Kiwi ensures calculated play is down pat

A calculated gamble on stage 1 by New Zealand’s Patrick Bevin could ultimately pay dividends.

Patrick Bevin riding in the Tour Down Under Classic on Saturday. Picture: Getty Images

New Zealander Patrick Bevin has turned a regulation day for the sprinters into a calculated play for the ochre jersey to sit third overall in the Tour Down Under.

The Team CCC leader jumped into the early breakaway yesterday and took five bonus seconds at the intermediate sprint on the road to Port Adelaide where ­Italian Elia Viviani took stage honours.

Bevin, who finished 10th overall in the 2016 TDU, said it was part of his plan to gain crucial time he hopes will pay off by the weekend.

“It was definitely our intention,” Bevin said.

“We talked about it yesterday and if they were going to let a group get away and sneak off the front then why not?

“That was a GC play to try to take five seconds. It’s a bit of a gamble but it’s hot for everyone. There were five seconds out there just for being out there so we went out and took it and we start the next five stages with a head start.”

Bevin said spending half the day in a three-man break in 40C heat could take its toll later in the race, but it was a risk worth taking.

“It was definitely a gamble,” he said. “ You could take five seconds today and lose two minutes in three days’ time, but that’s bike racing. We’re here to try to win it, and to lie down and wait for Willunga (Hill) I’m not going to win it so I have to fight for every single second and that started at kilometre zero today.”

Stage 2 from Norwood to ­Angaston today is expected to be a bunch sprint again but all eyes will be on Mitchelton-Scott’s Daryl Impey who could take bonus time.

In 2014 his former teammate Simon Gerrans was a surprise winner in Angaston on Stage 1 and ended up winning the overall tour by just one second.

“I don’t think they’ll let me do it again. It was a bit of a gimme today just to roll off and see what happens,” Bevin said. “It is an investment of energy and you don’t get that energy back, so if I could guarantee it would be as easy as it was today I would definitely go again but I don’t see that being the case.”

While superstar sprinters Caleb Ewan and Peter Sagan missed the podium after being caught out of position in the drag-race to the line, it was a largely stress-free day for the GC contenders including Richie Porte.

“We executed a good plan and stayed out of trouble,” Porte said.

“It was a hectic day. It may not have looked it, but when it’s an easy stage like that, everybody’s fresh, it’s always going to be a bit sketchy.”