January 22, 2009 – Australia’s Graeme Brown (Aus) Rabobank has been trying for a win all week, and today the Sydneysider finally took one. Brown’s Rabobank squad opted to take victory the hard way, by chasing down a spectacular group that included Stuart O’Grady (Aus) Saxo Bank, Michael Rogers (Aus) Columbia and Lance Armstrong (USA) Astana.

“There was an awesome break up the road, it had everyone in it that should have been in it,” said Brown.

The one team that was missing from the group, however, was Rabobank. The failure to get any of its riders in the break was something the Dutch squad refused to accept, so it took to the head of the peloton and commenced work chasing the group down.

Brown went on to head an all Australian podium, with race leader Allan Davis (Aus) Quick Step finishing second after his team also had a big day chasing, following a crash in the peloton. After being in the early break, O’Grady was still feeling fresh enough to take out third place.

Stage 1 winner Andre Greipel’s (Ger) Columbia title defense came to a sudden holt early in Stage 3. The German rider was caught in the same crash as Davis, and dislocated his shoulder as a result. Greipel was taken to a local medical centre for treatment.

Results

1. Graeme Brown (Aus) Rabobank 3:15.35 (41.721 km/h)
2. Allan Davis (Aus) Quick Step
3. Stuart O’Grady (Aus) Team Saxo Bank
4. George Hincapie (USA) Team Columbia-High Road
5. Luis Leon Sanchez Gil (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne
6. Martin Elmiger (Swi) AG2R La Mondiale
7. José Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne
8. Alexandre Pichot (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom
9. Mauro Santambrogio (Ita) Lampre-N.G.C
10. Mickaël Chérel (Fra) Française Des Jeux
11. Christian Knees (Ger) Team Milram
12. Jens Voigt (Ger) Team Saxo Bank
13. Aleksandr Kuchynski (Blr) Liquigas
14. Kasper Klostergaard Larsen (Den) Team Saxo Bank
15. Nicolas Roche (Irl) AG2R La Mondiale
16. Simon Clarke (Aus) UniSA
17. Markel Irizar Aranburu (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
18. Matthew Wilson (Aus) UniSA
19. Vincent Jérôme (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom
20. Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin-Slipstream
21. William Walker (Aus) Fuji-Servetto
22. Mathew Hayman (Aus) Rabobank
23. Jussi Veikkanen (Fin) Française Des Jeux
24. Adam Hansen (Aus) Team Columbia-High Road
25. Michael Rogers (Aus) Team Columbia-High Road
26. Thomas Rohregger (Aut) Team Milram
27. Wesley Sulzberger (Aus) Française Des Jeux
28. Mathieu Perget (Fra) Caisse d’Epargne
29. Alexander Efimkin (Rus) AG2R La Mondiale
30. Jesus Hernandez (Spa) Astana
31. Anders Lund (Den) Team Saxo Bank
32. Lance Armstrong (USA) Astana
33. Pablo Lastras Garcia (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne
34. Francesco Reda (Ita) Quick Step
35. Christian Meier (Can) Garmin-Slipstream
36. Jérémy Roy (Fra) Française Des Jeux
37. Javier Megías Leal (Spa) Fuji-Servetto
38. Perrig Quemeneur (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom
39. Oscar Pereiro Sio (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne
40. Steve Morabito (Swi) Astana
41. Matthew Lloyd (Aus) Silence-Lotto
42. Sébastien Hinault (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
43. Trent Lowe (Aus) Garmin-Slipstream
44. Frederik Willems (Bel) Liquigas
45. Glenn d’Hollander (Bel) Silence-Lotto
46. David Moncoutié (Fra) Cofidis
47. Imanol Erviti Ollo (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne
48. Matteo Tosatto (Ita) Quick Step 0.32
49. Matthew Goss (Aus) Team Saxo Bank 4.30
