Santos Festival of Cycling 2022 – Stage 3 [FULL STAGE]

January 29, 2022

Santos Festival of Cycling 2022 – Stage 3 – McLaren Vale – Willunga Hill : 113,2 km

The Santos Festival of Cycling, which includes four days of racing across South Australia for the women and men, is the National Road Series replacement for the cancelled Tour Down Under, which was last held as a WorldTour event for men. The multi-day event provides an opportunity for the top domestic racers to line up alongside some of the nation’s WorldTour professionals who returned home for the Australian summer. The domestic event will feature three-day stage races for elite women and elite men, as well as men’s and women’s criteriums in Victoria Park.

The break reigned on stage 3 of the Santos Festival of Cycling, with Angus Lyons (ARA Pro Racing Sunshine Coast) capitalising on an early move to steal a march on retiring Willunga Hill king, Richie Porte (Team Garmin Australia).

Lyons pace couldn’t be matched by any of his break rivals in the final section of the climb, with the rider who came seventh on this stage last year dropping Callum Scotson (BikeExchange-Jayco) and stretching out a 22 second gap by the time they had reached the line. Cooper Sayers (Nero Continental) came in ten seconds back, just beating Brendon Green (Cycling Development Foundation) to third.

“We came close last year, with a similar sort of situation, just not as much gap on the bottom, so it was nice to finish it off,” said Lyons, who took the win after his teammate Declan Trezise relentlessly drove the break to the base of the climb. “Declan rode an insane ride to keep us away. He didn’t have a lot of help there in the last six or 8km and he did an amazing job to get me there with three minutes up my sleeve.”

As the rest of the break came over the line, behind the GC battle was unfolding as were the final moments of Porte racing his way up Willunga. His teammate Luke Plapp (Team Garmin Australia) came through in eighth, the first of the riders not from the break and then it was Chris Harper (Villawood) and Porte a few seconds back, along with Matt Dinham (Team BridgeLane) at one minute and 28 seconds behind the winner.

“Obviously the race was up the road so there wasn’t that massive pressure that there normally is to attack, so it was just nice to just be able to sit back and watch the race unfold,” said Porte, who has tasted victory on top of the climb seven times.

After Dinham and Porte it was race leader James Whelan (Team BridgeLane) at one minute and 31 seconds, safely holding onto his overall position.

“I feel amazing,” said Whelan. “The team did an amazing job today. All I needed to do was get to the bottom of that climb and follow a few wheels and we won the thing.”

The Willunga stage is always one that looms large, both for the GC, stage honours and the spectacle for the fans. The final 113.2km day, started in McLaren Vale, wound past the vineyards and onto the coast with views of Aldinga Beach before flying toward the race making climb of Willunga Hill, where the final battle for GC and stage honours unfolded on the crowd lined roads.

How it unfolded

It wasn’t long after the racing started that there were five out the front, with regular early break candidate Scotson joined by Lyons, Trezise and Edwin Britts (Oliver’s).

The gap quickly stretched out beyond a minute and a chase of four set off in pursuit with Sayers, Green, Daniel Luke (Oliver’s) and Cameron Fraser (Onyva) making the junction with 90 km to go as the course wound its way back through McLaren Vale.

The group worked together smoothly to pull the gap out further, to around four minutes as they swept past the beach at Aldinga for the first time, facing the windy conditions and some crashes too. Plapp was among those involved, having to do some work to join back onto the peloton.

The gap had then stretched out to four minutes at around 75 kilometres to go, with the GC focussed Team BridgeLane largely out the front and there was little concern for them if the stage victory was up the road as long as Whelan’s overall lead stayed. By the second sweep past the beach, at around 30km to go, it had stretched to five minutes. Then the teams that were more concerned about the stage victory, like Team Garmin Australia, decided it was time to roll through to the front and start shaving down the gap.

It wasn’t happening quickly though, particularly with Trezise driving the pace in the break for teammate Lyons, who after last year’s effort out the front ended in seventh on the line so he knew that every second counted this time. The group hit the base of Willunga and, after a spent Trezise swung off the front and ground to a halt, the lead group hit the slopes with more than three minutes up their sleeve.

