Tour Down Under 2014 - Stage 4

The Tour Down Under passed the halfway mark today with the fourth stage from Unley to Victor Habor. It was marked down as a sprinter's stage, and would not disappoint in that regard. However, it was still to be a dramatic stage before the final sprint.

Orica-GreenEDGE had obviously come up with a plan to claw back some seconds on race leader Cadel Evans, as they started to put it into action once bonus sprints were available. The fact that bonus seconds were up for grabs meant a breakaway couldn't be established, and Simon Gerrans took three seconds back at the first intermediate sprint.

Gerrans then took another two seconds at the second bonus point, with Evans having difficulties of his own. He had gearing issues, which nearly ended up with him off his bike and on the tarmac, but the former World and Tour de France champion rescued the situation; "It's been a nervous day with the wind and Orica really took control of the race by putting the whole team [on the front] for the intermediate sprints." 

With the general classification battle suitably heated up, the race turned its attention to the finish of stage four, which promised to be a sprint showdown. Andre Greipel (Lotto-Belisol) had a point to prove today, he is the leading stage winner at the Tour Down Under, but has yet to take a victory from this year's race before stage four, being beaten out by compatriot Marcel Kittel and Simon Gerrans. 

Lotto got their lead out train just right today however, and there was no stopping the Gorilla as Lotto-Belisol took a one-two with Greipel in first, followed by lead-out man Jurgen Roelandts. Elia Viviani of Cannondale rounded out the podium, with Simon Gerrans finishing an impressive fourth. 

Tomorrow's stage is the Willunga Hill stage, which could decide the entire race, Lanterne Rouge's money is on Cadel Evans to take out his first ever Tour Down Under title.