50. Gregory Henderson (NZl) Team Columbia-High Road
51. David Loosli (Swi) Lampre-N.G.C
52. Matteo Bono (Ita) Lampre-N.G.C
53. Cameron Meyer (Aus) Garmin-Slipstream
54. Matthieu Sprick (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom 7.17
55. Mathieu Drujon (Fra) Caisse d’Epargne
56. Tom Leezer (Ned) Rabobank
57. Rick Flens (Ned) Rabobank 9.35
58. Jos Van Emden (Ned) Rabobank
59. Dries Devenyns (Bel) Quick Step
60. Tom Stubbe (Bel) Silence-Lotto
61. Chris Sutton (Aus) Garmin-Slipstream 21.49
62. Jack Bobridge (Aus) UniSA
63. Yoann Offredo (Fra) Française Des Jeux
64. Jonas Ljungblad (Swe) Silence-Lotto
65. Alexandre Usov (Blr) Cofidis
66. Olivier Kaisen (Bel) Silence-Lotto
67. Davide Malacarne (Ita) Quick Step
68. Luca Barla (Ita) Team Milram
69. Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel) Team Katusha
70. Jacopo Guanieri (Ita) Liquigas
71. Florent Brard (Fra) Cofidis
72. Aaron Kemps (Aus) UniSA
73. Stef Clement (Ned) Rabobank
74. René Mandri (Est) AG2R La Mondiale
75. Gianni Da Ros (Ita) Liquigas
76. Alexandr Pliuschin (Mda) AG2R La Mondiale
77. Vladimir Efimkin (Rus) AG2R La Mondiale
78. Kurt Hovelijnck (Bel) Quick Step
79. Kenny De Haes (Bel) Team Katusha
80. Vitaliy Buts (Ukr) Lampre-N.G.C
81. Mickaël Buffaz (Fra) Cofidis
82. Volodymyr Zagorodniy (Ukr) Lampre-N.G.C
83. Julien El Farès (Fra) Cofidis
84. Scott Davis (Aus) UniSA
85. Andrea Grendene (Ita) Lampre-N.G.C
86. Guillaume Blot (Fra) Cofidis
87. Ronny Scholz (Ger) Team Milram
88. Martin Müller (Ger) Team Milram
89. Francesco Chicchi (Ita) Liquigas
90. Robbie McEwen (Aus) Team Katusha
91. Sergio De Lis (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
92. Claudio Corioni (Ita) Liquigas
93. Nikolay Trusov (Rus) Team Katusha
94. Maciej Bodnar (Pol) Liquigas
95. Iñaki Isasi Flores (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
96. Aitor Hernandez Gutierrez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
97. Emanuele Bindi (Ita) Lampre-N.G.C
98. Julian Dean (NZl) Garmin-Slipstream
99. Mark Renshaw (Aus) Team Columbia-High Road
100. Hubert Schwab (Swi) Quick Step
101. Serguei Klimov (Rus) Team Katusha
102. Gert Steegmans (Bel) Team Katusha
103. Josu Agirre Aseginolaza (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
104. Joan Horrach Rippoll (Spa) Team Katusha
105. Rony Martias (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom
106. Travis Meyer (Aus) UniSA
107. Timmy Duggan (USA) Garmin-Slipstream
108. Mathieu Claude (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom
109. Laurent Lefèvre (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom
110. Davide Viganò (Ita) Fuji-Servetto
111. Ivan Dominquez (Cub) Fuji-Servetto
112. Mario Aerts (Bel) Silence-Lotto
113. Hilton Clarke (Aus) Fuji-Servetto
114. Pieter Jacobs (Bel) Silence-Lotto
115. Pablo Urtasun (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
116. Andoni Lafuente (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
117. José Luis Rubiera Vigil (Spa) Astana
118. Willem Stroetinga (Ned) Team Milram
119. Maxim Iglinsky (Kaz) Astana
120. Assan Bazayev (Kaz) Astana
121. Nicki Sørensen (Den) Team Saxo Bank
122. Frank Hoj (Den) Team Saxo Bank
123. Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Team Columbia-High Road
124. Rein Taaramae (Est) Cofidis
DNF André Greipel (Ger) Team Columbia-High Road
DNF Michael Schär (Swi) Astana
DNF Rémy Di Grégorio (Fra) Française Des Jeux
DNF Timothy Gudsell (NZl) Française Des Jeux
DNF Markus Eichler (Ger) Team Milram
DNF Kai Reus (Ned) Rabobank
DNF Daniele Nardello (Ita) Fuji-Servetto
DNF Ermanno Capelli (Ita) Fuji-Servetto
DNF Baden Cooke (Aus) UniSA

