Tour Down Under 2014 - Stage 1

The WorldTour season started today with the first stage of the Tour Down Under in Adelaide. The peloton travelled 135 kilometres from Nuriootpa to Angaston. The stage went ahead as normal, but just a couple of days ago there was talk of a possible cancellation of the stage due to local forest fires. However, race director Mike Turtur receieved assurances from local fire departments that the fires would not compromise the safety of both riders and spectators, and so the 2014 edition of the Tour Down Under could start as normal.

The breakaway of the day consisted of two Australians - Will Clarke and Neil Van Der Ploeg. It was a relatively quick day of racing considering the high temperatures, and although Lotto-Belisol and Giant-Shimano had brought their lead out trains for their big sprinters Andre Greipel and Marcel Kittel, it was a tough day that was considered more of a puncheur's finish.

The finish into Angaston was a long drag, and Simon Gerrans and Francesco Gavazzi had previously been named as big name favourites. Team Europcar animated the latter stages of the race, already making an impact upon their return to the World Tour; Yukiya Arashiro and Bjorn Thurau attacked off the front of the peloton, with Arashiro burying himself to try and get Thurau the best advantage before he went out front on his own.

It wasn't to be for Europcar however, as Lotto wound up the lead out train for Andre Greipel, who surprisingly had managed to make it to the finish at the front of the peloton. A late crash in the back of the peloton didn't disrupt Lotto, it did however end David Tanner of Belkin's race, who fractured his collarbone in the incident. Belkin had mixed fortunes, with Gesink finishing with the front group, but the in form Tanner crashing out.

Lotto-Belisol's lead-out was once again impressive, and it looked as though the Gorilla Andre Greipel was going to win his fifteenth Tour Down Under stage, but some hard riding from Daryl Impey brought home favourite Simon Gerrans to the front of the group, and it was the newly-crowned Australian champion who came off Greipel's wheel to win the stage.

The impressive ride means Gerrans will wear the ochre leader's jersey in tomorrow's stage from Prospect to Stirling, a stage of 150 kilometres. He will no doubt be favourite to win his home Tour for the third time.