Tour Down Under 2018: Stage 3

Hello and welcome to the Cyclingnews Live Report for stage 3 of the WorldTour-opening Santos Tour Down Under.

• Peter Sagan, Ewan, Tour Down Under and De Gendt – Podcast
• Tour Down Under 2018 hub page
• Tour Down Under 2018 race preview
• Tour Down Under 2018 start list
• Peter Sagan wins People's Choice Classic
• Tour Down Under: Greipel wins opening stage in Lyndoch
• Tour Down Under: Ewan wins stage 2 in Stirling

We're closing gin on the stage of stage 3 at the santons Tour Down Under. The big news today continues to be the heat, which is forecast to top 40 degrees. 

Due to the conditions, the organisers have shortened the stage fro, 146.5km to 120.5.

The stage was due to finish with three circuits in Victor Habor but will instead only feature one. The adjusted stage length will be 120.5 kilometres.

Stage 3 will still start in the seaside suburb of Glenelg and travel south to Victor Harbor.

Here's a photo of the local beach. Enjoy!

Caleb Ewan will start the day in the ochre jersey after winning stage 2 in Stirling yesterday. You can read more about the stage HERE.

Stage 2 Top 10:

1 Caleb Ewan (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott 4:03:55
2 Daryl Impey (RSA) Mitchelton-Scott
3 Jay McCarthy (Aus) Bora-Hansgrohe
4 Peter Sagan (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe
5 Nathan Haas (Aus) Katusha-Alpecin
6 Elia Viviani (Ita) Quick-Step Floors
7 Gorka Izagirre Insausti (Spa) Bahrain-Merida
8 Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) Bahrain-Merida
9 Luis León Sánchez (Spa) Astana Pro Team
10 Carlos Barbero Cuesta (Spa) Movistar Team

General Classification after stage 2:

1 Caleb Ewan (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott   7:54:00
2 Daryl Impey (RSA) Mitchelton-Scott   0:00:10
3 Peter Sagan (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe   0:00:12
4 Jay McCarthy (Aus) Bora-Hansgrohe
5 Nathan Haas (Aus) Katusha-Alpecin   0:00:15
6 Jhonatan Restrepo (Col) Katusha-Alpecin
7 Elia Viviani (Ita) Quick-Step Floors   0:00:16
8 Simone Consonni (Ita) UAE Team Emirates
9 Carlos Barbero Cuesta (Spa) Movistar Team

Points Classification Top 10:

1 Caleb Ewan (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott   29 pts
2 Peter Sagan (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe   25
3 Nathan Haas (Aus) Katusha-Alpecin   22
4 Elia Viviani (Ita) Quick-Step Floors   22
5 William Clarke (Aus) EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale   20
6 Andre Greipel (Ger) Lotto Soudal   15
7 Daryl Impey (RSA) Mitchelton-Scott   14
8 Jay McCarthy (Aus) Bora-Hansgrohe   13
9 Simone Consonni (Ita) UAE Team Emirates   11
10 Phil Bauhaus (Ger) Team Sunweb   10

Mountains Classification:

1 Nicholas Dlamini (RSA) Dimension Data   20 pts
2 William Clarke (Aus) EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale   12
3 Scott Bowden (Aus) UniSA-Australia   6
4 Jaime Castrillo (Spa) Movistar Team   4
5 Damien Howson (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott   2

Young Rider Classification top 10:

1 Caleb Ewan (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott   7:54:00
2 Jhonatan Restrepo (Col) Katusha-Alpecin   0:00:15
3 Simone Consonni (Ita) UAE Team Emirates   0:00:16
4 Sam Oomen (Ned) Team Sunweb
5 Pierre Latour (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
6 Egan Arley Bernal Gomez (Col) Team Sky
7 Chris Hamilton (Aus) Team Sunweb
8 Ruben Guerreiro (Por) Trek-Segafredo
9 Scott Davies (GBr) Dimension Data
10 Marc Soler (Spa) Movistar Team

Teams Classification:

1 Bahrain - Merida   23:42:48
2 Mitchelton - Scott
3 AG2R La Mondiale
4 UAE Team Emirates
5 Quick - Step Floors
6 Team Sunweb
7 Movistar Team
8 Team Dimension Data
9 Trek - Segafredo
10 Team Sky   0:00:11
11 Astana Pro Team   0:00:13
12 EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale
13 Team Lotto Nl - Jumbo   0:00:27
14 BMC Racing Team   0:00:32
15 Team Katusha Alpecin   0:00:54
16 UniSA Australia   0:01:03
17 Bora - Hansgrohe   0:02:43
18 Lotto Soudal   0:03:59
19 FDJ   0:09:55

The start is just half an hour away. Still time for the riders to jump into the ocean and cool off.

Today's stage will start with a 7.2km neutral roll out. Half the distance of yesterday's neutral.

The one and only KOM in stage 3 comes at 38km on Pennys Hill Road. The category 1 climb averages 7.6 per cent over 2.8km. Nicholas Dlamini (Dimension Data) leads the mountains classification after winning both KOMs so far.

The first sprint of the day comes at 61.6km in Myponga. The second and final intermediate sprint comes at 88.3km in Inman Valley. Just over 20km later the peloton will start their 13km finishing lap on The Esplanade near Albert Place in Victor Harbor. Caleb Ewan currently leads the points competition ahead of Peter Sagan and Nathan Haas.

In the latest episode of the Cyclingnews Podcast – brought to you in association with Prendas Ciclismo and Pinarello – we hear from Andre Greipel, Caleb Ewan, Richie Porte, Adam Hansen and Steve Morabito, who dislocated his shoulder in a crash on stage 2 but then popped it back in and finished the stage. Give it a listen while you're waiting for the stage to start.

There is more Chris Froome news today regarding the case of his salbutamol adverse analytical finding. New UCI President David Lappartient said it's important to protect riders' rights in such cases. Read more HERE.

Things are picking up on the start line. About five minutes to roll out.

Mitchelton-Scott DS Matt White says today's stage is a "sprinter's paradise." That should be welcome news for the fast men, who will need to survive the day's heat and potential winds on the way to Victor Harbor.

"It can be a very fast day of tailwinds or it can be a messy day as you are exposed to the wind from the south, and then for the finish, you are right on the coast," White said. 

You can read White's entire stage preview HERE.

We're expecting the peloton to roll out any minute now. Buckle up!

@quickstepteam Thu, 18th Jan 2018 00:21:56

@BMCProTeam Wed, 17th Jan 2018 23:30:02

Team Sky recruit Egan Bernal is competing in his first race with the team at the Tour Down Under. You can check out his new Pinarello race machine HERE.

@BORAhansgrohe Thu, 18th Jan 2018 00:33:39

The race is rolling for the 7km neutral start.

Yesterday's breakaway took off immediately following the 14km neutral. Nicholas Dlamini, Will Clarke and Scott Bowden all made the move for the second consecutive day. They were joined by Movistar neo-pro Jaimie Castrillo, who was the sole survivor to be caught at just over 10km to go.

If you missed yesterday's stage or just want to relive the excitement, you can watch the highlights video HERE.

117km remaining from 120km

It's a case of deja vous as Nicholas Dlamini and Scott Bowden have once again made the breakaway. The two-man move has a gap of 1:25

113km remaining from 120km

Both of these riders have been in the breakaway on the first two stages as well. They're getting quite the workout this week.

Gap is now 3:05

Our Zeb Woodpower spoke with Caleb Ewan about yesterday's stage win:

"Out of all the stages, it is the one which is the least predictable. To get that one under the blst is a big thing for me.

"For me to be able to win yesterday I had to have an easy ride up that last climb, and I couldn’t be back in the bunch where it is surging. All the team went to the front and I had a smooth ride up there ad that is what got me over the line.

Ewan also commented on today's stage.

"It is a really tricky final with a big downhill and once we round that corner with 2.2 K it is pretty fast and technical. I think all the teams will be trying to get into position there."

104km remaining from 120km

The two leaders have taken their gap up to 4:15. Its going to be a hot day on the road for the two up front.

101km remaining from 120km

The gap has gone over five minutes with the duo up front building a gap of 5:25

@BMCProTeam Thu, 18th Jan 2018 01:31:33

With our two leader out front, Ewan's Mitchelton-Scott team put two riders on the front. Lotto Soudal are lined up behind them.

91km remaining from 120km

The gap is holding at 5:30. Maybe the peloton thinks that's enough leash for today.

Reports from the road say temps have reached 42.5 degrees. That's 108 degrees Fahrenheit for the yanks.

87km remaining from 120km

The two leaders are 5km day from the KOM at Penny's Hill.

Dlamini sat up yesterday after winning maximum points on the only KOM early in the race. Is that the same strategy today? That would leave Bowden out front alone with a long, long ways to go.

Bowden is trying to drop Dlamni ahead of the KOM, but the South African is fighting off the attacks. Meanwhile, the gap is now down to 4:10.

Dlamini wins the KOM, adding another 16 points to his total and extending his lead over Clarke. 

Hey had to fight hard for that one as Bowden put in several attacks on the lead up to the line.

There are still some KOM points on the line for the peloton. Will Will Clarke go for it?

@TeamSky Thu, 18th Jan 2018 01:57:35

Bowden's effort on the climb cost him, and now he's dangling about 20 seconds behind Dlamini

Race organisers just announced that stage 4 will start 1 hour earlier than planned tomorrow, at 10:30 a.m. local time, due to forecasts for extreme heat.

They were also forced to cancel the Bupa Challenge Ride because of safety concerns.

Dlamini's lead is down to 3:30. He's sat up in the feed zone to wait for Bowden. That's probably a good call on this blistering hot day.

The race is now closing in on the first sprint of the day. There are also bonus second up for grabs here.

The gap to the leaders is down to just 2:05

Steve Morabito's Tour Down Under has come to an end after he dislocated his shoulder in a crash yesterday. He finished the stage and even rode to the hotel, but the pain was too much to start today. Read Daniel Benson's report HERE.

A BMC rider launched an attack from the peloton, but he's been quickly reeled back in.

@quickstepteam Thu, 18th Jan 2018 02:18:53

Bora's Sam Bennett snagged third in the intermediate sprint, denying the one-second bonus from Daryl Impey.

52km remaining from 120km

Bowden appears to have dropped Dlamini and is going on alone.

@Lotto_Soudal Thu, 18th Jan 2018 02:36:23

Dlamini is still in no-man's land, 25 seconds behind Bowden

Bowden is in the drops powering on ahead with a 1:40 gap.

The peloton has Dlamini in sight. Another productive day for the South African, but he'll be back in the bunch soon.

Dlamini takes a drink from his bottle as the peloton rolls up on him. The bunch is spread across the road as the riders approach.

46km remaining from 120km

About 12km for the race to reach the next intermediate sprint in  Inman Valley

Bowden is enjoying a descent at the moment and has taken his gap out over two minutes

40km remaining from 120km

Lotto Soudal have one rider on the front of the chase, followed by a mass of Mitchelton-Scott riders.

Bowden's gap is up to 3 minutes

Bowden is hugging the left side of the road because it's lined with trees and provides a bit of shade, a brief respite from the direct sun.

@TeamSunweb Thu, 18th Jan 2018 02:42:25

Bowden is now 5km from the second and final intermediate sprint.

Bowden is enjoying nice descent now. I'm sure it feels good, but in this heat it's probably a lot like having a car heater blowing you in the face.

We're 2 hours and 15 minutes into the stage and there are 34km remaining.

Bowden collects maximum points and a three-second time bonus at the sprint.

There are still bonuses of two and one second on the line, and Katusha's Jhonatan Restrepo, sixth overall, attacks.

Nathan Haas (Katusha-Alpecin) beat Jay McCarthy(Bora-Hansgrohe) to the line. He'll get the two-second bonus and McCarthy gets one. Both riders figure into the GC, with McCarthy currently 3rd (on the road), now 11 seconds back, and Haas in fifth, now at 13 seconds back.

Nice job by Restrepo on that lead-out for his teammate.

27km remaining from 120km

The Attacks in the field have whittled into Bowden's lead as well. His gap is now below two minutes.

26km remaining from 120km

New gap is 1:15 for Bowden.

25km remaining from 120km

Riders are fuelling up in the peloton preparing for the finish. The big question for today's stage is what will the winds in Victor Harbor do. 

@TrekSegafredo Thu, 18th Jan 2018 03:06:21

23km remaining from 120km

Bowden is about 10km away froth finishing circuit in Victor Harbor, where he'll have 13 more kilometres. How long can he hang on in this heat?

