Luis León Sánchez has won stage five of Tour Down Under while André Greipel retained his overall lead in the opening race of the UCI ProTour season.
Sánchez, the former Spanish national time-trial champion, claimed his first victory in the Antipodes after the Caisse d'Epargne rider withheld a late charge from the peloton to triumph in Willunga, South Australia.
In the dramatic 148-kilometre Queen stage from Snapper to Point-Willunga Sánchez earned himself a valuable win on the penultimate day of the UCI ProTour's opening race.
Following an early seven-man breakaway on the outskirts of Snapper, Sánchez, alongside team-mate and compatriot Alejandro Valverdo, Cadel Evans, the first Australian winner of the Road Race World Championship, and Liquigas's Peter Sagan of Slovakia, the eventual stage winner worked hard in his four-man group of escapees to earn a maiden Tour Down Under victory.
Evans, the 32 year-old wearer of the coveted rainbow jersey - the shirt awarded to cycling's world champion - looked to be in control on the second ascent of Willunga Hill. However, BMC Racing's lead rider appeared to lose control of the stage as Sánchez, on the wheel of Valverdo, stepped up a gear in the closing kilometres of the race.
Indeed, Sánchez, following his win, said: "I had a great tour. I am very very happy with the job of Valverde who is a very good person to have on this team".
Sánchez's stage win comes just 24-hours after Caisse d'Epargne, the French bank, announced their withdrawl of sponsorship of the Spanish team.
Evans, who, possibly, saw his best chance of taking the overall lead in the general classification said: "Good for them [Caisse d'Epargne]," after the Australian failed to claim a podium finish.
However, the typically dogged Aussie added: "Better to play for some thing than lose everything.
"[It's a] difficult situation for me. Why do i always get in these situations?"
Greipel, the overall leader in the general classification, said: "[the ride] was awesome from the guys, we just puuled over the last climb.
"If you have team members like I have, we can reach the goal why I came here."
Tour Down Under details
Stage five, Snapper Point-Willunga 148km: 1. Luis Leon Sanchez (ESP) 3 hours 29 minutes 39 seconds, 2. Luke Roberts (AUS) Milram at 2sec, 3. Alejandro Valverde (ESP) Caisse D'Epargne 4, 4. Cadel Evans (AUS) BMC s.t., 5. Peter Sagan (SVK) Liquigas Doimo 6, 6. Markus Fothen (GER) Milram s.t., 7. Sebastien Rosseler (BEL) s.t., 8. Cameron Meyer (AUS) Garmin-Transitions s.t., 9. Greg Henderson (NZL) Sky 9, 10. Fabio Sabatini (ITA) s.t.
Selected others: 12. Robbie McEwen (AUS) Katusha s.t., 17. Andre Greipel (GER) HTC-Columbia s.t., 33. Lance Armstrong (USA) RadioShack s.t., 91. Oscar Pereiro (ESP) Astana 6:23
Overall lead: 1. Greipel (GER) HTC-Columbia 16 hrs 53 mins 45 secs, 2. Sanchez (ESP) Caisse D'Epargne at 11secs, 3. Roberts (AUS) Milram 17secs, 4. McEwen (AUS) Katusha 20secs, 5. Evans (AUS) BMC 21secs, 6. Henderson (NZL) Sky 24secs, 7. Vorganov (RUS) Katusha 25secs, 8. Roelandts (BEL) Omega Pharma-Lotto 26secs, 9. Fothen (GER) Milram 27secs, 10. Grivko (UKR) Astana 29secs
Selected others: 19. Valverde (ESP) Caisse D'Epargne 32secs, 24. Armstrong (USA) RadioShack 47secs, 73. Pereiro (ESP) Astana 9:46
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