Santos Festival of Cycling 2021 – Stage 1 [FULL STAGE]

January 21, 2021

Santos Festival of Cycling 2021 – Stage 1 – Seppeltsfield – Tanunda : 106,8 km

The men’s and women’s Tour Down Under may be cancelled this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic but the racing is still continuing in South Australia with a four-day National Road Series (NRS) event. The Santos Festival of Cycling NRS race will run from Thursday, January 21 to Sunday, January 24 with domestic riders getting the opportunity to take on a number of WorldTour and Women’s WorldTour racers returning home for the Australian summer. Both the women’s and men’s event will travel through the towns and countryside surrounding Adelaide, tackling the popular climb of Willunga Hill on stage 3 and finishing with a criterium on the outskirts of the city.

Luke Durbridge (Team Bike Exchange) powered away from the field, using his time-trialling prowess to not only take out stage 1 of the men’s National Road Series race at the Santos Festival of Cycling, but also to set up a commanding lead in the battle for overall victory at the four-day tour.

Long before the line approached at the end of the stage from Seppeltsfield to Tanunda it was clear the best result that the rest of the field could hope for was second. The trio of Raphael Freiensten (InForm TM Insight Make), Chris Harper (Cervelo Tonsley Village) and Damien Howson (Team BikeExchange) were left to sprint for the two remaining spots on the podium. Harper fell out of contention as the sprint wound up and Freiensten, stopped BikeExchange taking the top two steps as he swung past Howson.

“It wasn’t really the plan,” said Durbridge of his 80 kilometre solo break. “All the boys were motivated and I’m glad I could finish it off. I said to myself be a bit brave. Go for it. It’s only a 100 kilometres but when we got out there and it was 40 degrees I’m like, 100 kilometres is still a long way. I countered the sprint, the first intermediate, and just sort of squeezed on a little bit and no one really came with and after I got a gap, I just settled in.”

As the Australian time-trial champion settled in, riders in the rest of the field came to terms with the likelihood that the best they could hope for was now a place on the lower steps of the podium.

How it unfolded

The race was on right from the start, with riders determined to make the most of every last opportunity in the 106.8 stage which went over the milder incline of the eastern side four times. However, the 1.2 kilometres at a gradient of 4.8 per cent was still enough to cause plenty of damage. The first ascent immediately blew the race apart.

The split peloton was still reeling from that climb when the first intermediate sprint came along and Durbridge took the opportunity to slip off the front. There were attempts to haul in the 29-year-old, including from Team Garmin Australia, but to no avail.

“Once we noticed we weren’t bringing back anything the race was for second place,” said Freiensten “It think that’s the best result we could have achieved in the end.”

The pace remained high and the peloton remained splintered, with Freiensten coming in 2:24 behind Durbridge as he won the sprint from the chasing group of three. Only about 20 other riders managed to make it to the line within five minutes of Durbridge.

