January 23, 2009 – Queensland’s Allan Davis (Quickstep) has claimed his second stage win to increase his overall lead in the 2009 Tour Down Under. Davis held off sprint rival and fellow Australia Graeme Brown (Rabobank) across the line into Angaston with Spaniard Jose Rojas (Caisse d’Epargne) third.

“This is an amazing result for me and the Quickstep team,” said Davis who seemed to find something special with the ochre leader’s jersey on his shoulders. “I think I did, [find something special] at one kilometre to go I was pretty buggered and Rabobank were well lined up for Graeme Brown.

“I just jumped on his wheel and he did an awesome sprint,” explained Davis. “It opened up like it did yesterday andI got a good run into the line.”

The win gave Davis a ten second time bonus which split yesterday’s deadlock and puts him four seconds ahead of Brown and 15 seconds clear of Stuart O’Grady heading into Saturday’s penultimate and, by all predictions, decisive stage of the Tour through McLaren Vale and the Fleurieu Peninsula and including two loops up Old Willunga Hill.

“That is the great thing about this race, everyone gets an opportunity if they want it they have to just go and take it; it’s in their own hands,” said Davis who finished second overall last year. “A few of us have got the opportunity to win this race tomorrow and I am just happy to have been in the jersey over these three days and two wins is unbelievable for the team.

“We are happy no matter what.”

Today began with more than seven thousand recreational cyclists heading off at 6.00am from the stage start line at Burnside Village Shopping Centre in the Mutual Community Challenge Tour, part of the Skoda Breakaway Series, following the route through the Adelaide Hills and onto the Barossa Valley town of Angaston-the same route the professional peloton travelled later the same day.

The Tour Down Under arrived at the start line several hours later to roll out of Burnside Village for a 12 kilometre neutralised section before the flag dropped on Gorge Rd for the start of the 143km fourth stage which drew an estimated 93,000 spectators.

After the mayhem of yesterday’s stage, where riders were buffetted by gale force winds, today began in calmer conditions and, as expected, with an early break. Vladimir Efimkin (AG2R La Mondiale), Andoni Lafuente (Euskaltel-Euskadi) and Travis Meyer (UniSA) rode off the front after ten kilometres of racing through the Adelaide Hills and established a lead that would endure for most of the day. Meyer, who had instigated the attack, had mechanical problems and swapped to a spare bike to give the team mechanic time to make repairs before he again stopped to swap back onto his own bike but in both cases rejoined his breakaway companions.

The peloton seemed content to let the trio go as none were within striking distance of the overall win and by the first SA Lotteries intermediate sprint of the day at Mt Pleasant (46.7km) the trio were around seven minutes ahead.

Lafuente won the sprint ahead of Ekimkin and Meyer.

“I really wanted the win today and until the hill I really was feeling quite good and it felt quite easy,” said Meyer, 19, who is the younger brother of Cameron, 21, who rides with the Garmin-Slipstream ProTour team. “It suits my style of riding just to chop off all day in a small group but the hill took it out of us a bit and it started to get really windy and the roads were dead.

“I was very impressed by the way he rode (yesterday),” said Meyer commenting on the solo attack by his brother Cameron in yesterday’s stage. “It doesn’t surprise me; I have seen my brother do that plenty of times and I have been in hiding in the peloton pretty much all week so I wanted to get out there and give it a shot.

“I initiated the break, it didn’t quite work out, but I got my name out there so I am happy.” he said.

The time gap began to drop though and when they contested the second SA Lotteries sprint at Williamstown (74km) the margin was down to five minutes. The results across the sprint line were a repeat of the previous as Lafuente crossed first ahead of Efimkin and Meyer.

As the race headed towards the only Skoda King of the Mountain climb of the day up Menglers Hill, which was lined with fans, Meyer and Efemkin stayed clear dropping LaFuente. Meantime the peloton was splitting on the climb as several riders tried to escape up the eight percent gradient including Australian Matthew Lloyd (Silence Lotto) and Frenchman David Moncoutie (Francaise des Jeux).

Across the summit Efimkin claimed the maximum points ahead of Meyer with LaFuente next over the top. Garmin-Slipstream’s Ryder Hesjedal (CAN) pipped the challengers for third place and Lloyd’s team mate Tom Stubbe (Silence Lotto) claimed the rest of the points.

Down the other side of the climb Rabobank got organised on the front and set up the train to keep the race together in a bid to give Graeme Brown a shot at the win and the chance to take over the lead. But Quickstep protected Davis and as the peloton surged into Angaston amid a sea of yellow Mutual Community Challenge Tour jerseys Davis put himself in a great position. Brown lead out and looked like he might steal the win but Davis found the extra he needed to get past his rival on the line.

Brown was disappointed not to have won the stage, particularly given the work his team had done.

“It was a bit of a shame, more so for the good work the team did,” said Brown. “They rode so well, you don’t get to see some of the things they do, but they rode in the wind for me all day.

“They would go back and get bidons and stuff like that throughout the course of the whole race they are great but at the finish it was sensational.

“I am a little bit disappointed for the team that I could not win for them,” said Brown. “I am definitely looking forward to tomorrow even if I can’t quite get over the top, they will be there to get me back on so I am pretty confident of the team and I have 100% confidence in the team’s ability.”

Davis now leads the Tour Down Under overall and holds the lead in the SA Lotteries Sprint Classification. LaFuente has reclaimed his lead in the Skoda King of the Mountains Classification, Efimkin was named Hindmarsh Most Aggressive Rider of the stage, Jose Rojas retained his lead in the Cycle Instead Best Young Rider (U25) category and Franciase des Jeux leads the Quit Smoking Teams Classifications.