At 2.5km to go it was Scotson who jumped off the front, with Lyons quickly slipping onto the wheel and then Green also joining the trio. They were playing cat and mouse for a while, they had time after all, but then Lyons slipped away and while Scotson tried to haul him back it was to no avail. From that point it was clear it was Lyon’s year.

In the overall competition it was best young rider, Dinham, who came second behind teammate Whelan while Harper took third. Benjamin Dyball (AUS II) took out the Sprint Classification while Ben Hill (CCS Cycling) kept hold of the King of the Mountains jersey.

Results :
1 Angus Lyons (Aus) ARA Pro Racing Sunshine Coast 2:39:31
2 Callum Scotson (Aus) BikeExchange-Jayco 0:00:22
3 Cooper Sayers (Aus) Nero Continental 0:00:32
4 Brendon Green (Aus) Cycling Development Foundation
5 Cameron Fraser (Aus) Onyva Racing 0:01:00
6 Edwin Britts (Aus) Oliver’s Racing 0:01:22
7 Daniel Luke (Aus) Oliver’s Racing
8 Luke Plapp (Aus) Team Garmin Australia
9 Chris Harper (Aus) Villawood 0:01:28
10 Richie Porte (Aus) Team Garmin Australia
11 Matt Dinham (Aus) Team Bridgelane
12 James Whelan (Aus) Team Bridgelane 0:01:31
13 Tasman Nankervis (Aus) St George Continental Cycling Team 0:01:44
14 Rudy Porter (Aus) Inform TMX Make
15 Nathan Earle (Aus) Aus II 0:01:46
16 Luke Durbridge (Aus) BikeExchange-Jayco 0:01:48
17 Alastair Mackellar (Aus) Team Westpac
18 Benjamin Dyball (Aus) Aus II
19 Tim Roe (Aus) Villawood 0:01:51
20 Jesse Ewart (Aus) Aus II 0:01:59
21 Brendan Johnston (Aus) Giant Racing Team 0:02:03
22 Dylan Hopkins (Aus) Aus II 0:02:11
23 Carter Turnbull (Aus) Inform TMX Make
24 Brendon Davids (RSA) Oliver’s Racing 0:02:28
25 Steven Robb (Aus) Cycle House Racing 0:02:34
26 Kane Richards (Aus) ARA Pro Racing Sunshine Coast
27 Ben Hill (Aus) CCS Cycling
28 Stinus Kaempe (Aus) Team Westpac 0:02:39
29 Jacob Langham (Aus) VA Pro Racing 0:02:43
30 Sam Golding (Aus) Butterfields p/b Van d’Am Racing 0:02:49
31 Connor Sens (Aus) Team Westpac 0:02:50
32 Timothy Cameron (Aus) Rauland Development Cycling Team
33 Dylan Lindsey (Aus) Ncmg Criterion Racing 0:02:59
34 Drew Morey (Aus) Team Bridgelane 0:03:01
35 Connor Reardon (Aus) St George Continental Cycling Team
36 Joshua Wilson (Aus) VA Pro Racing 0:03:03
37 Oscar Chamberlain (Aus) CCS Cycling 0:03:08
38 Chris Luxton (Aus) Villawood 0:03:14
39 Ben Carman (Aus) Nero Continental
40 Dalton Stretton (Aus) VA Pro Racing
41 Will Moloney-Morton (Aus) Cycle House Racing 0:03:23
42 Declan Trezise (Aus) ARA Pro Racing Sunshine Coast 0:03:30
43 Matson McAdam (Aus) Ncmg Criterion Racing 0:03:33
44 Aiden Buttgieg (Aus) Nero Continental 0:03:37
45 Joseph Inglis (Aus) Cycling Development Foundation
46 Daniel Potter (Aus) Cycling Development Foundation 0:03:51
47 Patrick Saccani_williams (Aus) VA Pro Racing 0:03:55
48 Tynan Shannon (Aus) VA Pro Racing 0:03:57
49 Robert Parker (Aus) Onyva Racing
50 Hugo Thompson (Aus) Ncmg Criterion Racing 0:04:01
51 Dylan George (Aus) Team Garmin Australia 0:04:05
52 Luke Britten (Aus) Rauland Development Cycling Team 0:04:14
