The races second day was marked by a difficult finish and plenty of combative racing from most of the teams.  An early breakaway was swallowed up close to the finish only for multiple breakaway attempts to follow. One included Aussie Michael Rogers and Lance Armstrong who took his first pull at the front of the race since returning from retirement.  Speaking afterwards the American felt that it may not have been the smartest decision but that he had enjoyed it after a hair raising moment the day before descending at over 100 kilometres per hour.  Armstrong finished 45th on the stage to move up to 68th on GC.  At the end of the sprint finish though it was Australian Allan Davis who led the bunch over the line to claim the race leaders Ocher jersey.

Afterwards the Quickstep rider talked about the stage.  “I’m very happy, for an Australian to win at home, in front of his hometown fans is the best. It’s also the first time I’ll take the leader’s jersey in all these years. After only two days of racing, we’ve managed to achieve an excellent result. This is the best possible way to begin a season, for me and for the entire team. I have to thank my team mates they did an extraordinary job. They put a lot of faith in me and I repaid them by winning. Every day my conditioning is improving; the goal is to not only be competitive here in Australia, but to prepare as best we can for the important races in the upcoming season.”

Facing into his eleventh edition of the Tour Down Under, the only rider to have done so, Davis now leads the field by 3 seconds over yesterdays leader Andre Greipel of Columbia and Graeme Brown of Rabobank.

Ireland’s Nicolas Roche had another good day.  He was part of the build up that put his teammate Martin Elmiger into 3rd place on the stage and finished 19th himself.  His effort though has slipped him down a few places to 19th overall, eighteen seconds adrift of the top spot.Results

Stage 2 results

1 Allan Davis (Aus) Quick Step 3.46.25 (38,424 km/h)
2 Graeme Brown (Aus) Rabobank
3 Martin Elmiger (Swi) AG2R La Mondiale 0.02
4 Stuart O’Grady (Aus) Team Saxo Bank
5 George Hincapie (USA) Team Columbia - High Road 0.04
6 José Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne
7 Mauro Santambrogio (Ita) Lampre - N.G.C
8 Tom Leezer (Ned) Rabobank
9 Mickaël Buffaz (Fra) Cofidis
10 André Greipel (Ger) Team Columbia - High Road
11 Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin-Slipstream
12 Baden Cooke (Aus) UniSA
13 Jussi Veikkanen (Fin) Française Des Jeux
14 Wesley Sulzberger (Aus) Française Des Jeux
15 Mickaël Chérel (Fra) Française Des Jeux
16 Mathew Hayman (Aus) Rabobank
17 Rémy Di Grégorio (Fra) Française Des Jeux
18 Michael Rogers (Aus) Team Columbia - High Road
19 Nicolas Roche (Irl) AG2R La Mondiale 0.08
20 Luis Leon Sanchez Gil (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne

General Classification after stage 2

1 Allan Davis (Aus) Quick Step                         7.31.42
2 André Greipel (Ger) Team Columbia - High Road           0.03
3 Graeme Brown (Aus) Rabobank                             0.04
4 Stuart O'Grady (Aus) Team Saxo Bank                     0.08
5 Baden Cooke (Aus) UniSA
6 Martin Elmiger (Swi) AG2R La Mondiale
7 Mauro Santambrogio (Ita) Lampre - N.G.C                 0.14
8 José Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne
9 Jussi Veikkanen (Fin) Française Des Jeux
10 Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin-Slipstream
11 Mathew Hayman (Aus) Rabobank
12 Mickaël Chérel (Fra) Française Des Jeux
13 George Hincapie (USA) Team Columbia - High Road
14 Michael Rogers (Aus) Team Columbia - High Road
15 Mickaël Buffaz (Fra) Cofidis
16 Rémy Di Grégorio (Fra) Française Des Jeux
17 Wesley Sulzberger (Aus) Française Des Jeux
18 Olivier Kaisen (Bel) Silence - Lotto                   0.17
19 Nicolas Roche (Irl) AG2R La Mondiale                   0.18
20 Iñaki Isasi Flores (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi