Richie Porte destroys field on Willunga Hill to increase lead

Richie Porte has continued to re-write Tour Down Under history with his fourth consecutive win on Willunga Hill, with a stunning solo attack on the final ascent of the climb.

Porte crossed the line with a 20-second advantage on Nathan Haas (Dimension Data) and Esteban Chaves (Orica-Scott), to extended his lead to 48 seconds over Chaves in the General Classification.

The penultimate stage of the Tour Down Under was the final battle for the General Classification contenders and with Porte holding a 22-second advantage before the stage, the battle for the ochre jersey was far from over.

A four-rider breakaway went clear soon after the McLaren Vale start and built a steady advantage over the BMC -controlled bunch.

Three remaining breakaway riders remained in front on the first ascent of Willunga Hill but will 10km to go the reduced peloton was closing in.

At the bottom of the final ascent it was a small group of riders left with Porte joined by teammate Rohan Dennis. As riders began to drop, Porte attacked with 1.7km to go and managed to accelerate clear of his rivals and take the solo win for the fourth time in his career.

“To win the stage like that is great. I get the accolades up there on the podium as the winner, but I can’t say enough for my teammates. Each and every one of them put me in a great position today and it’s just nice to finish it off. With one day to go I’d love to win this race. I’m so happy.”, said Porte.

Tour Down Under 2017 – stage 5 results (McLaren Vale – Willunga Hill):

General classification after stage 5: