André Greipel takes 13th career stage win in Santos Tour Down Under, Geraint Thomas keeps lead

André Greipel has won his second stage of this year’s Santos Tour Down Under, the thirteenth of his career, taking him ahead of Robbie McEwen as the most successful rider in the history of the race. The closing kilometres were marred by several crashes as the peloton headed towards the finish in Tanunda, with the wind giving rise to nerves. Team Sky’s Geraint Thomas keeps the overall lead ahead of tomorrow’s crucial penultimate stage, which finishes on Old Willunga Hill.

As Greg Henderson, Greipel’s final leadout man, peeled off to launch him for the sprint, Roberto Ferrari, in his first race for Lampre Merida, tried to get on the German’s wheel but the latter had too much power for him and won convincingly. Saxo-Tinkoff’s Jonathan Cantwell was third, with British 22-year-old Andy Fenn of Omega Pharma-Quick Step coming fourth.

"There was a bit of crosswind and then the headwind in the last two kilometres, it was pretty messy," reflected Greipel. "The team did a good job to keep in the front. We did the perfect leadout again. We work good together. It's just nice to have those team mates.

Asked whether he would look to take his tally to fourteen stages in Adelaide on Sunday, the final day of the race, Greipel joked:"First I am thinking about the air conditioning in the hotel. Tomorrow I will try to rest and then think about Sunday."

Inside the final kilometre came the third and most serious crash in the closing stages, bringing down around 15 riders. Worst hurt were Graeme Brown of Blanco Pro Cycling and Bernie Sulzberger of UniSA-Australia, who were taken to hospital for precautionary x-rays on, respectively, a wrist and finger.

With that crash taking place inside the final 3 kilometres, riders involved won’t have lost any time, but it was the prospect of such a chute and the potential for injury that saw race leader Thomas keep safely out of harm’s way towards the front of the bunch.

Earlier in the stage, the Welshman had tried to pick up bonus seconds that would have extended his slender 5-second lead over Blanco’s Tom-Jelte Slagter, but was thwarted as the Dutch rider’s team countered Sky’s move.

"Everyone was thinking about the crosswind sections. It was quite stressful," explained Thomas. "I am used to a bit of argy-bargy, so I am used to that. Graeme Brown was sent up there [at the intermediate sprints] to get those seconds and he did.

"We thought we may as well have a go because it didn’t require fighting for positions. It was worth trying. I didn’t lose anything but I didn’t beat Graeme Brown so there was no change at the end of the day.

"It’ll come down to the second time on Willunga Hill tomorrow," said the Welshman. "I’m confident because the boys will be able to support me to the finish."

With 20 riders within a minute of the race lead, however, including a number of strong climbers, they are likely to have a fight on their hands.

Australian under-23 time trial champion, Damien Howson, who has dreams of one day winning the rainbow jersey in that discipline, had a day to remember, spending more than 115 kilometres alone out in front of the peloton with reigning road world champion Philippe Gilbert, whom he said afterwards was “a hero of mine.”

The latter, whose overall hopes ended with a crash on Wednesday, had initiated the move 3 kilometres after the start in Modbury, Howson following. They were eventually swept up 6 kilometres from the end, and shared the combativity prize for the day.

"Since I crashed, I’ve lost all chances of doing well on GC," commented Gilbert.

"That means what’s left of the race now means mostly training for me. Yesterday I tried to win the stage but today I knew there was no chance to avoid a bunch sprint, so it gave an opportunity to break away.

"I’m used to doing one breakaway like that in the early part of the season every year. It’s good to go deep into my reserve and work towards my goals of the Ardennes classics.

"We got a maximum of 3:30 lead, it was not enough but it gave me the chance to discover a very talented young rider, Damien Howson who gave me good turns during our ride."

Santos Tour Down Under Stage 4 result  
  
1  GREIPEL, André        Lotto Belisol          3:02:52
2  FERRARI, Roberto      Lampre-Merida      All at same time
3  CANTWELL, Jonathan    Saxo-Tinkoff
4  FENN, Andrew          Omega Pharma-Quick-Step
5  MARKUS, Barry         Vacansoleil-DCM
6  KITTEL, Marcel        Argos-Shimano
7  RENSHAW, Mark         Blanco
8  van HUMMEL, Kenny     Vacansoleil-DCM
9  DEMARE, Arnaud        FDJ
10 LODEWYCK, Klaas       BMC
11 CHEREL, Mikael        AG2R La Mondiale
12 GUARDINI, Andrea      Astana
13 STEEGMANS, Gert       Omega Pharma-Quick-Step
14 HUNTER, Robert        Garmin Sharp
15 VON HOFF, Steele      Garmin Sharp
16 SUTTON, Christopher   Sky Procycling
17 THOMAS, Geraint       Sky Procycling
18 HENDERSON, Greg       Lotto Belisol
19 IZAGIRRE, Gorka       Euskaltel Euskadi
20 BAUER, Jack           Garmin Sharp
  
Overall Standings after Stage 4  
  
1  THOMAS, Geraint       Sky Procycling 12:59:09
2  SLAGTER, Tom Jelte    Blanco 0:05
3  MORENO BAZAN, Javier  Movistar 0:06
4  HERMANS, Ben          Radioshack Leopard 0:08
5  IZAGIRRE, Gorka       Euskaltel Euskadi 0:15
6  IZAGIRRE, Ion         Euskaltel Euskadi st
7  BAUER, Jack           Garmin Sharp st
8  MACHADO, Tiago        Radioshack Leopard st
9  HANSEN, Adam          Lotto Belisol st
10 BENNETT, George       Radioshack Leopard st