New Zealand champion beats the world’s best, extreme heat and some nerves to keep ochre jersey

Triple world champion Peter Sagan may have won Stage 3 from Lobethal to Uraidla but all eyes were on the Orche jersey and the New Zealnder Patrick Bevan wearing it.

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PATRICK Bevin’s rise from workhorse, to time trial specialist and now WorldTour stage race winner is a step closer to completion after he survived a day of attrition in the ochre jersey to Uraidla.

As three-time world champion Peter Sagan made it two wins in two years in the Adelaide Hills town with a trademark sprint finish to Stage 3, Bevin crossed the line with a group of 37 riders on the same time to retain the overall lead.

He leads the race by one second from Sagan but more crucially by 11 seconds to defending champion Daryl Impey and 15 seconds to other GC threats Michael Woods and Richie Porte going into Stage 4 over the Corkscrew on Friday.

The New Zealander who came into the week having never won a WorldTour stage has now ticked that box by winning Stage 2 on Wednesday and is staring down the barrel at winning the whole thing.

Bevin’s boss at CCC, Jim Ochowicz, said the 27-year-old Kiwi was relishing newfound freedom this season.

“It’s been a learning curve, he came into our group at the time when we were attempting to win Grand Tours (as BMC),” Ochowicz told The Advertiser.

“The dynamics around a team like that are quite complicated so he came into that space and developed as a worker.

“But in the process he started to refine and quite effectively pick up his time trial game. And now he’s got some freedom because we don’t have that structure this year.

“When we get to the classics with Greg (van Avermaet) it’s more precise, but here to do what he did (winning Stage 2) you’ve got to be not a pretty good bike rider, a really good bike rider.

“I”m glad he decided to stay (with the team).”

Bevin grew up in New Zealand and raced in America before riding the National Road Series in Australia with Search2Retain and later Avanti where in 2015 he won the uphill stage to Arthur’s Seat in the Herald Sun Tour and over the Corkscrew in the Adelaide Tour.

Speaking in Uraidla yesterday, the Tour de France team time trial stage winner and New Zealand time trial champion said he was in a good position heading into the weekend.

“Today was the nervous one, to get through that still in the lead is a big step towards the ochre jersey on Sunday,” Bevin said.

New Zealand’s Patrick Bevin celebrates on the podium after retaining the leaders jersey following stage three of the 2019 Tour Down Under. Picture: Daniel Kalisz/Getty

“From here on I feel it’s about the legs, today was the tactical day that could have really blown up and we managed it really well.

“If you had 45 guys come to the finish it wasn’t that tough, no one really tried to rip it to bits until the last lap which I was kind of surprised about, we were getting low on guys and no one really smelt blood or took it to us.

“To give back a little bit of time was not the end of the world, it was to the sprinters and not the climbers.

“I’ve used a lot of energy to get in the position I’m in, but now the guys have to come and take it back.”

His teammates will be responsible for delivering Bevin to the front of the bunch as it starts the Corkscrew climb on Friday and he has full confidence in them.

“The team did an amazing job today, I’ve got no worries about that tomorrow, it’s about the legs on the Corkscrew and keeping your cool,” Bevin said.

“As a bigger guy the climbers are going to take it to me on the climb but they’ve still got to ride to the line, the stage doesn’t finish at the top, it finishes on the descent.

“It’s a 20 minute effort up and over and I’m prepared for that tomorrow.”

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Originally published as New Zealand champion beats the world’s best, extreme heat and some nerves to keep ochre jersey