As it happened: GC shake up on Willunga Hill

Welcome to Cyclingnews' live coverage of stage 5, from Christies Beach to Willunga Hill, of the Tour Down Under. The stage starts at 11:10am local time or 12:30am GMT and finishes roughly four hours later.

Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates) tops the GC with a slim 1-second lead on Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty), and 2 seconds on Corbin Strong (Israel-Premier Tech), but the GC will be shaken today.

The last two stages will deliver the toughest final weekend with the ascents of Willunga Hill and Mount Lofty, a first in the history of Tour Down Under. Each iconic Australian climb will be tackled twice over the final two days of racing before the overall winner is decided.  

Heat is in for the Willunga Hill stage. The Christie’s Beach start line may have a nice breeze rolling off the water alongside the start line but every bit of it is needed. Temperature is already close to 30 degrees C and is expected to creep close to the mid 30’s along the way. Shade is in demand and the air-conditioned buses are providing a bit of a haven for the riders before the start.

Stage 5 of the Tour Down Under is set to start in under 10 minutes. Fan favourite Willunga Hill (3km at 7.4%) will be tackled twice on 129.3km stage 5. After a new start location at Christies Beach, riders will make their way around McLaren Vale before two laps of the district. Battle for KOM points, the stage win and GC will be the order of the day on Willunga Hill with its maximum gradient of 15.6 percent.

Peloton is riding through the 3.6 neutral zone before Stuart O'Grady drops the flag at KM 0. 

Nervous peloton in the neutral section. And we're off and racing! 

Wind coming in from the northwest as the peloton is spread across the road. 

Here we go. First attack by Casper Pedersen. And immediate reaction from other riders.

Around 10 riders in the move with Hepburn trying to get across. 

We have 8 riders in the move and they are speeding away as we head to the first of three of the opening circuits.

The peloton is chasing, and the move is about to be brought back. Lots of looking over shoulders. 

More re-shuffling at the front. Movistar, Astana, and Soudal Quick-Step riders with small gap. 

And they are joined by one rider from the Australian national team.

120km to go

The four riders in the breakaway are: Casper Pedersen (Soudal Quick-Step), Johan Jacobs (Movistar), Samuele Battistella (Astana Qazaqstan) and Liam Walsh (Australia)

Peloton is happy with the combination in the break who now have a gap of 1:22 with 118km to go

Working for their GC rider Simon Yates, Jayco is at the front of the field setting the pace. 

The highest placed rider in the break is Pedersen at 1:10 down but as a sprinter, he's not a GC threat with Willunga Hill coming up.

Two riders, Torstein Træen and Rüdiger Selig, did not take the start today.

From Team Bahrain Victorious -  “After sustaining an injury to his arm on the opening stage, Torstein Træen together with the medical team have decided the Norwegian rider will not start stage 5 and focus on his upcoming goals!”

From Astana Qazaqstan - “Unfortunately, Rüdiger Selig won’t start today in Stage 5 due to a sickness. Get well soon, Rudi!”

3km to go the first intermediate sprint in Willunga. The break has 1:48 on the field which is keeping them on a short leash.

The four riders in the break are Johan Jacobs (Movistar), Samuele Battistella (Astana Qazaqstan), Casper Pedersen (Soudal Quick-Step) and Liam Walsh (Australia)

Riders cruise over the intermediate sprint line with Walsh at the front. The break is  staying cohesive and riding smoothly.

As the team leading the GC with  Del Toro, UAE takes over the pacemaking with 104km to go and the gap at the 2-minute mark.

"I'm not a man to fight the sprint, but in the last part [of stage 4], I want to try to do a little sprint to see how I am, because I don't know, and I tried to feel good the least," Del Toro said at the start.

"I'm sure I'm feeling good, but, you know, I'm nervous and I try to keep fighting today."

"My expectation [today] is enjoy and give my 100% obviously."

Tour Down Under to be decided in the hills - Isaac Del Toro leads dangerous rivals by just 11 seconds before Willunga Hill and Mount Lofty finishes. 

Jhonnatan Narvaez (Ineos Grenadiers) is gunning for the overall victory. His attempt to get a one-second time bonus in yesterday’s stage was shut down by the Jayco team.

