Matthews wins stage, Goss leads
01/20/2011 08:58:48 AM
Michael Matthews emerged from a bunched sprint to claim the third stage of the Tour Down Under on Thursday.
Matthews, in his first year with Dutch outfit Rabobank, earned his second victory of the season in a mass race to the finish line of Thursday's 129km stage from Unley to Stirling.
The 20-year-old Australian, the current under-23 road race world champion claimed the second stage of the Jayco Bay Cycling Classic earlier this month.
Two-time Tour Down Under Winner Andre Greipel (Omega-Pharma) finished second ahead of Matthew Goss (HTC-Highroad), who recaptured the overall leader's jersey despite suffering a tyre puncture 10km from the finish.
Overnight leader Robbie McEwen fell to third in the overall standings behind Goss and Greipel.
A four-man breakaway threatened to pull away as the race wound around a hilly 21km circuit three times in the finale, but they were dragged back to the peloton by the final lap.
Richie Porte was one of several to unsuccessfully attempt a late attack before a mass of riders sprinted to the finish, with Matthews emerging on top.
Goss' team-mate Mark Cavendish fell behind on the last lap of the circuit, one day after suffering nasty cuts and scrapes in a crash late on stage two.