Bonus helps but Porte looms large
ALL- ROUNDERS Paddy Bevin and Daryl Impey were breathing a sigh of relief after gaining crucial time-bonuses over Richie Porte on Friday but 21 seconds is still enough for them to sleep with one eye open the next two nights.
Impey and Bevin went 1-2 in a thrilling finish to Stage 4 of the Tour Down Under in Campbelltown after reeling in a group of four climbers including Porte, who gapped them on the climb up the Corkscrew.
New Zealander Bevin now leads the race by seven seconds to Impey and 11 to Luis Leon Sanchez while Porte is in a group 21 seconds back going into a sprinter-friendly stage to Strathalbyn today and the hilltop finish on Willunga on Saturday.
“It’s still not a huge buffer,” Bevin said.
“Those four (Porte, George Bennett, Mike Woods and Wout Poels) showed themselves as the best pure climbers in this race, but this race fortunately is about being an allrounder.
“Basically, you’ve got to sprint better than the climbers and climb better than the sprinters.”
Porte said Bevin was now in the box seat to secure the ochre jersey going into the final two days of racing.
“It wasn’t really that hard. Bevin cracked pretty early but he obviously rode at a pretty good tempo,” Porte said.
“We went super hard and the next thing there were four of us. We worked well together but I was surprised how quickly that group came back, and I was surprised to see there was a camera motorbike sat right in front of them there.
“That’s a part of it I suppose but hats off to Daryl. He is a good guy and I think he rode a great race.”