"We've used this stage before, and it's the first guaranteed day for the GC riders to hit the front," Matt White, head sports director at Mitchelton-Scott, explains. "We've had that approach, the final climb and then the descent a number of times, and it's incredibly important in terms of the overall battle. The Corkscrew climb is longer and harder than Willunga Hill, and you can have a situation in which one rider goes clear, takes five seconds at the top of the climb and is able to survive until the finish if they know the descent well enough or are willing to take risks.
"You could also see a larger group of around 10 contesting a reduced sprint, but the pure sprinters won't survive the climb. It might even be too hard for Peter Sagan. By the finish we'll see who is really in contention to win the overall. If you lose time on this stage, then your race is over because Corkscrew has the potential to be more selective than Willunga."
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US Cyclocross Nationals: Andrew Strohmeyer wins first elite men's title in three-rider sprint
Eric Brunner takes silver medal one second back while Scott Funston earns another bronze -
US Cyclocross Nationals: Vida Lopez de San Roman's gamble to compete in elite women's race pays off with victory
18-year-old out-battles Katie Clouse for stars-and-stripes -
US Cyclocross Nationals: Henry Coote surprises men's U23 field with solo victory
Ivan Sippy second and Jack Spranger third in Louisville -
US Cyclocross Nationals: Katherine Sarkisov crashes at finish line with Cassidy Hickey to win chaotic U23 women's race
Two-up sprint leads to crash and relegation for Hickey, with mountain bike specialist Makena Kellerman taking silver
