News – Kennaugh stars Down Under

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British RR Champion Peter Kennaugh wore the stripes with pride as he raced off the front in the Tour Down Under warmup crit won by Marcel Kittel

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News – Kennaugh stars Down Under

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The Tour Down Under got the 2015 road season off to an exciting start in Adelaide (South Australia) as the WorldTour teams went into battle in a 51 kilometre criterium in front of an estimated 100,000 people.

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Win number 1 for 2015 for Marcel Kittel. There will be more! Photo: Regallo 

One of the stars of the show was British Road Race champion Peter Kennaugh who went clear in a four up break with ex teammates Cataldo and Aussie Matthew Hayman along with youngster Calvin Watson, also from Australia.

With Marcel Kittel’s team chasing and keeping the break pegged at less than a minute, and the average speed just under 50k an hour, the break worked well, only breaking out of that routine of through and off for the sprints.

Hayman won two and then Peter Kennaugh won another as the four leaders kept the peloton honest before the break had to fly the white flag with ten laps to go as the pace sky rocketed. Kennaugh and Hayman went clear for a short while before the four came back together and were finally brought back as Westra from Astana jumped across to them.

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The break of three gets away and is joined by another Aussie to make four. Photo: Regallo 

The attacks were now starting to come from all sides of the road before Geraint Thomas went clear for a lap or so as team Sky got to the front for their rider, Aussie Chris Sutton. Sky had control for a short whilst behind them, teams could be seen marshalling their riders together and soon a fight at the front for control was on.

Tinkoff-Saxo had a go as did Lotto Soudal but in the end, there was little control at the front as the speed hit the roof and Kittel was left with only one rider in front of him but what a rider it turned out to be. Behind Kittel, Greg Henderson was having to shoulder barge riders who were trying to take the wheel of Kittel he had to himself and it was all getting rather tasty.

At the front, it was IAM Cycling who were leading the race out for their man, Aussie champion Heinrich Haussler with Koen De Kort second wheel and Kittel fixed to his rear wheel as they sped round the second last corner.

Koen De Kort soon had to control the front, leading out his rider but not emptying the tank too early. He kicked a second time but then Greg Henderson tried to get the jump on Kittel and went first with 200 to go. Kittel matched the move though, and more, and hit the front and stayed clear to get his first win of 2015.

NFTO’s Steele Von Hoff, wearing the Aussie champions jersey, was 14th whilst the rest of the Brits were at the back of the race after either being involved in breaks or working for Chris Sutton.

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IAM Cycling setting up the sprint for Aussie champion Heinrich Haussler.Photo: Regallo 

“It’s actually almost impossible to control the bunch in such a short race but my team mates did an awesome job,” said Kittel. “In the chaos I got a good lead out.

“I’m very happy and proud,” he said. “I’m always nervous before the first race of the year and I also always want to win the first race of the year.

“This is my third time in South Australia and I really like this place,” he said. “I like it even more when I win like today.”

Meanwhile, third placed Wippert said the final sprint for the line was ‘just crazy’. “The team put me in front with five laps to go and from the last corner, it was just go, nothing to lose,” he explained. “I came fast, but not fast enough.”

“I am not the first one to lose a sprint against him (Kittel), but I hope by the end of the week I can say I won one against him,” Wippert said. “It’s going to be a hard week. Today we got the podium, so the next step is to try to win a stage.”

Newly crowned Australian road champion Heinrich Haussler (IAM Cycling) was one who lost out in the mad dash for the line finishing fifth across the line. “I was coming from behind very, very fast (then) the door closed a little bit, I had to brake, stop pedaling, but that’s sprinting,” said Haussler. “It’s a good sign for the rest of the week (because ) the boys did great work today.”

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British champion Peter Kennaugh makes his move. Photo: Regallo 

The British RR Champion told team Sky “It was good to have a hit out, even if I didn’t really mean to do it. Personally, I wasn’t really looking forward to this crit given the crashes we had last year, and I sat at the back for the first couple of laps when nothing was really going. But I could sense something was going to go soon so I slowly moved up and did one attack, and that was when the break went. The four of us worked pretty well together – especially given that I knew both Mathew and Dario from their time with us – and we had a bit of fun in the intermediate sprints”.

