The route is an exact copy of stage 5 in the Tours Down Under of 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016. In last three editions Richie Porte climbed to victory in the Queen Stage, albeit he never succeeded in taking the leader’s jersey at the top of Willunga Hill.
The route takes in two circuits. Once the flag is dropped, riders head in southeasterly direction to the first circuit, which is raced three times. An 8 kilometres section along the coast could be tricky due to crosswinds.
The second circuit features Willunga Hill, a 3 kilometres climb at 7%. The summit is crested for the first time with 22.4 kilometres left. On the second occasion it’s all systems go as the finish line is at the top. It’s now or never for riders eyeing up the overall win, since tomorrow’s race is too short and too flat to make a difference.
The first three riders on the line take time bonuses of 10, 6 and 4 seconds.
The riders will leave McLaren Vale at 11:10 and the finish of the 5th stage of the 2017 Tour Down Under is expected at around 15:00 – both local times.
Results/race report 5th stage 2017 Tour Down Under.
Tour Down Under 2017 stage 5: Route maps, height profiles, and more
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