Herald Sun Tour stage 1: Peter Kennaugh edges Chris Froome in Team Sky quinella
TEAM Sky flexed its Jayco Herald Sun Tour muscle with Olympic gold medallist Peter Kennaugh edging out Tour de France champion Chris Froome to claim the first stage of the Jayco Herald Sun Tour.
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IN A classic example of selfless role reversal, Chris Froome will shelve his mantle as the world’s finest stage rider to usher Team Sky teammate Peter Kennaugh to Jayco Herald Sun Tour glory.
More accustomed to capitalising on the toil of his domestiques, Froome helped Kennaugh to take a stranglehold on Australia’s oldest stage race with an awesome display of power through the Yarra Ranges.
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And the dual Tour de France winner has no intention of usurping the brilliant Kennaugh, an Olympic track gold medallist who last Sunday won the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race.
“It’s really nice feeling to give something back,” Froome said after cruising into second place behind Kennaugh after a gruelling 126km loop from Healesville.
“Peter Kennaugh, the number of times he’s emptied himself for me out on the road for me in my two Tour de France victories.
“It’s nice to give something back.”
Trailing Kennaugh by only seven seconds with three days left — including the queen stage at Arthurs Seat — Froome said Sky would use its resources to ensure Kennaugh remains in the yellow leader’s jersey.
Kennaugh (SKY) has won Stage 1 #SunTour pic.twitter.com/o2QbVmvB6v
— Jayco HeraldSun Tour (@HeraldSunTour) February 4, 2016
“We’re going to try to protect that now,” Froome said.
“Pete’s in great shape. He won Cadel’s race so we’ll try and keep it on his shoulders now.”
Elated at his own form, Froome was the linchpin in a move that not only shaped an epic stage, but probably the outcome of the race.
After biding his time for the first 97km of the stage, Froome pounced on the category one climb to Mount St Leonard. only 20km from the finish after teammate Salvatore Puccio destroyed the remnants of an ambitious breakaway.
Storming over the summit after rolling through Yarra Glen, Coldstream, Gruyere, Woori Yallock, Launching Place and Warburton, Froome obliterated the peloton to have only Kennaugh for company.
“Hats off to ‘Froomey’,” Kennaugh said.
“It was awesome, much better than I expected.
“The race last weekend was good for quite a bit of confidence going into today.
“We had our plan for today’s stage which worked out absolutely perfectly.
“It was just to make it hard going into that last climb and for ‘Froomey’ for have a go there.
“(For me) Just follow wheels, judge the situation and jump across.
“Massive thanks to the team.
“Once we got over, I was able to do some good turns.
“Today was more controlled and a bit more fun than last weekend, which was all about racing.
“This was back to work, back to business.
“It was just awesome for the team.”
Kennaugh crossed the line in 3hr 1min 47sec, — the same time as Froome whose presence in Victoria has drawn massive crowds.
The pair held a 17-sec gap at the finish over One Pro’s New Zealander Dion Smith.
Time bonuses gave Kennaugh a seven-sec buffer over Froome, while Smith is third overall, 23secs down — a massive lead.
Drapac’s prologue winner Will Clarke slipped 3min 8sec to be 33rd overall.
Froome was delighted with his form at his first race for the year.
‘I’m really happy, it’s the first big hitout this season,” he said.
“I was really happy in my feelings, It’s a really good start to the season for me.”
Underlining Sky’s dominance was the fact Kennaugh is wearing both the race leader and sprint (green) jerseys, while Froome holds King of the Mountain honours.
Friday’s second stage winds 144km from Yarra Glen to Moe, featuring three categorised climbs.
The peloton will travel through Launching Place, Gladysdale, Powelltown, Piedmont, Noojee, Fumina South, Hill End, Willow Grove and Tanjil South before the stage finish in Moe.
The stage is likely to be decided on a sharp climb, only seven kilometres from the finish.
After cresting the category three ascent, riders will plunge downhill into Moe.
Starting at 10.30am in Yarra Glen, the first riders are expected in Moe about 1.50pm.
The peloton flashes home after Kennaugh (SKY) and Froome (SKY)#SunTour pic.twitter.com/nG1Qi4WrBq
— Jayco HeraldSun Tour (@HeraldSunTour) February 4, 2016
STAGE 1 RESULTS:
1. KENNAUGH (SKY) 3h01:47
2. FROOME (SKY) +0
3. SMITH (ONE) +17
4. GIACOPPO (AIW) +17
5. HAIG (OGE) +17
6. BOBRIDGE (TFS) +17
7. PHELAN (DPC) +17
8. DONOHOE (AUS) +17
9. CUNEGO (NIP) +17
10. MEIER (OGE) +17
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