If Cadel Evans is looking for a lullaby tonight, this would be what I would suggest …
The battle for the Ochre jersey at the 2014 Tour Down Under went into total dogfight mode today. It’s kind of a “clean” way to win the jersey, by dropping everyone on the steepest climb of the whole tour, and holding on to win by 15 seconds. That’s what Cadel did yesterday.
But today, Simon Gerrans and Orica-Green Edge let Cadel know that this did not mean the battle was over. Gerrans clawed back five seconds in two intermediate sprints (first and second places in those sprints), and now trails Cadel by only 7 seconds. There are still two stages to go, with sprints and hill-top finishes and all sorts of opportunity for the fiercest possible bike racing.
Today was a day for the sprinters! Or one particular sprinter, in Andre Greipel. He won so convincingly that his lead-out man Jurgen Roelandts followed him home in second.

Andre Greipel grabs the handlebars after his hands-in-the-air celebration started to go wrong, as he won Stage 4 oh-so-comfortably in the sprint into Victor Harbour.
Our podcast today focusses on the tactical battle, and how Gerrans’ sprinting advantage gives him the means to take back the Ochre jersey. But that doesn’t mean that he will, because Evans is such a competitor as well.
Listen and share, people. Listen and share!
And make sure you listen to the ABC radio version of the Squeaky Wheel at 5 am Saturday (Sunday 2pm on digital), cos it includes some stuff not on the podcast!