Ben Swift takes final stage as Cameron Meyer wins overall Tour Down Under

Ben Swift took victory in the final stage of the Tour Down Under as Cameron Meyer sealed the Ochre jersey.

Swift managed used a great lead out from Greg Henderson to seal Team Sky a one-two on the streets of Adelaide. Sky took control of the peloton within the last kilometre with several of the team sat on the front to give the Brit his second victory after stage two in Mannum. The win boosts Swift in to third place eight seconds behind the tour winner Meyer. His focus is now split between the road calendar and the World Track Championships in March.

Chasing the Bonuses
With 16 seconds available in sprint time bonuses Matt Goss had the potential to win the Ochre jersey without needing to go out on a break. The Australian did his best by taking four seconds on the first intermediate sprint and coming in third behind Swift and Henderson. In the end it was too much and Goss had to settle for runner-up two seconds behind Meyer. Goss can take some consolation in taking the sprinter’s jersey eight points ahead of Michael Matthews and Thomas de Gendt.

The final stage was hectic from the start as the riders completed the circuit around Adelaide. Almost simultaneously there was an attack at the front and a crash at the back. Marco Bandiera suffered a broken chain causing him to go down and take a couple of other riders with him. The four riders who got away at the front never gained more than 20 seconds on the peloton and were soon reeled in.

Surprise Surprise
This year’s Tour Down Under has been one of surprises and one of those was Andre Greipel’s lack of form in the race he normally dominated. After winning the race last year and in 2008 the German failed to win a single stage this time around.

Movistar were another surprise for 2011 the former Caisse d’Epargne team won the team competition equal on time with three other teams; they took the competition on stage wins. Australian Luke Roberts was the first rider to be crowned with victory in the King of the Mountains competition. The 23-year-old scored sixty points almost double his nearest rival Ben Hermans who only amassed 36.

The 2011 Tour Down Under has been a particularly good one for the locals who have dominated proceedings. It is the first time an Aussie has taken the Ochre jersey since Simon Gerrans claimed it in 2006.