"I love it when a plan comes together" - Jay Vine becomes the new owner of the ochre jersey

Jay Vine came in third in the third stage of Tour Down Under, behind Pello Bilbao and Simon Yates, but still managed to secure the overall leader jersey.

He attributes this accomplishment to the dedicated efforts of his teammates. “You have that famous saying from a famous series: I love it when a plan comes together ," Vine said after the race. He continues, “I couldn't have done this without the team, I owe this leader's jersey entirely to them. The only thing I had to do in this stage was push on that last climb.”

He was riding with Yates and Bilbao, and it was clear that the top three places were theirs for the taking. “My course radio had no range, so I just drove full to the finish. That turned out to be the right choice, because there was a large group behind us,” said Vine.

He is well aware that the future is fraught with uncertainty and that even though he currently holds a 15-second lead over his closest rival, Bilbao, a host of variables such as bad luck, unforeseen circumstances or an unexpected victory by another rider could potentially disrupt his chances at success. "It can come from anything in this race, so I can't keep an extra eye on one contender. I can still get bad luck, but Sunday's final stage is also tough. If they play it like a classic, I'll have a tough day," concluded the Australian rider.