Tour Down Under 2016: TDU sturns screws with nasty climb in Stage 3

IT will all start so nicely at the Bay. But the TDU Stage 3 race to Campbelltown has a nasty sting in its tail.

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IT will all start so nicely at the Bay. But the TDU Stage 3 race over the Adelaide Hills to Campbelltown has a nasty sting in its tail.

Aside from Willunga of course, this should be the most decisive stage of the race with a huge challenge awaiting riders toward the end of the day’s riding.

Corkscrew Road is back after a year off and the last time it was included in the TDU, Cadel Evans produced a daring solo attack to the finish.

The climb up Corkscrew is one thing but the frighteningly fast 6km descent is another.

Riders will be jostling for a spot going into the climb to avoid any pile-ups, then positioning going into the sweeping right hand turn to the finish will be crucial.

Look for Geraint Thomas, Simon Gerrans and Richie Porte to light it up.

The third stage action starts at Glenelg at 11am, with the teams cruising along a 7.2km race neutral stage to Marion Rd, Sturt.

MORE: Stage 3 map

Then it’s down to business, powering up the Southern Expressway towards Old Noarlunga on a journey that will take in McLaren Flat, Kangarilla, Clarendon, Ironbark, Stirling, Mylor, Hahndorf, Balhannah, Oakbank, Lobethal and Cuddlee Creek.

By the time the lead riders get to the finish line, around 2.45pm, they will have endured two sprints — on Main Rd, McLaren Vale, after 33.8km and on Onkaparinga Valley Rd, Oakbank, at 95.2km, plus the King of the Mountain stage, which kicks in at about the 133km mark.

Originally published as Tour Down Under 2016: TDU sturns screws with nasty climb in Stage 3