Tour Down Under glory rests on a knife edge for Sky's star Welshman Geraint Thomas

SKY ProCycling's Geraint Thomas knows that one wrong move by his team today will cost him the leader's jersey and the Tour Down Under crown.

Val Migliaccio

3 min read

January 26, 2013 - 12:00AM

SKY ProCycling's Geraint Thomas knows that one wrong move by his team today will cost him the leader's jersey and the 2013 Santos Tour Down Under crown.

The Welshman retained the ochre jersey after Lotto-Belisol's Andre Greipel won his 13th stage of the TDU ahead of Lampre-Merida's debutant Roberto Ferrari and Saxo-Tinkoff's Jonathan Cantwell in a fearless sprint to the Tanunda finish line.

After 126.5km on the bike from Modbury, Thomas completed Stage 4 fresh after avoiding a horrific crash in which about 15 riders hit the tarmac at Tanunda.

Thomas said today's Stage 5 - McLaren Vale to Old Willunga Hill - could be hijacked by rivals if Sky was not on its tactical game.

Thomas snatched the leader's jersey from Greipel on Wednesday when he claimed Stage 2 after conquering the steep Corkscrew climb.

But he fears every rider within 15 seconds of his ochre jersey will today be out to upset Sky's plan before Old Willunga Hill is destined to crack the peloton twice.

He hopes to hang on.

"Hopefully I can have similar legs to Corkscrew and just ride like I did there, full gas," he said.

"If somebody goes full on at the bottom (of Willunga) and everyone watches each other, you gain 20 seconds or whatever, but the guys who are 15 seconds behind they're the ones that are going to (fight) for the jersey.

"Because if they lost time up the Corkscrew it would have to be a big turnaround to suddenly ride off the front for 30 seconds.

"RadioShack-Leopard is strong, Blanco is strong and obviously the Euskaltel Euskadi guys. It's more about not getting down to chasing everyone.

"I think it's not just me that wants to win this race and if I ever get isolated I've got to look to other guys to do a bit as well."

But after Modbury's 10m grass start yesterday -- a first in World Tour racing -- UCI road world champion Philippe Gilbert and South Australia's UniSA young hopeful Damien Howson attacked Stage 4 like there was no tomorrow.

Thomas was well protected by his teammates as the rest of the peloton was content to watch Gilbert and Howson lap up sprint bonuses.

After Greipel's win, which gave him the record for TDU stage wins, Ferrari was not satisfied with runner-up status.

Ferrari, one of the peloton's most aggressive sprinters, is now hoping to snatch a stage win tomorrow during the final Stage 6 on the Adelaide street circuit, prepared to write off Stage 5 today as an "experience".

"I took the back wheel of Greipel in that last sprint and I was trying to edge past him but I couldn't reach him," Ferrari said.

"I had to fight for second place but it's OK like that.

"My conditioning is getting better at this time of year so it very good like that."

STAGE 4 RESULTS

1. GREIPEL, A (GER) Lotto Belisol 3:02:52
2. FERRARI, R (ITA) Lampre-Merida st
3. CANTWELL, J (AUS) Saxo-Tinkoff st
4. FENN, A** (GBR) Omega Pharma-Quick-Step st
5. MARKUS, B** (NED) Vacansoleil-DCM st
6. KITTEL, M (GER) Argos-Shimano st
7. RENSHAW, M (AUS) Blanco st
8. van HUMMEL, K (NED) Vacansoleil-DCM st
9. DEMARE, A** (FRA) FDJ st
10. LODEWYCK, K (BEL) BMC st

Europcar Most Competitive Rider

GILBERT, P (BEL)BMC
HOWSON, D** (AUS)UNI SA - Australia

GENERAL CLASSIFICATION

1. THOMAS, G (GBR)Sky Procycling 12:59:09
2. SLAGTER, T** (NED)Blanco 0:05
3. MORENO BAZAN, J (ESP)Movistar 0:06
4. HERMANS, B (BEL)Radioshack Leopard 0:08
5. IZAGIRRE, G (ESP)Euskaltel Euskadi 0:15
6. IZAGIRRE, I** (ESP)Euskaltel Euskadi st
7. BAUER, J (NZL)Garmin Sharp st
8. MACHADO, T (POR)Radioshack Leopard st
9. HANSEN, A (AUS)Lotto Belisol st
10. BENNETT, G** (NZL)Radioshack Leopard st

Skoda King of the Mountain

1. BOBRIDGE, J** (AUS)Blanco 20 points
2. THOMAS, G (GBR)Sky Procycling 16 points
3. MORENO BAZAN, J (ESP)Movistar 14 points

Jayco Sprint

1. GREIPEL, A (GER)Lotto Belisol 30 points
2. THOMAS, G (GBR)Sky Procycling 29 points
3. GILBERT, P (BEL)BMC 28 points

Cycle Instead Young Rider