Results :
1 Luke Durbridge (Team BikeExchange) 2:34:51
2 Raphael Freiensten (InForm TM Insight Make) 0:02:24
3 Damien Howson (Team BikeExchange)
4 Chris Harper (CERVELO-Tonsley Village) 0:02:26
5 Luke Plapp (Team Garmin Australia) 0:02:40
6 Cyrus Monk (Cycle House Racing)
7 Kaden Groves (Team BikeExchange) 0:02:44
8 Riley Fleming (OLIVERS Real Food Racing)
9 Kane Richards (MEIYO CCN Pro Cycling Team)
10 Brendon Johnston (CCS Cycling)
11 Connor Reardon (St George Continental Cycling Team)
12 Kaine Cannan (Velofit Australia)
13 Ben Metcalfe (Team Bridgelane)
14 Brendon Davids (OLIVERS Real Food Racing)
15 Sam Crome (St George Continental Cycling Team)
16 Kelland O’Brien (Team Garmin Australia)
17 Tim Roe (CERVELO-Tonsley Village)
18 Carter Turnbull (InForm TM Insight Make)
19 Ben Hill (Team Bridgelane)
20 Angus Lyons (ARA Pro-Racing Sunshine Coast) 0:02:47
21 Cameron Meyer (Team BikeExchange) 0:02:48
22 Dylan McKenna (Nero Continental)
23 Oli Stenning (ARA Pro-Racing Sunshine Coast) 0:02:51
24 Nicholas White (Team Bridgelane) 0:02:56
25 Sam Welsford (Team Garmin Australia) 0:05:17
26 Mark O’Brien (InForm TM Insight Make)
27 Matt Ross (Cycle House Racing)
28 Zack Gilmore (ARA Pro-Racing Sunshine Coast)
29 Matthew Rice (ARA Pro-Racing Sunshine Coast) 0:10:44
30 Rudy Porter (InForm TM Insight Make) 0:11:45
31 Cooper Sayers (Nero Continental) 0:12:19
32 Sam Jenner (Team Bridgelane) 0:13:56
33 David Randall (Butterfields Racing) 0:16:52
34 Richie Porte (Team Garmin Australia)
35 Oliver Anderson (CERVELO-Tonsley Village)
36 Tristen Saunders (Butterfields Racing)
37 Godfrey Slattery (GIANT Racing Team)
38 Josh Harrison (GIANT Racing Team)
39 Chris Luxton (CERVELO-Tonsley Village)
40 Adam Blazevic (GIANT Racing Team)
41 Mattew Harvey (Velofit Australia)
42 Conor Leahy (WorldTour Composite Team)
43 Patrick Saccani-Williams (Velofit Australia)
44 Alex Holden (GIANT Racing Team)
45 Marcus Culey (WorldTour Composite Team)
46 Joshua Wilson (Velofit Australia)
47 Bailey Waters (MEIYO CCN Pro Cycling Team)
48 Brad Soden (MEIYO CCN Pro Cycling Team)
49 Myles Stewart (Nero Continental)
50 Josh Duffy (WorldTour Composite Team)
51 Bryce Lanigan (Velofit Australia)
52 Liam White (OLIVERS Real Food Racing)
53 Zac Johnson (InForm TM Insight Make)
54 Jacob Langham (Velofit Australia)
55 Thomas Bolton (OLIVERS Real Food Racing)
56 Jensen Plowright (Team Bridgelane)
57 Zack Barnhill (St George Continental Cycling Team)
58 Terance Hore (Cycle House Racing)
59 Rylan Dowdell (Butterfields Racing)
60 Jason Thomason (Butterfields Racing)
61 Will Maloney-Morton (Cycle House Racing)
62 Pat Drapac (Cycle House Racing)
63 Lionel Mawditt (St George Continental Cycling Team)
64 Reece Tucknott (CCS Cycling)
65 Campbell Jones (OLIVERS Real Food Racing)
66 Bill Simpson (GIANT Racing Team)
67 Drew Morey (Team Bridgelane)
68 Cameron Ivory (CERVELO-Tonsley Village)
69 Justin Gassner (CERVELO-Tonsley Village)
70 Daniel Siwek (Butterfields Racing)
71 Zachary Marriage (Butterfields Racing)
72 Alex Bogna (ARA Pro-Racing Sunshine Coast)
73 Sam Volkers (MEIYO CCN Pro Cycling Team)
74 Jordan Kerby (MEIYO CCN Pro Cycling Team)
75 Leigh Howard (Team Garmin Australia)
76 Craig Wiggins (ARA Pro-Racing Sunshine Coast)
77 Seb Berwick (WorldTour Composite Team)
78 Elliot Schultz (MEIYO CCN Pro Cycling Team)
79 Will Golding (Butterfields Racing)
80 Cam Roberts (CCS Cycling)
81 Lucas Hamilton (Team BikeExchange)
82 Alex Porter (Team Garmin Australia)
83 Jimmy Whelan (Team Garmin Australia)
84 Alex Edmondson (Team BikeExchange)
85 Steele van Hoff (InForm TM Insight Make)
86 Will Hodges (GIANT Racing Team)
87 Blake Quick (InForm TM Insight Make)
88 Carter Bettles (St George Continental Cycling Team)
89 Ryan Cavanagh (St George Continental Cycling Team)
DNF Taj Jones (WorldTour Composite Team)
DNF Alistair Mackellar (WorldTour Composite Team)
DNF Alistair Christie-Johnson (Team Bridgelane)
DNF Cameron Bayly (CERVELO-Tonsley Village)
DNF Michael Rice (ARA Pro-Racing Sunshine Coast)
DNF Callum Pearce (OLIVERS Real Food Racing)
DNF Lachlan Glasspool (OLIVERS Real Food Racing)
DNF Steve Robb (Cycle House Racing)
DNF Ryan Schilt (Cycle House Racing)
DNF Nic Darling (CCS Cycling)
DNF Mackenzie Edwardson (CCS Cycling)
DNF Kris McCreath (CCS Cycling)
DNF Byron Woods (VRM)
DNF Brendon Green (VRM)
DNF Xavier Cooper (Velofit Australia)
DNF Dylan Lindsey (GIANT Racing Team)
DNF Leigh Phillips (Nero Continental)

