Tour Down Under 2014 Photo & Results Wrapup

The 2014 Santos Tour Down Under was a thrilling race as Simon Gerrans dueled Cadel Evans to an overall win by just seconds. We picked the best photos for a stage by stage summary and look back at the race with full results.

Stage 1 – Gerrans Surprises
Orica-GreenEdge made no secret of the fact that they wanted to win the Tour Down Under with Simon Gerrans but most pundits were surprised by their show of force in the very first stage where Gerrans took the sprint win over André Greipel. Not a pure sprinter, Gerrans is still mighty quick and the hills on the run in to the finish did just enough damage to Greipel’s speed for Gerrans to take the win. With the victory came some crucial bonus seconds and of course the first leader’s ochre jersey.

Simon Gerrans was well supported by his Orica-GreenEdge teammate’s all week.

Stage 1 Results:
1 Simon Gerrans (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge 3:20:34
2 Andre Greipel (Ger) Lotto-Belisol
3 Steele von Hoff (Aus) Garmin-Sharp
4 Diego Ulissi (Ita) Lampre-Merida
5 Maxime Bouet (Fra) Ag2r-La Mondiale
6 Francesco Gavazzi (Ita) Astana
7 Simon Geschke (Ger) Giant-Shimano
8 Rafael Valls (Esp) Lampre-Merida
9 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC
10 Robert Gesink (NED) Belkin

General Classification After Stage 1
1 Simon Gerrans (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge 3:20:23
2 Andre Greipel (Ger) Lotto-Belisol 0:00:05
3 Steele von Hoff (Aus) Garmin-Sharp 0:00:07
4 Simon Geschke (Ger) Giant-Shimano 0:00:10
5 Diego Ulissi (Ita) Lampre-Merida 0:00:11
6 Maxime Bouet (Fra) Ag2r-La Mondiale
7 Francesco Gavazzi (Ita) Astana
8 Rafael Valls (Esp) Lampre-Merida
9 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC
10 Robert Gesink (NED) Belkin

Stage 2 – Ulissi Delivers
Fourth in the first stage and last season’s danger man in the tough finishes Diego Ulissi moved himself into GC contention with an excellent sprint win on Stage 2 over Gerrans. Simon’s second place saw him pick up more bonus seconds though as did Cadel Evans with his third and the GC battle was starting to look like a three way affair between the two Aussies and the Italian.

The early breakaway was something that repeated itself throughout the week and more often than not UNI SA, Trek and Drapac were represented.

Stage 2 Results:
1 Diego Ulissi (Ita) Lampre-Merida 3:52:14
2 Simon Gerrans (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge
3 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC
4 Francesco Gavazzi (Ita) Astana
5 Robert Gesink (NED) Belkin
6 Richie Porte (Aus) Team Sky
7 Ben Hermans (Bel) BMC
8 Fabio Felline (Ita) Trek Factory Racing
9 Javier Moreno (Esp) Movistar
10 Daryl Impey (Rsa) Orica-GreenEdge

General Classification After Stage 2:
1 Simon Gerrans (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge 7:12:31
2 Diego Ulissi (Ita) Lampre-Merida 0:00:07
3 Andre Greipel (Ger) Lotto-Belisol 0:00:11
4 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC 0:00:13
5 Steele von Hoff (Aus) Garmin-Sharp
6 Simon Geschke (Ger) Giant-Shimano 0:00:16
7 Francesco Gavazzi (Ita) Astana 0:00:17
8 Robert Gesink (NED) Belkin
9 Maxime Bouet (Fra) Ag2r-La Mondiale
10 Geraint Thomas (GBr) Team Sky

Stage 3 – Cadel Lights Up The Race
Cadel Evans turned the race on its head with a superb solo attack on the vicious Corkscrew climb on this stage and in taking the stage win he also took the ochre jersey off Gerran’s back. After Cadel took the GC lead many were proclaiming the race for the overall finished but Simon Gerrans and his OricaGreenEdge had a few things up their sleeve in the stages to come and remained confident.

Jens Voigt made his first appearance in the breakaways on this day – much to the delight of the fans roadside.

Cadel’s attack was scintillating and full of energy….

but his victory salute was typically subdued.

Stage 3 Results:
1 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team 3:34:05
2 Nathan Haas (Aus) Garmin Sharp 0:00:15
3 Diego Ulissi (Ita) Lampre-Merida
4 Adam Hansen (Aus) Lotto Belisol
5 Simon Gerrans (Aus) Orica Greenedge
6 Rory Sutherland (Aus) Tinkoff-Saxo
7 Brent Bookwalter (USA) BMC Racing Team
8 Ben Hermans (Bel) BMC Racing Team
9 Daryl Impey (RSA) Orica Greenedge
10 Robert Gesink (Ned) Belkin-Pro Cycling Team

General Classification After Stage 3:
1 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team 10:46:39
2 Simon Gerrans (Aus) Orica Greenedge 0:00:12
3 Diego Ulissi (Ita) Lampre-Merida 0:00:15
4 Nathan Haas (Aus) Garmin Sharp 0:00:27
5 Robert Gesink (Ned) Belkin-Pro Cycling Team 0:00:29
6 Geraint Thomas (GBr) Team Sky
7 Daryl Impey (RSA) Orica Greenedge 0:00:33
8 Brent Bookwalter (USA) BMC Racing Team
9 Rory Sutherland (Aus) Tinkoff-Saxo
10 Ben Hermans (Bel) BMC Racing Team

Stage 4 – Greipel Gets His Win
André Greipel finally got his traditional early season win at the TDU after triumphing in Victor Harbor. The win was Greipel’s 15th stage succcess at the race and it was also a great day out for Simon Gerrans who picked up some bonus seconds during the stage to reduce his deficit to just 7 seconds to Cadel.

