Santos Festival of Cycling 2021 – Stage 2 [FULL STAGE]

January 22, 2021

Santos Festival of Cycling 2021 – Stage 2 – Birdwood – Lobethal : 116 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 Plapp (Team Garmin Australia) won stage 2 of the men’s National Road Series (NRS) race at the Santos Festival of Cycling, taking off on the final climb and then pushing the pace on the descent to quickly pull out a gap on the chasing group.

The 20-year-old Australian was leading an ever diminishing group of riders up the Fox Creek climb, which peaked less than 10 kilometres from the finish line, when he attacked from the front.

“That was pretty unreal. I had my eyes set on that,” said Plapp straight after the stage. “I didn’t have to do a turn all day. The boys looked after me. I was just glad to be able to finish it off.”

Although his rivals saw the move coming there was little they could do to respond.

“Luke Plapp did an amazing effort with about 200 metres to go of that climb. we were there but couldn’t do anything about it,” said the overall race leader Luke Durbridge (Team BikeExchange).

“I think he knows that climb and knows that descent, so it was an impressive ride, chapeau to him. But yeah, we kept the jersey and we’re fine, so another day.”

It was a performance that moved Plapp into second place on the overall behind Durbridge, who carries a 2:10 lead into stage 3, which includes Willunga Hill.

How it unfolded

As the flag dropped on the 116 kilometre stage 2 from Birdwood to Lobethal there was the usual battle to establish a break, with Joshua Wilson (Velofit Racing) getting the first gap that stuck and Jumbo-Visma rider Chris Harper, racing for Cervelo-Tonsley Village at the event, coming out to join him. Then 2020 NRS winner Brendon Johnston and Cyrus Monk (CycleHouse Racing) also bridged the gap.

The quartet worked together over the lumpy terrain, but the peloton behind were keen to keep the gap under control, playing cat and mouse for a while, with Team BikeExchange and Team Garmin Australia working out the front. The group was pulled back in, with Richie Porte (Team Garmin Australia) doing a considerable amount to close down the gap for his teammates, before the final climb of the day.

The Fox Creek climb, peaking less than 10 kilometres from the finish line, was a clear launching point so the pressure was on and the field quickly split as riders worked their way up the hill, which had an average gradient of 8.8 per cent.

Race leader Durbridge was never far from the front, making sure he held onto that solid gap on the overall which was 2:28 at the start of the stage. However there was no stopping track rider Plapp going off the front and charging toward the line.

Tim Roe (Cervelo-Tonsley Village) also pulled away from the chasing group, which he just held to the line. Not realising Plapp had escaped, he threw his hands up in the air in celebration but then realised that he would be settling for second. Kaden Groves (Team BikeExchange) won the sprint for third.

Now the race heads to Willunga Hill on stage 3, with Durbridge still holding a commanding lead. Teammate Damien Howson, however, wasn’t as fortunate with a crash on the final descent taking off skin and sending him from third in the overall to 24th place.