General Classification after Stage 1 :
1 Luke Durbridge (Team BikeExchange) 2:34:38
2 Raphael Freiensten (InForm TM Insight Make) 0:02:28
3 Damien Howson (Team BikeExchange) 0:02:32
4 Chris Harper (CERVELO-Tonsley Village) 0:02:39
5 Luke Plapp (Team Garmin Australia) 0:02:53
6 Cyrus Monk (Cycle House Racing)
7 Kaden Groves (Team BikeExchange) 0:02:57
8 Riley Fleming (OLIVERS Real Food Racing)
9 Kane Richards (MEIYO CCN Pro Cycling Team)
10 Brendon Johnston (CCS Cycling)
11 Connor Reardon (St George Continental Cycling Team)
12 Kaine Cannan (Velofit Australia)
13 Ben Metcalfe (Team Bridgelane)
14 Brendon Davids (OLIVERS Real Food Racing)
15 Sam Crome (St George Continental Cycling Team)
16 Kelland O’Brien (Team Garmin Australia)
17 Tim Roe (CERVELO-Tonsley Village)
18 Carter Turnbull (InForm TM Insight Make)
19 Ben Hill (Team Bridgelane)
20 Angus Lyons (ARA Pro-Racing Sunshine Coast) 0:03:00
21 Cameron Meyer (Team BikeExchange) 0:03:01
22 Dylan McKenna (Nero Continental)
23 Oli Stenning (ARA Pro-Racing Sunshine Coast) 0:03:04
24 Nicholas White (Team Bridgelane) 0:03:09
25 Sam Welsford (Team Garmin Australia) 0:05:28
26 Mark O’Brien (InForm TM Insight Make) 0:05:30
27 Matt Ross (Cycle House Racing)
28 Zack Gilmore (ARA Pro-Racing Sunshine Coast)
29 Matthew Rice (ARA Pro-Racing Sunshine Coast) 0:10:57
30 Rudy Porter (InForm TM Insight Make) 0:11:58
31 Cooper Sayers (Nero Continental) 0:12:32
32 Sam Jenner (Team Bridgelane) 0:14:09
33 Alex Porter (Team Garmin Australia) 0:17:02
34 David Randall (Butterfields Racing) 0:17:05
35 Richie Porte (Team Garmin Australia)
36 Oliver Anderson (CERVELO-Tonsley Village)
37 Tristen Saunders (Butterfields Racing)
38 Godfrey Slattery (GIANT Racing Team)
39 Josh Harrison (GIANT Racing Team)
40 Chris Luxton (CERVELO-Tonsley Village)
41 Adam Blazevic (GIANT Racing Team)
42 Mattew Harvey (Velofit Australia)
43 Conor Leahy (WorldTour Composite Team)
44 Patrick Saccani-Williams (Velofit Australia)
45 Alex Holden (GIANT Racing Team)
46 Marcus Culey (WorldTour Composite Team)
47 Joshua Wilson (Velofit Australia)
48 Bailey Waters (MEIYO CCN Pro Cycling Team)
49 Brad Soden (MEIYO CCN Pro Cycling Team)
50 Myles Stewart (Nero Continental)
51 Josh Duffy (WorldTour Composite Team)
52 Bryce Lanigan (Velofit Australia)
53 Liam White (OLIVERS Real Food Racing)
54 Zac Johnson (InForm TM Insight Make)
55 Jacob Langham (Velofit Australia)
56 Thomas Bolton (OLIVERS Real Food Racing)
57 Jensen Plowright (Team Bridgelane)
58 Zack Barnhill (St George Continental Cycling Team)
59 Terance Hore (Cycle House Racing)
60 Rylan Dowdell (Butterfields Racing)
61 Jason Thomason (Butterfields Racing)
62 Will Maloney-Morton (Cycle House Racing)
63 Pat Drapac (Cycle House Racing)
64 Lionel Mawditt (St George Continental Cycling Team)
65 Reece Tucknott (CCS Cycling)
66 Campbell Jones (OLIVERS Real Food Racing)
67 Bill Simpson (GIANT Racing Team)
68 Drew Morey (Team Bridgelane)
69 Cameron Ivory (CERVELO-Tonsley Village)
70 Justin Gassner (CERVELO-Tonsley Village)
71 Daniel Siwek (Butterfields Racing)
72 Zachary Marriage (Butterfields Racing)
73 Alex Bogna (ARA Pro-Racing Sunshine Coast)
74 Sam Volkers (MEIYO CCN Pro Cycling Team)
75 Jordan Kerby (MEIYO CCN Pro Cycling Team)
76 Leigh Howard (Team Garmin Australia)
77 Craig Wiggins (ARA Pro-Racing Sunshine Coast)
78 Seb Berwick (WorldTour Composite Team)
79 Elliot Schultz (MEIYO CCN Pro Cycling Team)
80 Will Golding (Butterfields Racing)
81 Cam Roberts (CCS Cycling)
82 Lucas Hamilton (Team BikeExchange)
83 Jimmy Whelan (Team Garmin Australia)
84 Alex Edmondson (Team BikeExchange)
85 Steele van Hoff (InForm TM Insight Make)
86 Will Hodges (GIANT Racing Team)
87 Blake Quick (InForm TM Insight Make)
88 Carter Bettles (St George Continental Cycling Team)
89 Ryan Cavanagh (St George Continental Cycling Team)