‘It makes no sense to continue’ - Vine explains Narváez exit as Vernon celebrates

“Considering this stage wasn’t even meant to happen 24 hours ago, to turn it around like that is pretty special,” Vernon said at the finish. “We lost Corbin at the start and Jake to a crash as well, so we were quite short. But the guys who were left stepped up. They were outrageous today.”

The revised finale in Willunga, with a steady drag rather than a full climb, turned the sprint into a game of restraint. Vernon had done his homework. “We watched the last couple of editions, including the women’s race and the 2023 finish,” he explained. “Both were won from a long jump. I was actually pretty comfortable with about 250 metres to go, so I went, got a gap, and just held it to the line.”

The extreme heat added another layer of difficulty according to the 25-year-old British rider. “Everyone was suffering out there,” Vernon said. “But the boys did a really good job keeping me cool. I could see guys around me really struggling, and I knew I wasn’t. So I stayed calm, played it smart, and it paid off.” 

While Vernon celebrated a breakthrough win, the mood inside UAE Team Emirates-XRG was more sombre. Jay Vine retained the ochre leader’s jersey, but the stage cost the team dearly. Jhonatan Narváez, second overall and Vine’s closest challenger, crashed early and was forced to abandon.

“It’s such a team sport, and on a day like today, even more than on a hilly stage, teammates really count,” Vine said. “It’s really unfortunate that we lost two guys. Johnny, we’re still waiting to hear more about him. Vegard is recovering and should be okay, but once you’re that far back after a crash, it doesn’t make sense to continue.”

Despite the setbacks, Vine was already looking ahead. With Narváez out, his margin in the general classification has grown, but the final stage around Stirling still looms large. “We’ve probably still got to race the same way,” he said. “But we have to be clever. I’ve got a bigger gap now, so I can afford to let the right move go and maybe let other teams chase for their GC.”

Vine hinted at a more tactical approach, leaning on rivals with their own ambitions. “The finish really suits someone like Brennan,” he noted. “It suited Johnny as well, but now he’s gone. Hopefully Visma will want to control things a bit, and there are other teams who still want something from this race.”

First, though, recovery. “Ice bath, electrolytes,” Vine smiled. “I’ve already sent my son back to the hotel to recover from the heat. I’ll be doing exactly the same.”