Results

1. Allan Davis (Aus) Quick Step 3:29.35
2. Graeme Brown (Aus) Rabobank
3. José Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne
4. Stuart O’Grady (Aus) Team Saxo Bank
5. Mark Renshaw (Aus) Team Columbia-High Road
6. Tom Leezer (Ned) Rabobank
7. Davide Viganò (Ita) Fuji-Servetto
8. Jussi Veikkanen (Fin) Française Des Jeux
9. Robbie McEwen (Aus) Team Katusha
10. Sébastien Hinault (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
11. Mickaël Chérel (Fra) Française Des Jeux
12. Francesco Chicchi (Ita) Liquigas
13. Mauro Santambrogio (Ita) Lampre-N.G.C
14. Yoann Offredo (Fra) Française Des Jeux
15. Wesley Sulzberger (Aus) Française Des Jeux
16. Julian Dean (NZl) Garmin-Slipstream
17. Luis Leon Sanchez Gil (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne
18. Matthew Wilson (Aus) UniSA
19. George Hincapie (USA) Team Columbia-High Road
20. Martin Elmiger (Swi) AG2R La Mondiale
21. Thomas Rohregger (Aut) Team Milram
22. Javier Megías Leal (Spa) Fuji-Servetto
23. Jérémy Roy (Fra) Française Des Jeux
24. Michael Rogers (Aus) Team Columbia-High Road
25. Mathieu Perget (Fra) Caisse d’Epargne
26. Nicolas Roche (Irl) AG2R La Mondiale
27. Iñaki Isasi Flores (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
28. Imanol Erviti Ollo (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne
29. Mickaël Buffaz (Fra) Cofidis
30. Gregory Henderson (NZl) Team Columbia-High Road
31. Jens Voigt (Ger) Team Saxo Bank
32. Aleksandr Kuchynski (Blr) Liquigas
33. Markel Irizar Aranburu (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
34. Oscar Pereiro Sio (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne
35. Simon Clarke (Aus) UniSA
36. Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin-Slipstream
37. Pablo Lastras Garcia (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne
38. Jesus Hernandez (Spa) Astana
39. Francesco Reda (Ita) Quick Step
40. Mathieu Drujon (Fra) Caisse d’Epargne
41. Vincent Jérôme (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom
42. Trent Lowe (Aus) Garmin-Slipstream
43. Kasper Klostergaard Larsen (Den) Team Saxo Bank
44. Julien El Farès (Fra) Cofidis
45. William Walker (Aus) Fuji-Servetto
46. Christian Knees (Ger) Team Milram
47. Lance Armstrong (USA) Astana
48. Anders Lund (Den) Team Saxo Bank
49. Matthew Lloyd (Aus) Silence-Lotto
50. Mathew Hayman (Aus) Rabobank
51. Christian Meier (Can) Garmin-Slipstream
52. Alexandre Pichot (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom
53. Mario Aerts (Bel) Silence-Lotto
54. Luca Barla (Ita) Team Milram 0.12
55. Alexandr Pliuschin (Mda) AG2R La Mondiale
56. Mathieu Claude (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom 0.20
57. Frederik Willems (Bel) Liquigas
58. Perrig Quemeneur (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom 0.26
59. Glenn d’Hollander (Bel) Silence-Lotto
60. Jack Bobridge (Aus) UniSA 0.33
61. Frank Hoj (Den) Team Saxo Bank
62. René Mandri (Est) AG2R La Mondiale
63. David Moncoutié (Fra) Cofidis
64. Nicki Sørensen (Den) Team Saxo Bank 0.37
65. Vladimir Efimkin (Rus) AG2R La Mondiale 0.47
66. Gianni Da Ros (Ita) Liquigas
67. Rony Martias (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom
68. Davide Malacarne (Ita) Quick Step
69. Martin Müller (Ger) Team Milram
70. Alexander Efimkin (Rus) AG2R La Mondiale
71. Claudio Corioni (Ita) Liquigas
72. Kurt Hovelijnck (Bel) Quick Step
73. Jacopo Guanieri (Ita) Liquigas
74. Maciej Bodnar (Pol) Liquigas
75. Matthieu Sprick (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom
76. Josu Agirre Aseginolaza (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
77. Steve Morabito (Swi) Astana
78. Maxim Iglinsky (Kaz) Astana
79. Assan Bazayev (Kaz) Astana
80. Alexandre Usov (Blr) Cofidis
81. Matteo Tosatto (Ita) Quick Step
82. Chris Sutton (Aus) Garmin-Slipstream
83. Jonas Ljungblad (Swe) Silence-Lotto
84. Stef Clement (Ned) Rabobank 1.11
85. Rick Flens (Ned) Rabobank
86. Ronny Scholz (Ger) Team Milram
87. Hilton Clarke (Aus) Fuji-Servetto
88. Vitaliy Buts (Ukr) Lampre-N.G.C 1.20
89. Travis Meyer (Aus) UniSA 1.22
90. José Luis Rubiera Vigil (Spa) Astana
91. Matthew Goss (Aus) Team Saxo Bank
92. Cameron Meyer (Aus) Garmin-Slipstream
93. Andrea Grendene (Ita) Lampre-N.G.C
94. Matteo Bono (Ita) Lampre-N.G.C
95. Timmy Duggan (USA) Garmin-Slipstream
96. Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel) Team Katusha
97. Hubert Schwab (Swi) Quick Step
98. Kenny De Haes (Bel) Team Katusha
99. Laurent Lefèvre (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom
100. Adam Hansen (Aus) Team Columbia-High Road
101. Rein Taaramae (Est) Cofidis
102. Dries Devenyns (Bel) Quick Step 2.12
103. Nikolay Trusov (Rus) Team Katusha 2.20
104. Serguei Klimov (Rus) Team Katusha
105. Joan Horrach Rippoll (Spa) Team Katusha
106. Tom Stubbe (Bel) Silence-Lotto 2.24
107. Florent Brard (Fra) Cofidis 5.41
108. Jos Van Emden (Ned) Rabobank
109. David Loosli (Swi) Lampre-N.G.C
110. Volodymyr Zagorodniy (Ukr) Lampre-N.G.C
111. Aaron Kemps (Aus) UniSA 8.43
112. Willem Stroetinga (Ned) Team Milram
113. Olivier Kaisen (Bel) Silence-Lotto
114. Scott Davis (Aus) UniSA
115. Sergio De Lis (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
116. Aitor Hernandez Gutierrez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
117. Pablo Urtasun (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
118. Andoni Lafuente (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
119. Markus Eichler (Ger) Team Milram
120. Gert Steegmans (Bel) Team Katusha
121. Guillaume Blot (Fra) Cofidis
122. Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Team Columbia-High Road
123. Emanuele Bindi (Ita) Lampre-N.G.C
124. Ivan Dominquez (Cub) Fuji-Servetto

Mountains

Climb 1
1. Vladimir Efimkin (Rus) AG2R La Mondiale 16 points
2. Travis Meyer (Aus) UniSA 12
3. Andoni Lafuente (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 8
4. Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin-Slipstream 6
5. Tom Stubbe (Bel) Silence-Lotto 4