53 Rohan Dennis (Aus) Villawood
54 Riley Fleming (Aus) St George Continental Cycling Team 0:04:26
55 Oliver Bledyn (Aus) Butterfields p/b Van d’Am Racing 0:04:36
56 Jason Thomason (Aus) Butterfields p/b Van d’Am Racing
57 William Golding (Aus) Onyva Racing 0:04:38
58 Nick White (Aus) Team Bridgelane 0:04:46
59 Iven Bennett (Aus) Nero Continental
60 Nick Pedlar (Aus) Ncmg Criterion Racing
61 Jean-Pierre van der Merwe (Aus) Team Bridgelane
62 Curtis Dowdell (Aus) Butterfields p/b Van d’Am Racing
63 Benjamin Spenceley (Aus) Rauland Development Cycling Team
64 Leo Yip (HKg) Nero Continental 0:04:54
65 Jordan Villani (Aus) Team Westpac 0:04:58
66 Liam Walsh (Aus) Giant Racing Team 0:05:33
67 Dylan Sunderland (Aus) Team Westpac 0:05:45
68 Kael Thomas (Aus) Butterfields p/b Van d’Am Racing
69 Tyler Tomkinson (Aus) Team Garmin Australia 0:06:10
70 Cameron Rogers (Aus) BikeExchange-Jayco
71 Cameron Meyer (Aus) BikeExchange-Jayco
72 Tom Lynch (Aus) Rauland Development Cycling Team
73 Jesse Norton (Aus) Giant Racing Team 0:06:44
74 Zack Gilmore (Aus) ARA Pro Racing Sunshine Coast 0:06:58
75 Hamish mac Kenzie (Aus) BikeExchange-Jayco
76 Tristan Saunders (Aus) Inform TMX Make
77 Blake Agnolletto (Aus) Aus II
78 Carter Bettles (Aus) ARA Pro Racing Sunshine Coast
79 Willis Lienert (Aus) Onyva Racing
80 Brenton Jones (Aus) Inform TMX Make
81 Olivar Anderson (Aus) Villawood 0:07:22
82 Cameron Bayly (Aus) Villawood
83 Alistair Christie-Johnson (Aus) Team Bridgelane 0:07:57
84 Jensen Plowright (Aus) Team Westpac
85 Jack Marshall (Aus) Cycle House Racing
86 Jack Schouten (Aus) Onyva Racing
87 Thomas Bolton (Aus) Oliver’s Racing
88 Tom Chester (Aus) Rauland Development Cycling Team
89 Conor Leahy (Aus) Inform TMX Make
90 Blake Quick (Aus) Inform TMX Make 0:08:04
91 Cameron Scott (Aus) ARA Pro Racing Sunshine Coast 0:08:18
92 Josh Duffy (Aus) Inform TMX Make 0:08:32
93 Sam Greenwood (Aus) Rauland Development Cycling Team 0:09:32
94 Kurt Eather (Aus) Oliver’s Racing 0:09:41
95 Graeme Frislie (Aus) Aus II
96 Matthew Bird (Aus) Cycle House Racing 0:09:51
97 Sam Jenner (Aus) Team Bridgelane 0:09:53
98 Oli Stenning (Aus) ARA Pro Racing Sunshine Coast 0:10:59
99 Joe Cooper (NZl) Giant Racing Team
100 Campbell Palmer (Aus) Team Westpac
101 Justin Gassner (Aus) Villawood 0:11:29
102 Torben Partridge-Madsen (Aus) CCS Cycling
103 Lachlan Miller (Aus) Team Garmin Australia 0:12:48
104 Terance Hore (Aus) Cycle House Racing 0:13:46
105 Griffin Knight (Aus) Cycle House Racing 0:13:51
106 Fintan Conway (Aus) Oliver’s Racing 0:13:54
107 Spencer Evans (Aus) Giant Racing Team 0:17:05
108 Cameron Roberts (Aus) CCS Cycling 0:19:09
109 Lachlan Harrigan (Aus) Onyva Racing
110 Angus Miller (Aus) Butterfields p/b Van d’Am Racing
111 William Thomas (Aus) Cycling Development Foundation 0:19:54
112 Matthew Connan (Aus) Cycling Development Foundation
DNF Zac Marriage (Aus) Team Garmin Australia
DNF Kai Chapman (Aus) Oliver’s Racing
DNF Angus Calder (Aus) St George Continental Cycling Team
DNF Samuel Hill (Aus) Nero Continental
DNF Mackenzie Edwardson (Aus) CCS Cycling

