This was published 10 years ago
Porte imperious in third-straight win at Willunga Hill
Aussie Richie Porte has cemented his rule as 'king of
Willunga Hill' after storming to his third-straight victory atop the defining
stage of the Tour Down Under.
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The BMC rider broke free of the climbers on the final stretch before, like his past two victories, cruised across the line with a mountain of time to spare.
But the stunning victory was not enough for the 30-year-old
to wrest control of the Tour at the top of the leaderboard.
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Orica-GreenEDGE team leader Simon Gerrans is all but assured
his fourth crown at the event after retaining the ochre leader's jersey after
the gruelling stage.
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The exhausted Australian labelled the penultimate stage as
"bloody tough" after coming home nearly 20 seconds behind Porte.
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Gerrans was again well protected by his teammates,
especially his superb lieutenant Daryl Impey.
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The stage began with an inauspicious start after the Tour
was again struck by a crash - Primoz
Roglic (Lotto-Jumbo) tumbling with Arman Kamyshev (Astana).
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However,
the peloton soon settled into a steady rhythm as it chased down a four-man
breakaway.
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But the fearsome Willunga soon brought the pack back
together for the climbers to setup their shot at glory.
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But like so many time before, no one could keep pace with
the 'king of Willunga'.
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