GC after Stage 4

1. Allan Davis (Aus) Quick Step 14:16.36
2. Graeme Brown (Aus) Rabobank 0.04
3. Stuart O’Grady (Aus) Team Saxo Bank 0.15
4. Martin Elmiger (Swi) AG2R La Mondiale 0.24
5. José Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne 0.26
6. Michael Rogers (Aus) Team Columbia-High Road 0.28
7. Matthew Wilson (Aus) UniSA 0.29
8. Mauro Santambrogio (Ita) Lampre-N.G.C 0.30
9. Jussi Veikkanen (Fin) Française Des Jeux
10. Mickaël Chérel (Fra) Française Des Jeux
11. Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin-Slipstream
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 0.34
16. Luis Leon Sanchez Gil (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne
17. Christian Knees (Ger) Team Milram
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 0.37
22. William Walker (Aus) Fuji-Servetto 0.38
23. Sébastien Hinault (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0.39
24. Jérémy Roy (Fra) Française Des Jeux
25. Kasper Klostergaard Larsen (Den) Team Saxo Bank
26. Anders Lund (Den) Team Saxo Bank
27. Thomas Rohregger (Aut) Team Milram
28. Pablo Lastras Garcia (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne
29. Imanol Erviti Ollo (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne
30. Christian Meier (Can) Garmin-Slipstream
31. Javier Megías Leal (Spa) Fuji-Servetto
32. Aleksandr Kuchynski (Blr) Liquigas
33. Simon Clarke (Aus) UniSA
34. Trent Lowe (Aus) Garmin-Slipstream
35. Oscar Pereiro Sio (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne
36. Jens Voigt (Ger) Team Saxo Bank
37. Jesus Hernandez (Spa) Astana
38. Lance Armstrong (USA) Astana
39. Francesco Reda (Ita) Quick Step 1.15
40. Alexandre Pichot (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom 1.19
41. Glenn d’Hollander (Bel) Silence-Lotto 1.25
42. Alexander Efimkin (Rus) AG2R La Mondiale 1.26
43. Steve Morabito (Swi) Astana
44. Perrig Quemeneur (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom 1.31
45. David Moncoutié (Fra) Cofidis 2.19
46. Matteo Tosatto (Ita) Quick Step 2.29
47. Adam Hansen (Aus) Team Columbia-High Road 3.30
48. Frederik Willems (Bel) Liquigas 5.25
49. Matthew Goss (Aus) Team Saxo Bank 7.35
50. Mathieu Drujon (Fra) Caisse d’Epargne 7.56
51. Tom Leezer (Ned) Rabobank 8.06
52. Rick Flens (Ned) Rabobank 12.37
53. Dries Devenyns (Bel) Quick Step 12.46
54. Tom Stubbe (Bel) Silence-Lotto 13.01
55. Matteo Bono (Ita) Lampre-N.G.C 13.19
56. Gregory Henderson (NZl) Team Columbia-High Road 16.37
57. David Loosli (Swi) Lampre-N.G.C 17.38
58. Jos Van Emden (Ned) Rabobank 17.53
59. Mickaël Buffaz (Fra) Cofidis 22.19
60. Iñaki Isasi Flores (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 22.23
61. Yoann Offredo (Fra) Française Des Jeux 22.28
62. Davide Viganò (Ita) Fuji-Servetto
63. Julien El Farès (Fra) Cofidis
64. Mario Aerts (Bel) Silence-Lotto
65. Luca Barla (Ita) Team Milram 22.40
66. Alexandr Pliuschin (Mda) AG2R La Mondiale
67. Robbie McEwen (Aus) Team Katusha 22.41
68. René Mandri (Est) AG2R La Mondiale 23.01
69. Vladimir Efimkin (Rus) AG2R La Mondiale 23.11
70. Alexandre Usov (Blr) Cofidis 23.15
71. Rony Martias (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom
72. Martin Müller (Ger) Team Milram
73. Maciej Bodnar (Pol) Liquigas
74. Josu Agirre Aseginolaza (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
75. Nicki Sørensen (Den) Team Saxo Bank 23.37
76. Jack Bobridge (Aus) UniSA
77. Hilton Clarke (Aus) Fuji-Servetto 23.39
