Cycling: Tom Jelte Slagter wins Tour Down Under

TOM Jelte Slagter completed an unexpected Tour Down Under win for Team Blanco as Andre Greipel yesterday won his third stage of the week.

Spain’s Javier Moreno was second, ahead of GB Olympian Geraint Thomas of Team Sky, who lifted him to the front in the first sprint after eight laps for a three-second time bonus and he picked up one more with third place at the second, after 12 laps. After that, Lotto Belisol controlled the stage as Greipel was first to the tape yet again, edging out Australian Mark Renshaw with Sky’s Edvald Boasson Hagen third and Thomas sixth.

It was Greipel’s 100th career stage win and his 14th at the Tour Down Under.

Slagter, though, had gone into the day with a commanding 13-second lead and his overall win was never in doubt. Slagter, the first Dutch winner of this event, said: “The team has been doing really well and I’m proud to show this team to the world.”