There was no doubting that Ethan Vernon had come into the Santos Tour Down Under with strong form, not after he had claimed second place in the prologue on Tuesday, but up until now, things just hadn't quite fallen into place to make the most of the limited sprint opportunities that existed in this year's climber-friendly event.
A day that started out looking like it was going pear-shaped for the team, however, changed all that.
"Today's stage was meant to be for our climbers, George [Bennett] and [Nick] Schultz, and then last night it got changed, so we had to readapt our plan," said Vernon in the post-race media conference for stage 4, which had the three ascents of Willunga hill removed due to the intense heat – over 40°C – and extreme fire conditions. "And then we lost Corbin [Strong] and Jake to keep up the lead out, at the start of the stage, so again, we had to change it again during the stage."
Strong had been hit by the lingering impact of an early stage 1 crash, while Vernon's 'wing man in the finish,' Stewart, got caught up in an accident, broke his left collarbone and was out of the race. But then the Kalgoorlie-born neo-pro Brady Gilmore jumped into the void and positioned Vernon near the front so the British rider could finish off the stage in the brutal heat of an Australian summer that turned from a climbers' stage to one for the hardy sprinters.
"It gave us an opportunity to have another crack," sports director Sam Bewley told Cyclingnews at the end of the stage. "And we know that Ethan's in great shape, and the guys have been really close the last couple of days, but haven't quite executed, whereas today, they just nailed it and as we saw that in the sprint.
"Ethan actually won quite easily and Brady Gilmore – in his first World Tour race – he's been doing a great job and he actually did a really good job for Ethan in the final, putting him in the right position, and then kind of tried to stay behind him to protect the wheel. That worked perfectly for Ethan."
It also left the NSN Cycling Team with not just first on the stage but also fourth for Gilmore.
"I really wanted to win out here. I wanted to start this season strong. We've got a new setup with the team, and to be the first rider to win in this jersey is really special," said Vernon, who seemed to thrive in the heat, despite coming from temperatures in the minuses back home, even though it was already in the high 30's at the start and had hit 40°C by the end.
"It was hot at the start, but I think because it's a flat stage when you have a bit of water on you, it cools you down, but the guys were going back for ice every 10 minutes and cold drinks," said Vernon. "I think I was getting a drink nearly every 10 minutes or so, so I can't thank the guys enough for that, because that really made a difference."
A difference that the team hopes will keep yielding dividends.
"I think when you win in Australia, it builds the momentum for the whole team," said Vernon.
The team had originally had a target on stage 5, but the now-absent Strong was the planned rider for that day. The powerful performance bodes well, nevertheless, for the next stop in Victoria, where the team will be farewelling Simon Clarke.
"Maybe we'll have a bit of fun tomorrow and then start resting up, recuperating and focus on Surf Coast Classic and the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race," concluded Bewley.
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