UAE blows Tour Down Under apart with Vine and Narváez 1-2 on stage 2

Widely seen as the toughest stage in Tour Down Under history, the 148.1 kilometre run from Norwood to Uraidla began with a seven man break that set the tone for the opening hours. 

Martin Urianstad (Uno X Mobility) carried the KOM jersey out front, alongside Joel Suter (Tudor Pro Cycling), Fran Miholjevic (Bahrain Victorious), Jensen Plowright (Alpecin Deceuninck), Pepijn Reinderink (Soudal Quick Step), Storm Ingebrigsten (Uno X Mobility) and Lucas Stevenson (Australia). 

The group worked smoothly and stayed clear deep into the stage, but with the Corkscrew still to come, their advantage always looked fragile.

That proved the case. The break was caught just before the foot of the Corkscrew, 2.4 kilometres at 9.4 percent, and UAE took over immediately. The pace rose sharply, splitting the peloton and putting race leader Tobias Lund Andresen under pressure, with Luke Plapp also losing contact as the climb did its damage.

Adam Yates then drove the speed higher again and, with 13.7 kilometres remaining, Vine attacked. Only Narváez could follow. Together, Vine and Narváez broke the Corkscrew Road record, stopping the clock at 6:19. The pair quickly opened a gap over the top and, with the road still rising after the summit before a fast run into Uraidla, the chase never fully formed.”

Vine and Narváez, both former Tour Down Under winners, reached the finish together. Vine was allowed to take the stage win, with Narváez sitting up alongside him, and they carved out 58 seconds on the chasing group, where Schmid won the sprint for third.

The result also puts Vine into the ochre leader’s jersey, with Narváez six seconds back. Schmid sits third at more than a minute, leaving UAE in a commanding position after two stages.

Stage 3 runs from Henley Beach to Nairne over 140.8 kilometres. It could suit the sprinters again, but the climbing across the day should make it a demanding one for the fast men.