Usually the Old Willunga Hill stage at the Tour Down Under is a conservative one with everyone saving themselves for the final ascent. This wasn't the case this time around, a lot of it due to Team Jayco AlUla's aggressive approach to the day. Team leader Luke Plapp talks through a complex finale, where he finished fifth on the day.
"I had really good legs. I think I was probably the strongest climber there today in terms of working on the front and trying to just activate the race. I think it was such a negative climb," Plapp said in words to Cyclingnews. "I don't blame Narvaez for the way he rode. He's the fastest there, and he's got the sprint. I would have expected Onley and the likes of those boys to maybe ride for a bit more time, considering how close the race was behind, but I gave it everything I had".
On the first ascent of Willunga the team attacked with Chris Harper, and later Mauro Schmid then also attacked and jumped across. The Australian team looked to make the race as hard as possible, so as to benefit Plapp's non-explosive characteristics against some riders who are stronger on the short and sharp efforts.
The duo's move was ultimately caught on the run-up to the final climb, where INEOS Grenadiers split the peloton in the crosswinds and Plapp was dropped, having to ride in the second group for some minutes. "Credit to Ineos for taking it on and creating some chaos. But I was lucky. I was always on the wheels and actually didn't do any extra work to get back to the climbers."
But as soon as the climb started, race leader Javier Romo hit the front and put everyone under pressure. "Massive set of cojones. To be honest, I thought that was absolute suicide," he complements the Spaniard. "I was like, is he gonna ride away and this is gonna be one of the most impressive Willunga we've ever seen? Or is he gonna lose the bike race? Chapeau to him. He rode like a pretty big champion out there, and took the race by the scruff of the neck."
Plapp then himself attacked on a number of occasions. I'm never going to beat those guys in a bonus sprint, so it was either get away and win solo, or [try] to get as big as break as I can," he explains. Although he made the difference to most, Oscar Onley and Jhonatan Narváez managed to keep up with his long attacks.
In the final sprint, with Romo now caught, the Australian didn't have the punch to really match the explosiveness of the two riders who matched his move, and had to settle with fifth on the road. He is now sixth in the overall classification, where he is likely to finish the race.
About today 🤩 pic.twitter.com/FeFIMy2Zxh
— GreenEDGE Cycling (@GreenEDGEteam) January 25, 2025