Preview: Willunga Hill looms (twice) as crunch time arrives at 2016 Tour Down Under

IT’S crunch time at the 2016 Tour Down Under, with riders facing two make-or-break battles with Willunga Hill in their quest to seize control of the race.

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IT’S crunch time at the 2016 Tour Down Under, with riders facing two make-or-break battles with Old Willunga Hill in their quest to seize control of the race.

The longest (151.5km) and hardest stage of the tour culminates with the climb up the hill twice.

Last year Rohan Dennis became the first rider to successfully defend the ochre jersey on the race’s penultimate stage since Mike Turtur had decreed it would finish on top of the climb. Richie Porte will be going for a three-peat of stage wins but he’ll have to shake off the likes of Simon Gerrans, Tiago Machado, Cameron Meyer and Simon Clarke.

MORE: Stage 5 map

Stage 5, which gets rolling on Main Rd, McLaren Vale at 11.10am, will subject riders to two sprint sections and two King of the Mountain battles (both on Willunga Hill).

The stage will take riders on three laps through Willunga, Aldinga Beach, Port Willunga and Aldinga, before a loop which heads up Willunga Hill twice.

Sprinters will get their turn (twice) on the Esplanade, Snapper Point.

The 2016 Tour Down Under champion is likely to be decided by the time the stage ends just after 3pm.

Originally published as Preview: Willunga Hill looms (twice) as crunch time arrives at 2016 Tour Down Under