Bevin beats world’s best

Patrick Bevin has taken a surprising stage win and the overall lead at the Tour Down Under Classic.

The Kiwi cyclist took out stage two in a sprint finish after a crash inside the final kilometre of yesterday’s 122km stage in South Australia sent the peloton into disarray.

Bevin used his strength on the uphill 700m finishing straight to first reel in Spain’s Luis Leon Sanchez within metres of the line before holding off rising Australian star sprinter Caleb Ewan and superstar Peter Sagan as he crossed the line first, going up with a big celebration.

Known for his time-trialling ability, legendary cycling commentator Phil Liggett remarked after the finish ‘‘that is a tremendous ride . . . I never knew he could sprint like that’’.

Bevin said the tactical nature of the finish played into his hands. ‘‘On a finish like that I can play my cards pretty well.

‘‘The hard, draggy finish, I got to pick a pretty good line. Once Sanchez was off the front in the final it gave me the perfect springboard and I just went long.

‘‘I put my head down and from that position if you finish first, you finish first, if you get mowed down, you get mowed down, but obviously the legs are good.’’

The stage win gave Bevin a 10-second time bonus, lifting him into the overall lead of the race, five seconds ahead of Italy’s superstar sprinter Elia Viviani, who won stage one, but could only manage sixth on this stage.

The win drew praise from former Kiwi World Tour rider Greg Henderson, who compared Bevin to outstanding time triallist and sprinter Sagan, who was third across the line.

Sagan said he was no match for the in-form Bevin, who arrived at the tour after winning the New Zealand time trial title at the road cycling nationals on January 4.

‘‘He won very easily – good legs,’’ the Slovakian said.

The Tour Down Under is a significant race. It’s the first stop on the World Tour, the highest level of road cycling in the world.

It was Bevin’s first World Tour stage win, and the first by a Kiwi since Jesse Sergent in 2011 at the Eneco Tour in the Netherlands.