Results :
1 Luke Plapp (Team Garmin Australia) 2:38:42
2 Tim Roe (CERVELO-Tonsley Village) 0:00:33
3 Kaden Groves (Team BikeExchange)
4 Kelland O’Brien (Team Garmin Australia)
5 Jensen Plowright (Team Bridgelane)
6 Raphael Freiensten (InForm TM Insight Make)
7 Sam Crome (St George Continental Cycling Team)
8 Chris Harper (CERVELO-Tonsley Village)
9 Brendon Davids (OLIVERS Real Food Racing)
10 Ben Metcalfe (Team Bridgelane)
11 Dylan McKenna (Nero Continental)
12 Oli Stenning (ARA Pro-Racing Sunshine Coast)
13 Seb Berwick (WorldTour Composite Team)
14 Carter Turnbull (InForm TM Insight Make)
15 Cameron Meyer (Team BikeExchange)
16 Luke Durbridge (Team BikeExchange)
17 Richie Porte (Team Garmin Australia) 0:00:39
18 Angus Lyons (ARA Pro-Racing Sunshine Coast) 0:01:07
19 Kaine Cannan (Velofit Australia) 0:01:19
20 Elliot Schultz (MEIYO CCN Pro Cycling Team) 0:01:21
21 Connor Reardon (St George Continental Cycling Team)
22 Reece Tucknott (CCS Cycling)
23 Daniel Siwek (Butterfields Racing)
24 Will Maloney-Morton (Cycle House Racing)
25 Jimmy Whelan (Team Garmin Australia) 0:01:24
26 Justin Gassner (CERVELO-Tonsley Village)
27 Tristen Saunders (Butterfields Racing) 0:01:42
28 Joshua Wilson (Velofit Australia)
29 Alex Holden (GIANT Racing Team) 0:01:44
30 Brendon Johnston (CCS Cycling)
31 Chris Luxton (CERVELO-Tonsley Village)
32 Craig Wiggins (ARA Pro-Racing Sunshine Coast)
33 Myles Stewart (Nero Continental)
34 Zack Gilmore (ARA Pro-Racing Sunshine Coast)
35 Oliver Anderson (CERVELO-Tonsley Village)
36 Riley Fleming (OLIVERS Real Food Racing)
37 Pat Drapac (Cycle House Racing)
38 Zac Johnson (InForm TM Insight Make)
39 Sam Volkers (MEIYO CCN Pro Cycling Team)
40 Mark O’Brien (InForm TM Insight Make)
41 Marcus Culey (WorldTour Composite Team)
42 Will Golding (Butterfields Racing)
43 Mattew Harvey (Velofit Australia) 0:01:47
44 Cooper Sayers (Nero Continental) 0:02:29
45 Zachary Marriage (Butterfields Racing)
46 Matt Ross (Cycle House Racing) 0:02:31
47 Cameron Ivory (CERVELO-Tonsley Village) 0:00:33
48 Nicholas White (Team Bridgelane) 0:02:32
49 Terance Hore (Cycle House Racing)
50 Godfrey Slattery (GIANT Racing Team)
51 Jacob Langham (Velofit Australia)
52 Cyrus Monk (Cycle House Racing)
53 Kane Richards (MEIYO CCN Pro Cycling Team) 0:00:33
54 Damien Howson (Team BikeExchange) 0:04:09
55 Matthew Rice (ARA Pro-Racing Sunshine Coast) 0:04:12
56 Sam Welsford (Team Garmin Australia)
57 Zack Barnhill (St George Continental Cycling Team)
58 Lionel Mawditt (St George Continental Cycling Team)
59 Adam Blazevic (GIANT Racing Team)
60 Rudy Porter (InForm TM Insight Make) 0:04:33
61 Thomas Bolton (OLIVERS Real Food Racing) 0:05:44
62 Will Hodges (GIANT Racing Team)
63 Bryce Lanigan (Velofit Australia)
64 Sam Jenner (Team Bridgelane) 0:00:33
65 Drew Morey (Team Bridgelane) 0:05:56
66 Jordan Kerby (MEIYO CCN Pro Cycling Team) 0:07:56
67 Carter Bettles (St George Continental Cycling Team)
68 Rylan Dowdell (Butterfields Racing) 0:08:42
69 Jason Thomason (Butterfields Racing)
70 Campbell Jones (OLIVERS Real Food Racing)
71 Bill Simpson (GIANT Racing Team)
72 Brad Soden (MEIYO CCN Pro Cycling Team)
73 David Randall (Butterfields Racing)
74 Cam Roberts (CCS Cycling)
75 Conor Leahy (WorldTour Composite Team)
76 Ryan Cavanagh (St George Continental Cycling Team)
77 Liam White (OLIVERS Real Food Racing) 0:08:49
78 Alex Bogna (ARA Pro-Racing Sunshine Coast) 0:09:54
79 Lucas Hamilton (Team BikeExchange) 0:11:32
80 Steele van Hoff (InForm TM Insight Make)
81 Blake Quick (InForm TM Insight Make)
82 Josh Duffy (WorldTour Composite Team)
83 Alex Porter (Team Garmin Australia)
84 Alex Edmondson (Team BikeExchange)
85 Ben Hill (Team Bridgelane) 0:00:33
DNF Leigh Howard (Team Garmin Australia)
DNF Bailey Waters (MEIYO CCN Pro Cycling Team)
DNF Patrick Saccani-Williams (Velofit Australia)
DNF Josh Harrison (GIANT Racing Team)