“This was a great way to kick off the season for us as a team. G had a little dig later on and CJ got amongst in the sprint so it was a positive and aggressive start. I’m loving down here in Australia – I’ve been here for two weeks now. It’s been a nice and relaxed way to get into the season with the training camp we’ve had here and now we’re all ready to race.”

Read the VeloUK interview with Pete how he decided to change his normal early season program

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Photo: Regallo 

RACING TO COME

Stage 1, Tuesday 20 January, 133km, Tanunda to Campbelltown
Stage 2, Wednesday 21 January, 150km, Unley to Stirling
Stage 3, Thursday 22 January, 143km, Norwood to Paracombe
Stage 4, Friday 23 January, 145km, Glenelg to Mount Barker
Stage 5, Saturday 24 January, 151km, McLaren Vale to Wilunga Hill
Stage 6, Sunday 25 January, 90km, Adelaide City Circuit – Elder Park

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In his last Tour Down Under, Aussie legend Cadel Evans signs on. Photo: Regallo 

RESULT

1 KITTEL Marcel TGA 01:02:41
2 LOBATO DEL VALLE Juan Jose MOV 01:02:41
3 WIPPERT Wouter DPC 01:02:41
4 SUTTON Christopher SKY 01:02:41
5 HAUSSLER Heinrich IAM 01:02:41
6 MEERSMAN Gianni EQS 01:02:41
7 SELIG Rudiger KAT 01:02:41
8 DUMOULIN Samuel ALM 01:02:41
9 RENSHAW Mark EQS 01:02:41
10 HENDERSON Greg LTS 01:02:41
11 BONIFAZIO Niccolo LAM 01:02:41
12 NIZZOLO Giacomo TFR 01:02:41
13 VALLEE Boris LTS 01:02:41
14 VON HOFF Steele AUS 01:02:41
15 BRUTT Pavel TCS 01:02:41
16 MARKUS Barry TLJ 01:02:41
17 HANSEN Lasse Norman TCG 01:02:41
18 COLEDAN Marco TFR 01:02:41
19 MANZIN Lorenzo FDJ 01:02:41
20 TCATEVICH Aleksei KAT 01:02:41
21 TLEUBAYEV Ruslan AST 01:02:41
22 HOWES Alex TCG 01:02:41
23 HANSEN Jesper TCS 01:02:41
24 ROOSEN Timo TLJ 01:02:41
25 BAUER Jack TCG 01:02:41
26 DILLIER Silvan BMC 01:02:41
27 IMPEY Daryl OGE 01:02:41
28 DE KORT Koen TGA 01:02:41
29 SANZ Enrique MOV 01:02:41
30 DE VREESE Laurens AST 01:02:41
31 TJALLINGII Maarten TLJ 01:02:41
32 MACHADO Tiago KAT 01:02:41
33 SANCHEZ GIL Luis Leon AST 01:02:41
34 IZAGUIRRE INSAUSTI Gorka MOV 01:02:41
35 LASTRAS GARCIA Pablo MOV 01:02:41
36 CAPECCHI Eros MOV 01:02:41
37 MALACARNE Davide AST 01:02:41
38 ROY Jérémy FDJ 01:02:41
39 DE GENDT Thomas LTS 01:02:41
40 RIBLON Christophe ALM 01:02:41
41 BEWLEY Sam OGE 01:02:41
42 BOOM Lars AST 01:02:41
43 BOUET Maxime EQS 01:02:41
44 VELITS Martin EQS 01:02:41
45 REYNES MIMO Vicente IAM 01:02:41
46 HANSEN Adam LTS 01:02:41
47 BERARD Julien ALM 01:02:41
48 LAMPAERT Yves EQS 01:02:41
49 SCOTSON Miles AUS 01:02:41