The scenery on this stage was spectacular but the parcours was far from flat as our man Steve found out first hand as he rode the entire stage.

We didn’t see any koalas on the road…

but there was one big happy German Gorilla at the end of the day.

Stage 4 Results:
1 André Greipel (Ger) Lotto Belisol 3:33:07
2 Jurgen Roelandts (Bel) Lotto Belisol
3 Elia Viviani (Ita) Cannondale
4 Simon Gerrans (Aus) Orica Greenedge
5 Nathan Haas (Aus) Garmin Sharp
6 Daryl Impey (RSA) Orica Greenedge
7 Maxime Bouet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
8 Nikolay Trusov (Rus) Tinkoff-Saxo
9 Anthony Roux (Fra) FDJ.fr
10 Francesco Gavazzi (Ita) Astana Pro Team

General Classification After Stage 4:
1 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team 14:19:46
2 Simon Gerrans (Aus) Orica Greenedge 0:00:07
3 Diego Ulissi (Ita) Lampre-Merida 0:00:14
4 Nathan Haas (Aus) Garmin Sharp 0:00:23
5 Robert Gesink (Ned) Belkin-Pro Cycling Team 0:00:29
6 Geraint Thomas (GBr) Team Sky
7 Daryl Impey (RSA) Orica Greenedge 0:00:33
8 Brent Bookwalter (USA) BMC Racing Team
9 Rory Sutherland (Aus) Tinkoff-Saxo
10 Richie Porte (Aus) Team Sky

Stage 5 – Richie Turns The Tables
After Cadel rode away from Richie Porte on the Corkscrew climb two days earlier this time it was Porte doing the damage on the Willunga Hill – damage which hurt twice as much after Ulissi and Gerrans scooped up the bonus seconds on the line and Evans lost his jersey to Gerrans by a scant 1 second.

Cadel tried to get across to Porte but he couldn’t do it.

And he was then jumped perfectly by Ulissi and Gerrans who had been playing the waiting game.

Stage 5 Results:
1 Richie Porte (Aus) Team Sky 3:42:20
2 Diego Ulissi (Ita) Lampre-Merida 0:00:10
3 Simon Gerrans (Aus) Orica Greenedge
4 Robert Gesink (Ned) Belkin-Pro Cycling Team 0:00:14
5 Daryl Impey (RSA) Orica Greenedge
6 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team
7 Nathan Haas (Aus) Garmin Sharp 0:00:17
8 Egor Silin (Rus) Team Katusha
9 Adam Hansen (Aus) Lotto Belisol
10 Geraint Thomas (GBr) Team Sky 0:00:21

General Classification After Stage 5:
1 Simon Gerrans (Aus) Orica Greenedge 18:02:19
2 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team 0:00:01
3 Diego Ulissi (Ita) Lampre-Merida 0:00:05
4 Richie Porte (Aus) Team Sky 0:00:10
5 Nathan Haas (Aus) Garmin Sharp 0:00:27
6 Robert Gesink (Ned) Belkin-Pro Cycling Team 0:00:30
7 Daryl Impey (RSA) Orica Greenedge 0:00:34
8 Adam Hansen (Aus) Lotto Belisol 0:00:37
9 Geraint Thomas (GBr) Team Sky
10 Egor Silin (Rus) Team Katusha

Stage 6 – Repeat Winners Greipel And Gerrans
With a new criterium circuit ahead of the peloton in Adelaide and the GC still very tight this was always going to be a nervous race but an early breakaway that took the bonus sprint seconds out of contention calmed things down. Cadel Evans would need to finish in the top 3 in the final dash to the line and Gerrans miss out but it didn’t happen. Instead Greipel took yet another sprint win and Gerrans the GC crown – his third TDU title since the inception of this race back in 1999 (’06,’12 & ’14).

Stage 6 Results:
1 André Greipel (Ger) Lotto Belisol 1:55:16
2 Mark Renshaw (Aus) Omega Pharma – Quick-Step Cycling Team
3 Andrew Fenn (GBr) Omega Pharma – Quick-Step Cycling Team
4 Koen De Kort (Ned) Team Giant-Shimano
5 Jonathan Cantwell (Aus) Drapac Professional Cycling
6 Matthew Harley Goss (Aus) Orica Greenedge
7 Nathan Haas (Aus) Garmin Sharp
8 Jurgen Roelandts (Bel) Lotto Belisol
9 Michal Kolár (Svk) Tinkoff-Saxo
10 Mathew Hayman (Aus) Orica Greenedge

Final General Classification:
1 Simon Gerrans (Aus) Orica Greenedge 19:57:35
2 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team 0:00:01
3 Diego Ulissi (Ita) Lampre-Merida 0:00:05
4 Richie Porte (Aus) Team Sky 0:00:10
5 Nathan Haas (Aus) Garmin Sharp 0:00:27
6 Robert Gesink (Ned) Belkin-Pro Cycling Team 0:00:30
7 Daryl Impey (RSA) Orica Greenedge 0:00:34
8 Geraint Thomas (GBr) Team Sky 0:00:37
9 Adam Hansen (Aus) Lotto Belisol
10 Egor Silin (Rus) Team Katusha 0:00:47

Keep it tuned to PEZ tomorrow for a jam packed EuroTrash Monday with all the videos, wrapup and more from the TDU and Steve’s roadside report as he checks in from the final criterium stage in Adelaide and bids a sad farewell to the City of Churches.