GC after Stage 3

1. Allan Davis (Aus) Quick Step 10:47.11
2. Graeme Brown (Aus) Rabobank
3. Stuart O’Grady (Aus) Team Saxo Bank 0.05
4. Martin Elmiger (Swi) AG2R La Mondiale 0.14
5. Michael Rogers (Aus) Team Columbia-High Road 0.18
6. Matthew Wilson (Aus) UniSA 0.19
7. Mauro Santambrogio (Ita) Lampre-N.G.C 0.20
8. José Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne
9. Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin-Slipstream
10. Jussi Veikkanen (Fin) Française Des Jeux
11. Mickaël Chérel (Fra) Française Des Jeux
12. George Hincapie (USA) Team Columbia-High Road
13. Mathew Hayman (Aus) Rabobank
14. Wesley Sulzberger (Aus) Française Des Jeux
15. Nicolas Roche (Irl) AG2R La Mondiale 0.24
16. Christian Knees (Ger) Team Milram
17. Luis Leon Sanchez Gil (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne
18. Mathieu Perget (Fra) Caisse d’Epargne
19. Vincent Jérôme (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom
20. Matthew Lloyd (Aus) Silence-Lotto
21. Markel Irizar Aranburu (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 0.27
22. William Walker (Aus) Fuji-Servetto 0.28
23. Kasper Klostergaard Larsen (Den) Team Saxo Bank 0.29
24. Anders Lund (Den) Team Saxo Bank
25. Jérémy Roy (Fra) Française Des Jeux
26. Sébastien Hinault (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
27. Pablo Lastras Garcia (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne
28. Thomas Rohregger (Aut) Team Milram
29. Christian Meier (Can) Garmin-Slipstream
30. Alexander Efimkin (Rus) AG2R La Mondiale
31. Imanol Erviti Ollo (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne
32. Aleksandr Kuchynski (Blr) Liquigas
33. Javier Megías Leal (Spa) Fuji-Servetto
34. Trent Lowe (Aus) Garmin-Slipstream
35. Simon Clarke (Aus) UniSA
36. Oscar Pereiro Sio (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne
37. Jens Voigt (Ger) Team Saxo Bank
38. Jesus Hernandez (Spa) Astana
39. Lance Armstrong (USA) Astana
40. Steve Morabito (Swi) Astana
41 .Glenn d’Hollander (Bel) Silence-Lotto 0.49
42. Perrig Quemeneur (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom 0.55
43. Francesco Reda (Ita) Quick Step 1.05
44. Alexandre Pichot (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom 1.09
45. Matteo Tosatto (Ita) Quick Step 1.32
46. David Moncoutié (Fra) Cofidis 1.36
47. Adam Hansen (Aus) Team Columbia-High Road 1.58
48. Frederik Willems (Bel) Liquigas 4.55
49. Matthew Goss (Aus) Team Saxo Bank 6.03
50. Mathieu Drujon (Fra) Caisse d’Epargne 7.46
51. Tom Leezer (Ned) Rabobank 7.56
52. Dries Devenyns (Bel) Quick Step 10.24
53. Tom Stubbe (Bel) Silence-Lotto 10.27
54. Rick Flens (Ned) Rabobank 11.16
55. Matteo Bono (Ita) Lampre-N.G.C 11.47
56. David Loosli (Swi) Lampre-N.G.C
57. Jos Van Emden (Ned) Rabobank 12.02
58. Gregory Henderson (NZl) Team Columbia-High Road 16.27
59. Mickaël Buffaz (Fra) Cofidis 22.09
60. Olivier Kaisen (Bel) Silence-Lotto 22.12
61. Iñaki Isasi Flores (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 22.13
62. Alexandre Usov (Blr) Cofidis 22.18
63. Luca Barla (Ita) Team Milram
64. Rony Martias (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom
65. Emanuele Bindi (Ita) Lampre-N.G.C
