🚴 Tour Down Under Stage 5 - Richie Porte grabs expected Stage 5 victory as Daryl Impey takes the leader's jersey!

Richie Porte is officially the king of Willunga Hill, winning atop the famous Australian climb for the 5th year in a row. Daryl Impey came in 8 seconds behind Porte and equals his GC time - taking the leader's jersey on countback.

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The penultimate, and probably most important stage of the Tour Down Under, riders certainly gave it their all today in an attempt to get their hands on the leader's jersey; Richie Porte must have thought that he had done enough when he crossed the line, but with Daryl Impey coming through just 8 seconds off the pace, he equals the overall time that Porte had set. Impey then takes the jersey on countback, meaning that, over the previous 4 Stages, he has had higher placed finishes than Porte.

A much cooler day (about 20 degrees cooler) than the previous stages, and a much more comfortable ride for most allowed for a 7 man breakaway. Lotto-Soudal's breakaway specialist, Thomas De Gendt, joined by the usual faces of University of South Australia's Zak Dempster and Scott Bowden, and Dimension Data's Dlamini were the key riders in the break. Kept on a leash by the peloton for most of the day, and only going over a 4-minute advantage at one moment before the first climb of Willunga Hill.

Dlamini secured the KOM jersey after crossing the crest of Willunga Hill (the first climb) just behind Thomas De Gendt. De Gendt attacked on the descent, reaching speeds in excess of 90km/hr, moving into a 55-second lead. He was eventually reeled in and it was going to be a day for the climbers.

Richie Porte attacked with 1.5km to go and Jay McCarthy (of Bora-Hansgrohe) was the only rider capable of holding his wheel; when the pace settled Porte attacked again and McCarthy had nothing to match it. Porte crossed the line to take an impressive victory - and many had thought the leader's jersey with it.

When Impey blitzed round the corner and crossed the line 8 seconds later, there was a moment of confusion as to who was leading the General Classification. Eventually, it was announced that Impey would wear the leader's jersey on 'Countback'.

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Stage 5 Results:

1 Richie Porte (AUS) | BMC Racing | 3:42:22
2 Daryl Impey (RSA) | Mitchelton-Scott | +0:00:08
3 Tom-Jelte Slagter (NED) | Dimension Data | +0:00:10
4 Dries Devenyns (BEL) | Quick-Step Floors
5 Egan Bernal (COL) | Team Sky

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GC Standings after Stage 5:

1 Daryl Impey (RSA) | Mitchelton-Scott | 18:02:15
2 Richie Porte (AUS) | BMC Racing
3 Tom-Jelte Slagter (NED) | Dimension Data | +0:00:16
4 Diego Ulissi (ITA) | UAE Team Emirates | +0:00:20
5 Dries Devenyns (BEL) | Quick-Step Floors

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