This year Woodhead elected to set up camp at the top of Willunga Hill where the Stage 5 Skoda King of the Mountain, was to be contested. With approval from race coordinator, Woodhead held off 50,000 spectators all vying for this prime position. As the group watched the Skoda King of the Mountain Arch inflate before them, the excitement built. Equipped with gourmet picnic lunch and fine wines from the region the group cheered as the grueling record breaking challenge unfolded before them. The first king of the Mountain challenge was won by SA Luke Roberts who broke away at a cracking speed of 35km/ hour (a pace which amateur riders fail to achieve on the flat!). The second King of the Mountain was adrenaline charged for a different reason. Notable for the split field, the last riders pushed past the luncheoners over 15 minutes after the leading group, just as the leaders of the race were crossing the finish line. Only after the dust had settled, and the arch had again deflated, did the merry group of Woodhead staff and clients leave their post and travel down the mountain again. There they found the streets completely empty and, as a testament to the caliber of cycling spectators, they found not a single item of rubbish upon the ground. Everyone agreed that this had been the best event ever!
Spain’s Francesco Ventoso (Movistar) conquered the punishing hills of Willunga to win the penultimate stage of the 2011 Santos Tour Down Under.
Spain’s Francesco Ventoso (Movistar) conquered the punishing hills of Willunga to win the penultimate stage of the 2011 Santos Tour Down Under in a photo finish but West Australia’s Cameron Meyer (Garmin-Cervelo) retained the overall lead ahead of Sunday’s final stage.
The gripping 131 kilometre ‘queen’ stage of the Tour was raced under sunny skies and near perfect conditions beginning from the wine growing centre of McLaren Vale and headed from the vines to the seaside before twice tackling Old Willunga Hill on the way to the finish in the town of Willunga.
On the line Ventoso, who last September won Paris-Brussels and was the silver medallist in the road race at the 2010 Spanish Championships, narrowly edged out Canberra’s Michael Matthews, 20, (Rabobank) with Tasmania’s Matthew Goss (HTC Highroad) in third place.
The three placegetters all collected time bonuses on the line and while Meyer remians in the Santos ochre leader’s jersey tomorrow his leading margin to Goss is now down to eight seconds with Dutchman Laurens Ten Dam (Rabobank) at ten seconds and Matthews now in fourth at 12 seconds. Ventoso has moved up into fifth and is 17 seconds off the overall lead.
“At the end of the day it was a perfect situation for us,” said Meyer, who also retained his lead in the Cycle Instead Young Rider Under 26 classification. “Obviously it looks like Matt Goss has picked up a few more seconds and closed the gap, and so has Michael Matthews, but the plan was not let him get the full 12 seconds back and make sure we held on to the jersey today.”
Eight riders, including Italy’s Davide Vigan (Leopard Trek), American John Murphy (BMC), Argentina’s Sebastian Haedo (Saxo Bank Sungard) and Queensland’s Michael Hepburn (UniSA Australia), were in an early break that went away in the first five kilometres of racing.
Garmin-Cervelo’s Travis Meyer, Matthew Wilson and Jack Bobridge and Tyler Farrar controlled the peloton making sure they staying within striking distance to reel in the escapees. Vigan was the best placed of the leaders having started the day in 16th position at 28 seconds so it was no surprise when he won the first Jayco Sprint at Snapper Point (23.3km) to gain a three second time bonus. Haedo was second and Murphy third. In the second intermediate sprint Murphy turned the tables on Vigan with Spain’s Juan Horrach (Katusha) third.
Once the sprints were over though the big guns came out of hiding and the leaders were caught on the first approach to Old Willunga Hill. Skoda King of the Mountain leader Luke Roberts (UniSA-Australia) attacked to claim the maximum points over the summit at 89.4km to extend his lead in the classification.
Seven time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong (Radio Shack) rode off the front after the descent but was quickly absorbed by the peloton which, for the most part, regrouped ahead of the second time up the climb.
The final 90km stage of the 2011 Santos Tour Down Under will kick off at 1.15pm.