66. Pieter Jacobs (Bel) Silence-Lotto
67. Alexandr Pliuschin (Mda) AG2R La Mondiale
68. Julien El Farès (Fra) Cofidis
69. Yoann Offredo (Fra) Française Des Jeux
70. Davide Viganò (Ita) Fuji-Servetto
71. René Mandri (Est) AG2R La Mondiale
72. Martin Müller (Ger) Team Milram
73. Vladimir Efimkin (Rus) AG2R La Mondiale
74. Maciej Bodnar (Pol) Liquigas
75. Josu Agirre Aseginolaza (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
76. Aitor Hernandez Gutierrez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
77. Hilton Clarke (Aus) Fuji-Servetto
78. Serguei Klimov (Rus) Team Katusha
79. Hubert Schwab (Swi) Quick Step
80. Mario Aerts (Bel) Silence-Lotto
81. José Luis Rubiera Vigil (Spa) Astana
82. Laurent Lefèvre (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom
83. Robbie McEwen (Aus) Team Katusha 22.31
84. Travis Meyer (Aus) UniSA 22.41
85. Stef Clement (Ned) Rabobank 22.44
86. Cameron Meyer (Aus) Garmin-Slipstream 22.50
87. Nicki Sørensen (Den) Team Saxo Bank
88. Ronny Scholz (Ger) Team Milram 22.52
89. Jack Bobridge (Aus) UniSA 22.54
90. Davide Malacarne (Ita) Quick Step 23.00
91. Joan Horrach Rippoll (Spa) Team Katusha 23.12
92. Kurt Hovelijnck (Bel) Quick Step 23.19
93. Frank Hoj (Den) Team Saxo Bank 25.34
94. Matthieu Sprick (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom 25.37
95. Scott Davis (Aus) UniSA 25.51
96. Nikolay Trusov (Rus) Team Katusha
97. Timmy Duggan (USA) Garmin-Slipstream
98. Volodymyr Zagorodniy (Ukr) Lampre-N.G.C
99. Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel) Team Katusha
100. Vitaliy Buts (Ukr) Lampre-N.G.C
101. Rein Taaramae (Est) Cofidis
102. Claudio Corioni (Ita) Liquigas 27.01
103. Gianni Da Ros (Ita) Liquigas 27.04
104. Maxim Iglinsky (Kaz) Astana
105. Aaron Kemps (Aus) UniSA 28.00
106. Gert Steegmans (Bel) Team Katusha 28.15
107. Assan Bazayev (Kaz) Astana
108. Jacopo Guanieri (Ita) Liquigas 29.05
109. Andrea Grendene (Ita) Lampre-N.G.C 29.06
110. Mark Renshaw (Aus) Team Columbia-High Road 30.13
111. Chris Sutton (Aus) Garmin-Slipstream 33.46
112. Willem Stroetinga (Ned) Team Milram
113. Jonas Ljungblad (Swe) Silence-Lotto
114. Guillaume Blot (Fra) Cofidis 36.38
115. Andoni Lafuente (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 40.05
116. Kenny De Haes (Bel) Team Katusha 40.09
117. Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Team Columbia-High Road
118. Francesco Chicchi (Ita) Liquigas
119. Sergio De Lis (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
120. Pablo Urtasun (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
121. Florent Brard (Fra) Cofidis
122. Julian Dean (NZl) Garmin-Slipstream
123. Mathieu Claude (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom 47.36
124. Ivan Dominquez (Cub) Fuji-Servetto 1:00.41

Young Rider

1. José Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne 10:47.31
2. Mickaël Chérel (Fra) Française Des Jeux
3. Wesley Sulzberger (Aus) Française Des Jeux
4. William Walker (Aus) Fuji-Servetto 0.08
5. Anders Lund (Den) Team Saxo Bank 0.09
6. Christian Meier (Can) Garmin-Slipstream
7. Simon Clarke (Aus) UniSA
8. Matthew Goss (Aus) Team Saxo Bank 5.43
9. Tom Leezer (Ned) Rabobank 7.36
10. Jos Van Emden (Ned) Rabobank 11.42