General Classification after Stage 2 :
1 Luke Durbridge (Team BikeExchange) 5:13:53
2 Luke Plapp (Team Garmin Australia) 0:02:10
3 Raphael Freiensten (InForm TM Insight Make) 0:02:28
4 Chris Harper (CERVELO-Tonsley Village) 0:02:33
5 Tim Roe (CERVELO-Tonsley Village) 0:02:51
6 Kaden Groves (Team BikeExchange) 0:02:53
7 Kelland O’Brien (Team Garmin Australia) 0:02:54
8 Sam Crome (St George Continental Cycling Team) 0:02:57
9 Brendon Davids (OLIVERS Real Food Racing)
10 Ben Metcalfe (Team Bridgelane)
11 Carter Turnbull (InForm TM Insight Make)
12 Kane Richards (MEIYO CCN Pro Cycling Team)
13 Ben Hill (Team Bridgelane)
14 Dylan McKenna (Nero Continental) 0:03:01
15 Cameron Meyer (Team BikeExchange)
16 Oli Stenning (ARA Pro-Racing Sunshine Coast) 0:03:04
17 Angus Lyons (ARA Pro-Racing Sunshine Coast) 0:03:34
18 Kaine Cannan (Velofit Australia) 0:03:43
19 Connor Reardon (St George Continental Cycling Team) 0:03:45
20 Brendon Johnston (CCS Cycling) 0:04:06
21 Riley Fleming (OLIVERS Real Food Racing) 0:04:08
22 Cyrus Monk (Cycle House Racing) 0:04:50
23 Nicholas White (Team Bridgelane) 0:05:08
24 Damien Howson (Team BikeExchange) 0:06:08
25 Zack Gilmore (ARA Pro-Racing Sunshine Coast) 0:06:41
26 Mark O’Brien (InForm TM Insight Make)
27 Matt Ross (Cycle House Racing) 0:07:28
28 Sam Welsford (Team Garmin Australia) 0:09:07
29 Sam Jenner (Team Bridgelane) 0:14:09
30 Cooper Sayers (Nero Continental) 0:14:28
31 Matthew Rice (ARA Pro-Racing Sunshine Coast) 0:14:36
32 Rudy Porter (InForm TM Insight Make) 0:15:58
33 Jensen Plowright (Team Bridgelane) 0:17:05
34 Seb Berwick (WorldTour Composite Team)
35 Cameron Ivory (CERVELO-Tonsley Village)
36 Richie Porte (Team Garmin Australia) 0:17:11
37 Will Maloney-Morton (Cycle House Racing) 0:17:53
38 Reece Tucknott (CCS Cycling)
39 Daniel Siwek (Butterfields Racing)
40 Elliot Schultz (MEIYO CCN Pro Cycling Team)
41 Justin Gassner (CERVELO-Tonsley Village) 0:17:56
42 Jimmy Whelan (Team Garmin Australia)
43 Joshua Wilson (Velofit Australia) 0:18:12
44 Tristen Saunders (Butterfields Racing) 0:18:14
45 Chris Luxton (CERVELO-Tonsley Village) 0:18:16
46 Oliver Anderson (CERVELO-Tonsley Village)
47 Alex Holden (GIANT Racing Team)
48 Myles Stewart (Nero Continental)
49 Marcus Culey (WorldTour Composite Team)
50 Zac Johnson (InForm TM Insight Make)
51 Pat Drapac (Cycle House Racing)
52 Craig Wiggins (ARA Pro-Racing Sunshine Coast)
53 Sam Volkers (MEIYO CCN Pro Cycling Team)
54 Will Golding (Butterfields Racing)
55 Mattew Harvey (Velofit Australia) 0:18:19
56 Zachary Marriage (Butterfields Racing) 0:19:01
57 Godfrey Slattery (GIANT Racing Team) 0:19:04
58 Jacob Langham (Velofit Australia)
59 Terance Hore (Cycle House Racing)
60 Adam Blazevic (GIANT Racing Team) 0:20:44
61 Zack Barnhill (St George Continental Cycling Team)
62 Lionel Mawditt (St George Continental Cycling Team)
63 Bryce Lanigan (Velofit Australia) 0:22:16
64 Thomas Bolton (OLIVERS Real Food Racing)
65 Will Hodges (GIANT Racing Team)
66 Drew Morey (Team Bridgelane) 0:22:28
67 Jordan Kerby (MEIYO CCN Pro Cycling Team) 0:24:28
68 Carter Bettles (St George Continental Cycling Team)
69 David Randall (Butterfields Racing) 0:25:14
70 Conor Leahy (WorldTour Composite Team)
71 Brad Soden (MEIYO CCN Pro Cycling Team)
72 Rylan Dowdell (Butterfields Racing)
73 Jason Thomason (Butterfields Racing)
74 Campbell Jones (OLIVERS Real Food Racing)
75 Bill Simpson (GIANT Racing Team)
76 Cam Roberts (CCS Cycling)
77 Ryan Cavanagh (St George Continental Cycling Team)
78 Liam White (OLIVERS Real Food Racing) 0:25:21
79 Alex Bogna (ARA Pro-Racing Sunshine Coast) 0:26:26
80 Josh Duffy (WorldTour Composite Team) 0:28:04
81 Lucas Hamilton (Team BikeExchange)
82 Steele van Hoff (InForm TM Insight Make)
83 Alex Porter (Team Garmin Australia)
84 Blake Quick (InForm TM Insight Make)
85 Alex Edmondson (Team BikeExchange)