Diego Ulissi has sent us a warning, says 2014 Santos Tour Down Under leader Simon Gerrans

DIEGO Ulissi's stage two win at the 2014 Santos Tour Down Under has sent out a warning to Orica-GreenEDGE, says race leader Simon Gerrans.

DIEGO Ulissi's stage two win at the 2014 Santos Tour Down Under has sent out a warning to Orica-GreenEDGE, says race leader Simon Gerrans.

The Italian steamrolled inform Australians Gerrans and BMC Racing's Cadel Evans and record 14-time stage winner, Germany's Andre Greipel from Lotto-Belisol to move into general classification contention.

Gerrans believe Lampre-Merida - Ulissi's team - will now work harder to keep the Tuscan Italian former junior road champion protected in an attempt to do more damage to his GC hopes during stage three Norwood-Campbelltown on Thursday.

Ulissi is a super climber with the sharp Corkscrew Rd uphill climb perhaps suited to launching the Italian to another upset at the Tour Down Under this time on the Montacute Rd finish line.

Gerrans was disappointed he didn't win the stage at Stirling on Wednesday but he wasn't surprised with Ulissi's win.

"I wasn't expecting him to shoot past us like he did in the final but yeah in saying that he's going to be a real threat to the overall I think,'' Gerrans said.

"I was focusing on trying to win the stage, I was just putting 100 per cent in my teammates there unfortunately we got bogged down just with about 150 metres to go and that's when Diego took the fire and got the jump on us."

Gerrans now has a seven second gap over Ulissi and an 11-second gap over Greipel and 13 seconds on Evans.

Gerrans says Thursday's stage will be the most decisive of the six stage tour given that Corkscrew Road is the place where the peloton is likely to blow to pieces.

"It's a tough little climb there and it's really quite close to the finish,'' Gerrans said.

"Any gaps that are made across the top of the Corkscrew are possible to hold all the way to the finish line so it's going to be an important day."

Gerrans even predicted carnage on Corkscrew Rd after many of the peloton's UCI WorldTour riders failed to escape smacking the tarmac before Sky's Geraint Thomas claimed the stage last year.

"I think you'll see carnage again,'' he said.

"Like I said it's a decisive climb and we take a lot of risks on the downhill either to gain an advantage or comeback from a split so we'll have to have our wits about us tomorrow (Thursday)."