78. Hubert Schwab (Swi) Quick Step 23.50
79. José Luis Rubiera Vigil (Spa) Astana
80. Laurent Lefèvre (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom
81. Davide Malacarne (Ita) Quick Step 23.57
82. Stef Clement (Ned) Rabobank 24.05
83. Travis Meyer (Aus) UniSA 24.11
84. Ronny Scholz (Ger) Team Milram 24.13
85. Kurt Hovelijnck (Bel) Quick Step 24.16
86. Cameron Meyer (Aus) Garmin-Slipstream 24.22
87. Serguei Klimov (Rus) Team Katusha 24.48
88. Joan Horrach Rippoll (Spa) Team Katusha 25.42
89. Frank Hoj (Den) Team Saxo Bank 26.17
90. Matthieu Sprick (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom 26.34
91. Vitaliy Buts (Ukr) Lampre-N.G.C 27.21
92. Timmy Duggan (USA) Garmin-Slipstream 27.23
93. Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel) Team Katusha
94. Rein Taaramae (Est) Cofidis
95. Claudio Corioni (Ita) Liquigas 27.58
96. Gianni Da Ros (Ita) Liquigas 28.01
97. Maxim Iglinsky (Kaz) Astana
98. Nikolay Trusov (Rus) Team Katusha 28.21
99. Assan Bazayev (Kaz) Astana 29.12
100. Jacopo Guanieri (Ita) Liquigas 30.02
101. Mark Renshaw (Aus) Team Columbia-High Road 30.23
102. Andrea Grendene (Ita) Lampre-N.G.C 30.38
103. Olivier Kaisen (Bel) Silence-Lotto 31.05
104. Emanuele Bindi (Ita) Lampre-N.G.C 31.11
105. Aitor Hernandez Gutierrez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
106. Volodymyr Zagorodniy (Ukr) Lampre-N.G.C 31.42
107. Chris Sutton (Aus) Garmin-Slipstream 34.43
108. Jonas Ljungblad (Swe) Silence-Lotto
109. Scott Davis (Aus) UniSA 34.44
110. Aaron Kemps (Aus) UniSA 36.53
111. Gert Steegmans (Bel) Team Katusha 37.08
112. Francesco Chicchi (Ita) Liquigas 40.19
113. Julian Dean (NZl) Garmin-Slipstream
114. Kenny De Haes (Bel) Team Katusha 41.41
115. Willem Stroetinga (Ned) Team Milram 42.39
116. Markus Eichler (Ger) Team Milram
117. Guillaume Blot (Fra) Cofidis 45.31
118. Florent Brard (Fra) Cofidis 46.00
119. Mathieu Claude (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom 48.06
120. Andoni Lafuente (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 48.52
121. Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Team Columbia-High Road 49.02
122. Sergio De Lis (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
123. Pablo Urtasun (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
124. Ivan Dominquez (Cub) Fuji-Servetto 1:09.54

Mountains Classification

1. Andoni Lafuente (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 46 points
2. Markel Irizar Aranburu (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 38
3. Olivier Kaisen (Bel) Silence-Lotto 24
4. Vladimir Efimkin (Rus) AG2R La Mondiale 16
5. Cameron Meyer (Aus) Garmin-Slipstream 16
6. Aitor Hernandez Gutierrez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 14
7. Thomas Rohregger (Aut) Team Milram 12
8. Glenn d’Hollander (Bel) Silence-Lotto 12
9. Travis Meyer (Aus) UniSA 12
10. Guillaume Blot (Fra) Cofidis 12

16 Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin-Slipstream 6

Young Rider Classification

1. José Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne 14:17.02
2. Mickaël Chérel (Fra) Française Des Jeux 0.04
3. Wesley Sulzberger (Aus) Française Des Jeux
4. William Walker (Aus) Fuji-Servetto 0.12
5. Anders Lund (Den) Team Saxo Bank 0.13
6. Christian Meier (Can) Garmin-Slipstream
7. Simon Clarke (Aus) UniSA
8. Matthew Goss (Aus) Team Saxo Bank 7.09
9. Tom Leezer (Ned) Rabobank 7.40
10. Jos Van Emden (Ned) Rabobank 17.27