Race moto showing 43 degrees on the thermometer. Yikes!

Damien Howson (Mitchelton-Scott) is pulling the peloton along now. With a sprinter like Ewan to ride for, Howson spends a lot of time on the front.

20km remaining from 120km

There's a new gap of 40 seconds. Bowden is talking with the team car and pouring water over his head. Now he's taken on refreshments and is back at it. Will he make it to Victory Harbor for the start of the final circuit? Time will tell. He's certainly going to give it a try.

Oooooh they've got him int heir sights now. He's dangling just ahead of the bunch, which is spread across the road.

And he's back. Nice job, Scott. That's three consecutive days in the breakaway for the 22-year-old Rio Olympian!

Will there be a reshuffling now with Bowden back in the fold or will the teams be satisfied keeping an eye on each other over the final circuit?

4km until the peloton reaches Victor Harbor and the final 13km circuit.

There's an attack from a Katusha rider.

It's Tiago Machado off the front now. No reaction at all from the peloton. He's riding away to a nice gap.

Machado took off with about 17km remaining. There still appears to be no real chase in the bunch and his gap keeps going out.

14km remaining from 120km

Several different trains are forming on the front of the bunch. Bahrain-Merida and Mitchelton-Scott are there prominently.

Riders are approaching the finish line before they start the final 13km circuit. There are a couple tricky turns in the final kilometres that they'll get a preview of now.

And they've taken the bell for the final lap. Machado crosses the line with a 15-second gap.

10km remaining from 120km

Ten kilometres to go and Machado has a 17-second gap. The Katusha rider is looking strong, but it's big ask to hold off the sprinters' teams.

8km remaining from 120km

Machado's day off the front appears to be over. The peloton reeled him back in.

5km remaining from 120km

There's a slight rise and a good crosswind, and the fight for position is getting serious. Katusha are currently on the front.

5km remaining from 120km

There's a slight rise and a good crosswind, and the fight for position is getting serious. Katusha are currently on the front.

5km remaining from 120km

There's a slight rise and a good crosswind, and the fight for position is getting serious. Katusha are currently on the front.

5km remaining from 120km

There's a slight rise and a good crosswind, and the fight for position is getting serious. Katusha are currently on the front.

3km remaining from 120km

Bora, Lotto, Mitchelton-Scott. They're all there at the front now.

1km to go!!

The peloton is string out with Mitchelton-Scott talking control with four riders ahead of Ewan.

A Lotto Soudal riders has taken the lead.

Ewan in a serious battle for the wheels. He's third wheel and in perfect position.

Elia Viviani takes the win for Quick-Step Floors.

It appears Ewan wanted to let his lead-out man Edmondson win, but Viviani sneaked past at the line and Ewan couldn't recover.

Stage 3 top 10:

1 Elia Viviani (Ita) Quick-Step Floors   3:04:40
2 Phil Bauhaus (Ger) Team Sunweb
3 Caleb Ewan (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott
4 Simone Consonni (Ita) UAE Team Emirates
5 Peter Sagan (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe
6 Simon Clarke (Aus) EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale
7 Alex Edmondson (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott
8 Zakkari Dempster (Aus) UniSA-Australia
9 Dries Devenyns (Bel) Quick-Step Floors
10 Jay McCarthy (Aus) Bora-Hansgrohe

General Classification after stage 3

1 Caleb Ewan (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott   10:58:36
2 Elia Viviani (Ita) Quick-Step Floors   0:00:10
3 Daryl Impey (RSA) Mitchelton-Scott   0:00:14
4 Jay McCarthy (Aus) Bora-Hansgrohe   0:00:15
5 Peter Sagan (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe   0:00:16
6 Nathan Haas (Aus) Katusha-Alpecin   0:00:17
7 Jhonatan Restrepo (Col) Katusha-Alpecin   0:00:19
8 Simone Consonni (Ita) UAE Team Emirates   0:00:20
9 Robert Gesink (Ned) LottoNL-Jumbo
10 Anthony Roux (Fra) Groupama-FDJ

Remember, tomorrow's stage 4 starts an hour earlier than initially scheduled. The stage will start at 10:30 a.m.