50 PINEAU Cédric FDJ 01:02:41
51 CLEMENT Stef IAM 01:02:41
52 SCHÄR Michael BMC 01:02:41
53 ROULSTON Hayden TFR 01:02:41
54 HAYMAN Mathew OGE 01:02:41
55 ELMIGER Martin IAM 01:02:41
56 CLARKE Simon OGE 01:02:41
57 FLENS Rick TLJ 01:02:41
58 WESTRA Lieuwe AST 01:02:41
59 KEIZER Martijn TLJ 01:02:41
60 VEIKKANEN Jussi FDJ 01:02:41
61 LINDEMAN Bertjan TLJ 01:02:41
62 WYSS Danilo BMC 01:02:41
63 BAK Lars Ytting LTS 01:02:41
64 DE LA CRUZ MELGAREJO David EQS 01:02:41
65 FERNANDEZ Ruben MOV 01:02:41
66 STETINA Peter BMC 01:02:41
67 DENNIS Rohan BMC 01:02:41
68 LAGUTIN Sergey KAT 01:02:41
69 KOHLER Martin DPC 01:02:41
70 JUUL JENSEN Christopher TCS 01:02:41
71 ZAUGG Oliver TCS 01:02:41
72 KERBY Jordan DPC 01:02:41
73 JEANNESSON Arnold FDJ 01:02:41
74 PANTANO GOMEZ Jarlison IAM 01:02:41
75 DURASEK Kristijan LAM 01:02:41
76 ROGERS Michael TCS 01:02:41
77 PUCCIO Salvatore SKY 01:02:41
78 FLAKEMORE Campbell BMC 01:02:41
79 VAN DER PLOEG Neil AUS 01:02:41
80 KLUGE Roger IAM 01:02:41
81 GOUGEARD Alexis ALM 01:02:41
82 POZZOVIVO Domenico ALM 01:02:41
83 EVANS Cadel BMC 01:02:41
84 SERRY Pieter EQS 01:02:41
85 ISAICHEV Vladimir KAT 01:02:41
86 CARUSO Giampaolo KAT 01:02:41
87 HEPBURN Michael OGE 01:02:41
88 BOARO Manuele TCS 01:02:41
89 HAAS Nathan TCG 01:02:41
90 ALAFACI Eugenio TFR 01:02:41
91 DE HAES Kenny LTS 01:03:03
92 BELKOV Maxim KAT 01:03:05
93 CLARKE William DPC 01:03:05
94 HESJEDAL Ryder TCG 01:03:05
95 EDMONDSON Alexander AUS 01:03:05
96 MEYER Cameron OGE 01:03:05
97 DURBRIDGE Luke OGE 01:03:05
98 POWER Robert AUS 01:03:05
99 HAIG Jack AUS 01:03:05
100 STANNARD Ian SKY 01:03:05
101 BENNETT George TLJ 01:03:05
102 CATALDO Dario AST 01:03:05
103 GRMAY Tsgabu Gebremaryam LAM 01:03:05
104 KADRI Blel ALM 01:03:05
105 PORTE Richie SKY 01:03:05
106 ROE Timothy DPC 01:03:05
107 MCCONNELL Daniel TFR 01:03:05
108 DIDIER Laurent TFR 01:03:05
109 VILLELLA Davide TCG 01:03:05
110 KOLÁR Michal TCS 01:03:05
111 HAGA Chad TGA 01:03:05
112 DOCKX Gert LTS 01:03:05
113 MOSER Moreno TCG 01:03:05
114 WATSON Calvin TFR 01:03:05
115 MORI Manuele LAM 01:03:05
116 CHAVANEL Sébastien FDJ 01:03:15
117 KENNAUGH Peter SKY 01:03:22
118 HERRADA LOPEZ José MOV 01:03:22
119 CIMOLAI Davide LAM 01:03:24
120 LE GAC Olivier FDJ 01:04:13
121 MEYER Travis DPC 01:04:18
122 THOMAS Geraint SKY 01:04:18
123 ROWE Luke SKY 01:04:26
124 FERRARI Roberto LAM 01:04:34
125 BONO Matteo LAM 01:04:34
126 DUMOULIN Tom TGA 01:04:39
127 TIMMER Albert TGA 01:04:39
128 BROWN Graeme DPC 01:04:42
129 TANNER David IAM 01:04:42
130 BOBRIDGE Jack AUS 01:06:53

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