Final General Classification :
1 James Whelan (Aus) Team Bridgelane 7:53:14
2 Matt Dinham (Aus) Team Bridgelane 0:00:24
3 Chris Harper (Aus) Villawood 0:00:30
4 Rudy Porter (Aus) Inform TMX Make 0:00:46
5 Luke Durbridge (Aus) BikeExchange-Jayco 0:00:49
6 Alastair Mackellar (Aus) Team Westpac 0:00:50
7 Tim Roe (Aus) Villawood 0:00:53
8 Brendan Johnston (Aus) Giant Racing Team 0:01:00
9 Carter Turnbull (Aus) Inform TMX Make 0:01:13
10 Ben Hill (Aus) CCS Cycling 0:01:28
11 Brendon Davids (RSA) Oliver’s Racing 0:01:30
12 Kane Richards (Aus) ARA Pro Racing Sunshine Coast 0:01:36
13 Drew Morey (Aus) Team Bridgelane 0:02:03
14 Ben Carman (Aus) Nero Continental 0:02:16
15 Luke Plapp (Aus) Team Garmin Australia 0:02:21
16 Jean-Pierre van der Merwe (Aus) Team Bridgelane 0:04:07
17 Tasman Nankervis (Aus) St George Continental Cycling Team 0:04:15
18 Nathan Earle (Aus) Aus II 0:04:44
19 Richie Porte (Aus) Team Garmin Australia 0:04:51
20 Jesse Ewart (Aus) Aus II 0:04:57
21 Daniel Luke (Aus) Oliver’s Racing 0:05:08
22 Dylan Hopkins (Aus) Aus II 0:05:09
23 Edwin Britts (Aus) Oliver’s Racing
24 Stinus Kaempe (Aus) Team Westpac 0:05:37
25 Dalton Stretton (Aus) VA Pro Racing 0:05:45
26 Connor Reardon (Aus) St George Continental Cycling Team 0:05:55
27 Joshua Wilson (Aus) VA Pro Racing 0:06:01
28 Oscar Chamberlain (Aus) CCS Cycling 0:06:06
29 Jacob Langham (Aus) VA Pro Racing 0:06:20
30 Declan Trezise (Aus) ARA Pro Racing Sunshine Coast 0:06:27
31 Timothy Cameron (Aus) Rauland Development Cycling Team
32 Benjamin Dyball (Aus) Aus II 0:06:31
33 Connor Sens (Aus) Team Westpac 0:06:38
34 Steven Robb (Aus) Cycle House Racing 0:06:42
35 Will Moloney-Morton (Aus) Cycle House Racing 0:07:00
36 Chris Luxton (Aus) Villawood 0:07:02
37 Matson McAdam (Aus) Ncmg Criterion Racing 0:07:10
38 Cooper Sayers (Aus) Nero Continental 0:07:21
39 Rohan Dennis (Aus) Villawood
40 Joseph Inglis (Aus) Cycling Development Foundation 0:07:25
41 Callum Scotson (Aus) BikeExchange-Jayco 0:07:31
42 Jason Thomason (Aus) Butterfields p/b Van d’Am Racing 0:07:34
43 Nick White (Aus) Team Bridgelane 0:07:44
44 Luke Britten (Aus) Rauland Development Cycling Team 0:07:51
45 Iven Bennett (Aus) Nero Continental 0:08:23
46 Jordan Villani (Aus) Team Westpac 0:08:35
47 Dylan Sunderland (Aus) Team Westpac 0:08:40
48 Cameron Meyer (Aus) BikeExchange-Jayco 0:09:08
49 Liam Walsh (Aus) Giant Racing Team 0:09:21
50 Angus Lyons (Aus) ARA Pro Racing Sunshine Coast 0:09:48
51 Curtis Dowdell (Aus) Butterfields p/b Van d’Am Racing 0:09:52
52 Brenton Jones (Aus) Inform TMX Make 0:09:56
53 Carter Bettles (Aus) ARA Pro Racing Sunshine Coast 0:10:15
54 Jesse Norton (Aus) Giant Racing Team 0:10:21
55 Hamish mac Kenzie (Aus) BikeExchange-Jayco 0:10:35
56 Zack Gilmore (Aus) ARA Pro Racing Sunshine Coast
57 Blake Quick (Aus) Inform TMX Make 0:10:52
