Tour Down Under 2014 Route stage 5: McLaren Vale - Willunga Hill
January 25, stage 5 of the 2014 Tour Down Under is the penultimate leg. Riders with GC ambitions have to take their changes in this 151.5 kilometers leg. Tomorrow’s ride is too flat and too short to make a difference.
(Slideshow route/profile)
Tour Down Under 2014: Stage 5 McLaren Vale > Willunga Hill
McLaren Vale is a small village, 35 kilometers south of Adelaide, surrounded by vineyards. Stage 5 of the 2013 Tour Down Under started here as well to finish on Willunga Hill. The route is exactly the same.
Directly from the start riders head south-east for a first circuit, which they have to take three times. Then they go to a second circuit. The first of this one is flat, but the wind can be treacherous, since it’s partly on the coast line.
Towards the end of the race, riders face Willunga Hill two times. The climb is 3 kilometers in length with a gradient of 7.4%. So it’s long and steep enough to give it a try.
In last year’s ride home rider Simon Gerrans was the best at Willunga Hill. During that stage Dutchman Tom-Jelte Slagter passed Britain’s Geraint Thomas in the GC and took the lead. This proved to be enough to win the 2013 Tour Down Under.
The stage finishes around 3 pm (ACST).
Pictures for stage 5 of the Tour Down Under 2014
Click on the pictures to enlarge.
