Tour Down Under Stage 3: Slovakian superstar Peter Sagan wins in scorcher in Adelaide Hills

Peter Sagan has pipped former race winners Luis Leon Sanchez and Daryl Impey in an exciting finish at Uraidla after a punishing day in the saddle for Stage 3 of the Tour Down Under. Catch up on all the action and see the exciting finish here.

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Peter Sagan has pipped former race winners Luis Leon Sanchez and Daryl Impey on the finish line in Uraidla after a punishing day in the saddle for Stage 3 of the Tour Down Under.

The Bora-Hansgrohe sprint superstar added to his victory in Uraidla last year by surging past Sanchez on the line of the 146.2km stage, relegating the Spaniard to runner-up for the second day in succession.

Kiwi Patrick Bevin will wear the leader’s ochre jersey for the second day on Stage 4 after hanging on to a one second lead over Sagan in the general classification. Sanchez sits in third a further nine seconds behind with Aussie Michael Storer fourth (10 seconds) and defending champ Impey fifth (11 seconds).

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The stage that started in Lobethal lived up to the difficult pre-race predictions, with post-35 degree heat and humidity turning the Hills into a furnace.

Riders unsuccessfully lobbied to have the race shortened by one of the seven finishing laps at Uraidla prior to the event.

It came after race organisers shortened the first two stages of the event because of hot and windy conditions.

Sagan was rapt with the effort.

“My Bora-hansgrohe team worked hard to keep me on the front and take care of me,” he said. “In the end it was a great finish... it was also good to have experience with the finale, from last year.”

🏁@petosagan takes the win in Uraidla!! ... Just! #TourDownUnder pic.twitter.com/gQFboXOZUu

— Santos Tour Down Under 🚴🚴‍♀️ (@tourdownunder) January 17, 2019

Before the stage start at Lobethal, Mitchelton-Scott’s defending Tour Down Under champion Daryl Impey told theadvertiser.com.au he was expecting a tough day in the saddle.

“We are prepared for it,” Impey said.

“Nobody has ridden this circuit so it is uncharted territory for everybody. But it will be tough and demanding and it won’t be a big group at the end, so hopefully my legs are as good as last year.”

Impey said he wasn’t carrying any extra weight as reigning winner and believed he was still an underdog with four stages still to ride.

“I still think there are a lot of teams not counting me as a top, top favourite. The course is more demanding this year, there is a lot more climbers here, Richie (Porte) looks in good shape. But there are a couple of other guys. UAE have a lot of options, Patty Bevin is going well and has a nice little buffer. It will be difficult to control the race today, that’s for sure.”

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