PREVIEW | Tour Down Under 2023 Stage 3 - Corkscrew to define GC on second uphill battle

Stage 3 of the Tour Down Under will see a finale in Campbelltown. It is a hilly day that can be very important for the overall classification as the riders face the Corkscrew climb, specially as the race has already opened up with Rohan Dennis taking the ochre jersey.

It is a very short stage from Norwood to Campbelltown, at only 116 kilometers. It starts off climbing right away with 9.7 kilometers at 4.1% which may trigger attacks. A rolling and short day, it isn't to discard that some riders with GC ambitions may try to surprise, the terrain is not too bad for such kind of raid specially at this time of year.

This may be termed the queen stage, as it features the famous ascent of the steep Corkscrew road - 2.4Km at 9%. This will be a critical point of the race for the overall classification, it's steep gradients and switchbacks being more than enough for serious attacks to pop. Close to the finish, this may even be the toughest moment of the race and one where the GC riders will have to ride their very best performance.

The climb finishes with only six kilometers to the finish and the riders will very quickly reach the finish, as they encounter nothing but a fast and somewhat tricky descent, straight into the finish line where the leader's jersey may change hands.

The Weather

The temperatures will lower. There will be a southeastern breeze that will increase throughout the day, but inside the hills - and the final climb - it should make virtually no difference due to the coverage and constant changes of direction.

The Favourites

This is a day for the climbers, don't think otherwise. Of course, puncheurs will also have the opportunity if their form is up there, but with the Corkscrew and a fast descent directly into the finish line, sprinting capacity is unlikely to make much of a difference in the outcome of the stage. Naturally, Michael Matthews and Ethan Hayter would be more dangerous if there was more distance from the summit to the finish, but that isn't the case and they will have to have their climbing legs on.

Simon Yates - He's looked extremely calm today. He didn't get bonifications today and his GC stint isn't going perfectly, however on Nettle Hill Yates looked the best in my eyes. In a very steep climb, with no orders to be conservative due to Matthews, I think he will have free reign and be quite complicated to manage tomorrow.

Jay Vine - Vine appears to be in great form and willing. His climbing legs are tremendous and I would not be surprised to see him drop the field and ride into the win and ochre by himself. However he did try today and several riders managed to join him. Vine is very dangerous nonetheless. UAE have also George Bennett, Alessandro Covi and Marc Hirschi who are capable of being close to the front on their best day.

Rohan Dennis - Dennis has made his move and he's in the lead. In this form it won't be easy to distance him, however the climb is very steep and will be complicated for the Jumbo-Visma rider. The stage overall isn't dangerous, he will have to do one single effort up the climb and keep everyone within as less distance as possible.

Jai Hindley - Hindley surprised me to be honest, I didn't think he'd be in such good form early in the year, and on such a short climb. This signals danger and in the Corkscrew he will have favourable terrain. BORA count on Max Schachmann too, but Hindley is set to be a contender for the overall classification and the stage win here.

Mauro Schmid - More of a puncheur, but he has proved his early-season form today in great style. Schmid is a very strong talent and can very well feature with the best again at the top of the climb. Motivated and leading Soudal - Quick-Step, everything is possible.

Those five have shown themselves very well today, and if I am to be honest it will be hard for other riders to get inside the fight for the win, as the men in front were mainly climbers and the Corkscrew is a slightly longer effort. The likes of Ben O'Connor, Pello Bilbao, Michael Storer and Chris Hamilton will then be riders to keep an eye on - Bilbao specially with the downhill finish.

Robert Stannard is in my opinion another dangerous rider who was under the radar but shown good form today. There is room for some more surprise, Nettle Hill was a short effort and positioning may have made a lot of difference. You have the INEOS men Luke Plapp and Magnus Sheffield who would be worth something, and an array of riders who can climb but will need a very special day to figure amonst the best.

Prediction Time

*** S.Yates, Vine
** Dennis, Hindley, Bilbao
* Schmid, Hayter, Plapp, O'Connor, Stannard

Pick: Simon Yates