58 Jensen Plowright (Aus) Team Westpac 0:10:55
59 Cameron Scott (Aus) ARA Pro Racing Sunshine Coast 0:11:10
60 Robert Parker (Aus) Onyva Racing 0:12:28
61 Olivar Anderson (Aus) Villawood
62 Conor Leahy (Aus) Inform TMX Make 0:12:36
63 Tynan Shannon (Aus) VA Pro Racing 0:12:58
64 Riley Fleming (Aus) St George Continental Cycling Team 0:13:19
65 Aiden Buttgieg (Aus) Nero Continental 0:13:34
66 Patrick Saccani_williams (Aus) VA Pro Racing 0:13:41
67 Tristan Saunders (Aus) Inform TMX Make 0:14:20
68 Tyler Tomkinson (Aus) Team Garmin Australia 0:14:21
69 Leo Yip (HKg) Nero Continental 0:14:40
70 Benjamin Spenceley (Aus) Rauland Development Cycling Team 0:14:43
71 Alistair Christie-Johnson (Aus) Team Bridgelane 0:14:52
72 Cameron Rogers (Aus) BikeExchange-Jayco 0:15:17
73 Oli Stenning (Aus) ARA Pro Racing Sunshine Coast 0:15:49
74 Thomas Bolton (Aus) Oliver’s Racing 0:16:32
75 Blake Agnolletto (Aus) Aus II 0:16:55
76 Jack Marshall (Aus) Cycle House Racing 0:17:54
77 Jack Schouten (Aus) Onyva Racing 0:19:14
78 Joe Cooper (NZl) Giant Racing Team 0:19:21
79 Cameron Bayly (Aus) Villawood 0:20:53
80 Dylan George (Aus) Team Garmin Australia 0:22:16
81 Sam Golding (Aus) Butterfields p/b Van d’Am Racing
82 Cameron Fraser (Aus) Onyva Racing 0:22:32
83 Brendon Green (Aus) Cycling Development Foundation 0:22:48
84 Dylan Lindsey (Aus) Ncmg Criterion Racing 0:23:08
85 Hugo Thompson (Aus) Ncmg Criterion Racing 0:23:28
86 Josh Duffy (Aus) Inform TMX Make 0:23:42
87 Sam Jenner (Aus) Team Bridgelane 0:24:07
88 Nick Pedlar (Aus) Ncmg Criterion Racing 0:24:13
89 Justin Gassner (Aus) Villawood 0:25:00
90 Torben Partridge-Madsen (Aus) CCS Cycling 0:26:07
91 William Golding (Aus) Onyva Racing 0:26:49
92 Sam Greenwood (Aus) Rauland Development Cycling Team 0:27:39
93 Willis Lienert (Aus) Onyva Racing 0:27:56
94 Daniel Potter (Aus) Cycling Development Foundation 0:28:12
95 Spencer Evans (Aus) Giant Racing Team 0:28:22
96 Kael Thomas (Aus) Butterfields p/b Van d’Am Racing 0:28:54
97 Matthew Connan (Aus) Cycling Development Foundation 0:29:51
98 Campbell Palmer (Aus) Team Westpac 0:30:26
99 Oliver Bledyn (Aus) Butterfields p/b Van d’Am Racing 0:30:32
100 Tom Chester (Aus) Rauland Development Cycling Team 0:30:55
101 Tom Lynch (Aus) Rauland Development Cycling Team 0:33:15
102 Terance Hore (Aus) Cycle House Racing 0:33:24
103 Griffin Knight (Aus) Cycle House Racing 0:34:03
104 Kurt Eather (Aus) Oliver’s Racing 0:34:06
105 Matthew Bird (Aus) Cycle House Racing 0:34:10
106 William Thomas (Aus) Cycling Development Foundation 0:34:32
107 Lachlan Miller (Aus) Team Garmin Australia 0:36:32
108 Graeme Frislie (Aus) Aus II 0:36:50
109 Fintan Conway (Aus) Oliver’s Racing 0:39:50
110 Lachlan Harrigan (Aus) Onyva Racing 0:40:07
111 Cameron Roberts (Aus) CCS Cycling 0:43:28
112 Angus Miller (Aus) Butterfields p/b Van d’Am Racing 0:49:42