Danilo Wyss (Swi) BMC Racing Team
32	Lucas Hamilton (Aus) UniSA-Australia
33	Paul Martens (Ger) Team LottoNL-Jumbo
34	Jay Mccarthy (Aus) Bora-Hansgrohe
35	Francois Bidard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
36	Ruben Guerreiro (Por) Trek-Segafredo
37	Ondrej Cink (Cze) Bahrain-Merida
38	Ben Swift (GBr) Team UAE Abu Dhabi
39	Alexey Vermeulen (USA) Team LottoNL-Jumbo
40	Sebastian Henao (Col) Team Sky
41	Jarlinson Pantano (Col) Trek-Segafredo
42	Sergio Henao (Col) Team Sky
43	Jacques Janse Van Rensburg (RSA) Dimension Data
44	Koen De Kort (Ned) Trek-Segafredo
45	Vegard Laengen (Nor) Team UAE Abu Dhabi
46	Esteban Chaves (Col) Orica-Scott
47	Jai Hindley (Aus) UniSA-Australia	0:00:14
48	Samuel Jenner (Aus) UniSA-Australia
49	Artyom Zakharov (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
50	Diego Ulissi (Ita) Team UAE Abu Dhabi
51	Adam Hansen (Aus) Lotto Soudal
52	Christopher Hamilton (Aus) Team Sunweb
53	Ben Gastauer (Lux) AG2R La Mondiale
54	Eros Capecchi (Ita) Quick-Step Floors
55	Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale
56	Jeremy Maison (Fra) FDJ
57	Gregor Muhlberger (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe
58	Lukas Postleberger (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe
59	Gorka Izagirre (Spa) Movistar Team
60	Simon Gerrans (Aus) Orica-Scott
61	Francisco Ventoso (Spa) BMC Racing Team
62	Paolo Tiralongo (Ita) Astana Pro Team	0:00:19
63	Michael Woods (Can) Cannondale-Drapac	0:00:34
64	Yukiya Arashiro (Jpn) Bahrain-Merida	0:00:40
65	Jack Bauer (NZl) Quick-Step Floors
66	Phil Bauhaus (Ger) Team Sunweb
67	Rudiger Selig (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe	0:00:47
68	Tiago Machado (Por) Katusha-Alpecin	0:00:51
69	Giovanni Visconti (Ita) Bahrain-Merida
70	Michael Kolar (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe	0:00:53
71	Enrico Battaglin (Ita) Team LottoNL-Jumbo
72	Victor De La Parte (Spa) Movistar Team	0:00:56
73	Marc Soler (Col) Movistar Team
74	Arnaud Courteille (Fra) FDJ
75	Odd Christian Eiking (Nor) FDJ
76	Lorrenzo Manzin (Fra) FDJ
77	Jhonatan Restrepo (Col) Katusha-Alpecin
78	Robert Gesink (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo
79	Luis Leon Sanchez Gil (Spa) Astana Pro Team
80	Michael Storer (Aus) UniSA-Australia
81	Enric Mas Nicolau (Spa) Quick-Step Floors
82	Angel Vicioso (Spa) Katusha-Alpecin
83	Maurits Lammertink (Ned) Katusha-Alpecin
84	Thomas De Gendt (Bel) Lotto Soudal
85	Lars Bak (Den) Lotto Soudal
86	Laurent Didier (Lux) Trek-Segafredo
87	Sander Armee (Bel) Lotto Soudal
88	Lennard Hofstede (Ned) Team Sunweb
89	Tsgabu Grmay (Eth) Bahrain-Merida
90	Tom-Jelte Slagter (Ned) Cannondale-Drapac
91	Amael Moinard (Fra) BMC Racing Team
92	Brendan Canty (Aus) Cannondale-Drapac
93	Jan Bakelants (Bel) AG2R La Mondiale
94	Peter Stetina (USA) Trek-Segafredo
95	Richie Porte (Aus) BMC Racing Team
96	Manuele Mori (Ita) Team UAE Abu Dhabi
97	Marco Marcato (Ita) Team UAE Abu Dhabi
98	James Shaw (GBr) Lotto Soudal
99	Rafael Valls (Spa) Lotto Soudal
100	Johannes Frohlinger (Ger) Team Sunweb
101	Koen Bouwman (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo	0:01:05
102	Bert-Jan Lindeman (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo
103	Mads Pedersen (Den) Trek-Segafredo
104	Gianluca Brambilla (Ita) Quick-Step Floors
105	Damiano Caruso (Ita) BMC Racing Team
106	Oscar Gatto (Ita) Astana Pro Team
107	Tyler Farrar (USA) Dimension Data
108	Rohan Dennis (Aus) BMC Racing Team
109	Cameron Meyer (Aus) UniSA-Australia
110	Nathan Earle (Aus) UniSA-Australia
111	Callum Scotson (Aus) UniSA-Australia
112	Jaco Venter (RSA) Dimension Data	0:01:12
113	Ben O'connor (Aus) Dimension Data
114	Dries Devenyns (Bel) Quick-Step Floors
115	Anthony Roux (Fra) FDJ
116	Lachlan Morton (Aus) Dimension Data
117	Johan Le Bon (Fra) FDJ
118	Jose Goncalves (Por) Katusha-Alpecin
119	Jose Herrada (Spa) Movistar Team
120	Jesus Herrada (Spa) Movistar Team
121	Will Clarke (Aus) Cannondale-Drapac
122	Damien Howson (Aus) Orica-Scott	0:01:16
123	Louis Meintjes (RSA) Team UAE Abu Dhabi
124	Nathan Haas (Aus) Dimension Data
125	Luke Rowe (GBr) Team Sky	0:01:19
126	Luke Durbridge (Aus) Orica-Scott	0:01:25
127	Alex Howes (USA) Cannondale-Drapac	0:01:37
128	Geraint Thomas (GBr) Team Sky	0:01:40
DNF	Wilco Keldermann (Ned) Team Sunweb
DNF	Simon Geschke (Ger) Team Sunweb
DNF	Ian Stannard (GBr) Team Sky
DNS	Owain Doull (GBr) Team Sky
DNS	Matti Breschel (Dnk) Astana Pro Team