“We come here to with a strong team to win the race, and yesterday we tried to get the one second, but it was impossible. And now let's see how it is going the stage today,” Narvaez said at the start.

“It's gonna be my first time [on Willunga Hill] with the top climbers here so let's see how he is gonna go the race and I will for sure do my best.”

90km to go

Four riders in the break have a 2:36 lead on the peloton as they race by the ocean. 

EF Education-EasyPost added a rider to the pacemaking, confident in their climber Archie Ryan. 

“I expect a lot of fireworks [on Willunga]. I’m actually interested to see how it's ridden the first time and I think a lot of different teams will have a different approach. The sprinter guys want a bit of a slower climb the first time and I think us and the few others will want it to be really hard the first time up as well. Super tough climb. so I'm looking forward to getting out there and giving it a crack," Ryan said at the start.

The Irish rider is not planning on being the first one to light the fireworks. 

“I’ll try and bide my time a little bit. Hopefully a few of the boys can throw in a few matches and I'll try and follow, but we'll see what happens.”

Report that Walsh asked for support from the neutral car. He needed fresh water and his team car was not close by on another hot day. it's round 29 Celcius right now.

Peloton is single-filed, not easy ride today in the bunch. Gap at 2:22

Campbell Stewart (Jayco) and Jardi Van Der Lee (EF Education) are putting the hammer down, stretching the field in one big line.

Peloton raced by Aldinga Beach a few kilometres ago

UAE, EF Education and Jayco are sharing the work in the field as the four-rider break have 3:00 lead.

70km to go

Working well together in the break, Walsh, Pedersen, Jacobs and Battistella have a 3:13 lead as they race through McLaren Vale.

Willunga Hill - The history of the Tour Down Under's most iconic climb. From Porte's domination to Gigante's rise, a comprehensive look back at the battles up Australian cycling's famous hill

Unsung domestique work. Loaded with bottles, Patrick Gamper is making his way up the long line of riders to deliver to his BORA-hansgrohe teammates. 

Peloton is speeding along, 10 minutes faster than the expected fast time which is calculated for 42km/hr. Everyone is in a hurry to get to Willunga.

Report that Walsh and Pedersen are doing the lion share of the work in the break. 

Israel-Premier Tech reports that "having battled sickness since stage 2, Corbin Strong, third on GC, has been forced to abandon the race due to stomach issues."

They are racing at close to 49 km/hr to the second intermediate sprint, 4km away. 

50km to go

Pedersen, Jacobs,  Battistella and Walsh have a 3:15 lead on the peloton where EF Education, UAE and Jayco have a rider each doing the pacemaking.

Pedersen is the virtual leader on the road.

Two of the riders in the break Casper Pedersen (Soudal QuickStep) and Liam Walsh (Australia) as they leave the beach

Heading inland, speeding towards the first time up Willunga Hill, the break has a 2:26 lead with 42km to go. Will the break be reeled in before the first KOM?

Simon Yates and Caleb Ewan are riding together at the back of the peloton. 

They are flying!  Riders are now at 15 minutes faster than the fastest estimated finish time. 

Stage 5 is heating up with 36km to go to the finish. Gap is at 2:15 and the four riders in the break are still all in. 

Peloton spread across the road, riders looking at each other as the gap drops below the 2-minute mark.  

32km to go

Pedersen accelerated away from the break. Walsh could not follow the wheel, and a gap opened.

Pedersen kept the pressure on the pedals and is now away solo. 

Ineos and Bora are putting riders at the front now with 29km to go. Bora swung around the left-side of the road and are stringing out the field.

Lots of shuffling at the front of the peloton. The break's lead is now 1:30. Willunga is looming.

Now it's Arkea's turn to take over from Movistar at the front. Fireworks soon.

Walsh is back in the peloton leaving Pedersen off the front with barely a minute lead, and the other two somewhere in the middle.

And now Jacobs and Battistella are reeled in. 

And we're on Willunga Hill, on the steeper pitches at the bottom. Pedersen has a 46-second lead. Riders are already being dropped off the back. 

