Lotto Belisol's Andrei Greipel won the opening stage of the 15th Santos Tour Down Under in Adelaide, Australia.
One hundred and thirty two riders started the 135km (84 miles) L'Oreal Men Expert stage in Prospect, to the north of Adelaide to Lobethal and it was UniSa's Jordan Kerby who was the first to attack in the first UCI World Tour event of the 2013 cycling season.
Kerby, who won the prologue of the Jayco Herald Sun Tour, built up a five minute lead on a very strong peloton that included British riders Geraint Thomas (pictured below), Ian Stannard, Luke Rowe and Andrew Fenn, last year's winner Simon Gerrans, World Champion Phillippe Gilbert and all the big teams..
Kerby, who will ride for Danish team Christina Watches Onfone after this race is over, increased his lead to seven minutes with eighteen kilometres gone.
The only Skoda King Of The Mountains climb came at Checker Hill with 41kms gone and Kerby was first over to ensure that he will wear the green polka dot KOM jersey tomorrow.
The peloton went over 4.30 behind and Australian Jack Bobridge,who was second at Checker Hill, took that as his cue to attack Kerby in temperatures of 23 degrees.
With 77kms to go, the lead for the U23 Australian road race champion lead had dropped to 3.05.
The race headed towards Charleston on Valley Road for the first time and Kerby picked up the three second time bonus for winning the first of three Jayco Sprints. Radio Shack's Jens Voigt went after him but was reeled in and Simon Gerrans took the second point with Astana's Simone Ponzi third and this burst for the sprint points meant that Kerby's lead was now only ninty seconds.
The last fifty kilometres of the race was two twenty five kilometre laps around Lobethal and South Australian wine country and saw Kerby out in front by 2.05 whilst Lotto Belisol and Argos Shimano did the work at the front of the peloton.
Kerby took the second Jayco Sprint in Charleston to give him six points.Back in the peloton, there was a sprint for the other two places and Vacansoleil's Thomas De Gendt who finished second with Jose Joaquin Rojas third and Gerrans fourth.
Omega Pharma Quick Step's Jerome Pineau made his raid on Kerby just after the sprint and in Woodside with 95kms gone, the junction was made and Pineau shot past the Australian who had been out in front for over two and a half hours.
The duo had a thirty seconds lead ahead of a peloton which now had Team Sky's Berni Eisel (pictured below) on the front.
The 33 year old Pineau, who has ridden the last ten Tour De France's pressed on as Kerby was swept up by the peloton, taking a lead of around a minute and fifteen seconds.
Pineau started the final lap, seventy seconds ahead and a kilometre from the final Jayco sprint, Phillippe Gilbert tried his luck. The Belgian BMC rider shot away and took the three points ahead of a shocked Pineau amd Simon Gerrans.
The only points on offer now were the ten points for winning the stage with six for second and four for third and the peloton were altogether with the Blanco, Team Sky, Movistar and Argo Shimano teams leading the way.
AG2R's Biel Kadri attacked off the front with 6.6kms to go, only to be caught two kilometres later.
Team Sky came to the front once again with Edvald Boason Hagen in the wheel of Matt Hayman. Winner of the People's Choice Classic on Sunday Andrei Greipel was on the Norwegian's tail as was Mark Renshaw and Graeme Brown.
Under the flam rouge and the riders swung right into Main Street, Lobethal. The riders lined up and it was Andre Greipel who shot away to take what was an easy victory in a time of 3.35.14.
FDJ's Arnaud Demare was second and Mark Renshaw in third.
The victory was Greipel's 12th in the Tour Down Under and he starts tomorrow's stage in the leaders Ocre jersey.
Pictures copyright of Covsupport News Service. Credit CNS/KM