Fast and furious - Cadel Evans charges ahead in Stage 3 of Santos Tour Down Under

CADEL Evans rode like he was furious when claiming the Santos Tour Down Under's ochre jersey and stage three for BMC Racing.

Cadel Evans is kissed on the podium after charging ahead in Stage 3 to take the lead in the 2014 Tour Down Under. Picture: Ma...

CADEL Evans rode like he was furious when claiming the Santos Tour Down Under's ochre jersey and stage three for BMC Racing on Thursday.

Australia's only Tour de France winner didn't have his poker face on at all when he snatched the lead up the Corkscrew Rd climb and dropped Australian rivals - Orica-GreenEDGE's Simon Gerrans and Sky's Richie Porte - before averaging 49km/h down Montacute Rd to snatch the overall lead.

Cadel Evans gets some crowd support. Picture: SARAH REED.

"It's not easy riding the big, big chain ring before the top of Montacute,'' Evans said when asked why he appeared to have his angry face on.

"It's nice to be back at the right end at the top level races.

"But I haven't been here in the past not because I don't want to race in Australia.

"I was trying to swim in a bigger pond, ie. Tour de France, world championships and so on but things have worked out this year that I can be here and have time to prepare well and to be fit in January.

"Tour Down Under now and stages like Willunga (on Saturday) make the race more suitable for riders like myself, Simon Gerrans, Richie Porte etc where the finish on the top of Willunga is a bit more selective rather than favouring the sprinters and time bonuses."

Evans on Thursday had that very same look of rage when he claimed the road world championships in Mendrisio near his Swiss home in 2009.

Whether Evans had revenge on his mind when he overtook Gerrans - after the Victorian won the Australian road championships earlier this month pipped him for the honour - or he was upset that he won't be able to ride the Tour de France this year after BMC Racing targeted the Giro D'Italia as his grand tour, one will never know.

But it was Evans at his absolute finest.

Cadel Evans celebrates his Tour Down Under stage win. (Photo by Morne de Klerk/Getty Images)

Australia's greatest ever road racer stormed to the finish line in front of mother Helen Cocks in an emotional display before BMC Racing owner Andy Rihs happily swarmed assistant sports director Fabio Baldato and the rest of the team to celebrate the victory.

"It's a good start but I'm programmed for GC and I'll think towards Sunday,'' Evans said.

"That involves being good (Friday) and of course Willunga and consistent again on Sunday (final stage)."

Evans stunned the peloton with an explosive burst of power up Corkscrew after his teammates, Steve Morabito, Danilo Weiss and Brent Bookwalter did a lot of work during the bike race before he surged to a brilliant stage win for the first time at the Tour Down Under since 2002.

Evans, Morabito, Bookwalter, Weiss, Ben Hermans and Amaeil Moinard are tipped to be part of BMC's Giro D'Italia team with the US/Swiss team also appointing three more riders to ride the Italian grand tour.

But Evans is now 12 seconds clear of Gerrans and is in the box seat to hold onto the leader's jersey.

Italy's stage two winner Diego Ulissi is just 15 seconds behind Evans but still within striking distance of causing a major upset for Lampre-Merida.

Evans, nonetheless, performed in one of the great stages of the Tour Down Under's 16 editions.

It played out like it was written for a fairytale finish.

The Australian cycling icon destroyed Corkscrew Rd, averaging about 24km/h up the hill before using his superb bike handling to pick up an average speed of 49km/h towards the finish at Campbelltown after starting at picturesque morning start at Norwood.

"It's a good indication (that I have form) but I suspect that everyone watching will try to put the responsibility on myself and of course my team,'' Evans said.

"But my team also showed they've got the legs and the strength to do what we need to do at least on Willunga (stage five on Saturday)."

Baldato was also ecstatic when BMC Racing's race tactics especially up Corkscrew unhinged Orica-GreenEDGE and Sky's plans.

"We were expecting the stage win,'' Baldato said.

"The boys were super they were patient and we waited, there was a moment which we were scared because we were behind.

"But we calculated the times and we needed to be at the front of the race at the start of the Corkscrew.

"Steve Morabito forced the race and then Cadel he had trained a lot of times on the Montacute Rd descent (last week) and he went down without any worry."