Grief fires up sprint to line
DARYL Impey’s stirring Tour Down Under stage win meant much more than giving his title defence a major boost.
The South African outsprinted race leader Patrick Bevin at Campbelltown and that moved Impey to second overall, seven seconds behind the New Zealander.
It is Impey’s first stage win in the race.
The victory was an outstanding ride, rewarding more solid teamwork from the Mitchelton-Scott squad.
But Impey quickly explained that the stage four success was personal.
His wife’s cousin Justin Bitter, a close family friend, died earlier this month of a heart attack and the win was dedicated to him.
“When I left South Africa, I left in a bit of a sad mood and it was a pretty rough time for our whole family — he played a pretty big part,” Impey said.
“So when I came here, I wanted to do something special and I was able to deliver today.
“It was pretty emotional and definitely a confidence booster.”
Impey also held his nerve on the steep Corkscrew climb near the finish as Australian Richie Porte and the other three in-form mountain goats in the race went on the attack.
Australian teammate Lucas Hamilton paced Impey to the summit and they were in a chase group that quickly caught the lead quartet.
It set up the South African for the sprint to the line and a crucial win for his overall hopes.
“The win was actually due to him,” he said of Hamilton.
No overall champion in the Tour’s 21-year history has won two years in a row and Impey must gain bonus seconds where he can before tomorrow’s decisive stage at Willunga, where the climbers will dominate.
“We’re around the mark now . . . we have to be aggressive, wherever we can,” he said.