KOM leader Burns is at the pointy end of the peloton while Yates is moving up. 

Inside of 2km to go to the top of Willunga, Pedersen has a slim 30-second lead with Jayco setting the pace in the field.

KOM leader Burns is at the front of the peloton with less than 1km to go to the top. 

Howson leading Burns but Van Der Lee is right on his wheel.

With 23km to go, and the peloton is finally catching Pedersen, the last rider from the break.

Burns attacks and Van Der Lee jumps on his wheel but the Australian crosses the line first, and increases his KOM lead. 

20km to go

The reduced peloton is flying on the descent off Willunga. 

EF Education, Visma, Jayco and Soudal are all lined up at the front. 

Nice save by first an Ineos rider and then an EF Education rider who both ended up on the gravel on the side of the road.

15km to go. Soudal, EF Education, Groupama, Visma, Ineos, UAE are all set up at the front. 

Peloton racing at 93km/hr on the descent! 

Jackson Medway is chasing back to the break with water bottles down his jersey, 

Del Toro is cooling off, pouring water on his head at the back of the field.

10km to go

Teams lining up at the front. All hands on deck.

Left-hand turn will now bring the wind from the right-hand side with 8.3km to go.  UAE has not been seen at the front so far. 

And UAE brought Del Toro close to the front. 

UAE have taken over the front with Del Toro in second wheel. Behind are Ineos with 5km to go.

UAE have taken full control, Michael Vink at the front, Del Toro second wheel then his teammate Fisher-Black

Simon Yates is on the wheel of Storer with 3.7km to go.

EF Education setting tempo followed by Israel with 3km to go.

Swift accelerates and looks back to see the reaction. Harper reacts.

South Australian Chris Harper is now setting a hard tempo with 2.4km to go. 

Yates moves up to second wheel behind his teammate Harper. Harper accelerates, Yates sings off and Onley follows the wheel.

1.9km to go. Harper and Onley have a few bike lengths and Ineos is trying to shut it down.

Harper and Onley slow down and are reeled in but Harper keeps on pushing the pace. 

1.4km to go. Harper goes again with Onley on his wheel then Narvaez and De Toro.

Reminder that there is a 10-second time bonus for the stage winner today.

Harper gets a gap again but Visma closes it down with 1km to go.

Yates attacks with Narvaez on his wheel! 

Inside 500 metres to go, Yates have 8 riders on his wheel.

Alaphilippe goes over the top but he is chased 

And Onley takes the win! 

Stephen Williams (Israel-Premier Tech) finished second on the stage and Jhonnatan Narvaez (Ineos Grenadiers) was third.

“It’s quite an iconic climb, I think. And to put my name on there is very special," Onley said.

“It’s pretty incredible. I knew I was in good form coming here, and I really wanted to do something on his stages, but yeah, against these guys, I wasn't really sure. I'm really grateful to everyone that's helped get this one."

Oscar Onley outclimbed the pre-race favourites to win the Tour Down Under stage 5 in Willunga Hill ahead of Stephen Williams (Israel-Premier Tech). 

Williams takes over the GC lead with one stage to go. Onley is now second, with the same time as Williams. Narvaez moved up to third place overall, five seconds back. Leader into the stage Del Toro dropped to fourth, also at five seconds in arrears.

“And then the second time up [Willunga Hill], I was put into the bottom in a nice position by the boys and then was able to follow the attacks at the end. And have have a bit of a sprint as well. So to come away with this jersey with one day left, I’m really happy. One more day, to try and defend.” - Stephen Williams 

Luke Burns (Australian National Team) took top KOM points the first time up Willunga Hill and consolidated his lead in the king of the mountain classification.

"We had a few different plans today, and it worked well, that the break was caught at the bottom, it wasn't too flat out up the climb, and I could sneak across for the maximum points."

"Damo’s [Damien Howson] been awesome this whole week. I'm actually rooming with him as well, so it's been great learning from him. And then he had an awesome ride the second time up as well so hopefully we can support him tomorrow."

"Now that the pressure's up a little bit for myself, we’ll chat about it. But we'll try and defend his position and maybe sneak him up a few spots as well."