โThis is unbelievable โฆ heโs also took a knock as well; the kangaroo.โ
While Vine was able to stay in the race, he lost Danish teammate Mikkel Bjerg to injury after the incident with 95 kilometres left in the stage. At least a couple of other riders were also forced out of the race because of crash injuries
Colombian Juan Molano also separately pulled out of the stage, leaving Vine with only two teammates, British star Adam Yates and Ivo Oliveira from Portugal.
But the Australian was the strongest rider in the race, and he went into the last stage with an advantage of one minute and three seconds.
Compatriot Pat Jonker is the only other Tour Down Under winner to win by more than a minute, with his 1:13 margin in 2004. Twice, the overall result has been decided on countback.
It was another day of drama at the Tour โ four people, protesting against Santos as the Tourโs title sponsor, were arrested after they tried to disrupt the racing.
This was the longest stage in the Tourโs history at 169.8km, after Saturdayโs stage at Willunga was shortened from 176 to 131km because of the bushfire risk.
The eight circuits at Stirling in the Adelaide Hills were being raced in lower temperatures than Saturdayโs 40-plus oven, but it was still in the 30s.
There was 529 metres of climbing per lap, meaning a leg-sapping 3436m for the stage.
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Australians Luke Plapp (Jayco AlUla) and Rob Stannard (Bahrain Victorious) were in a group of four that built a lead of more than three minutes, but they were never allowed too much leeway.
The remnants of the break were caught at the start of the last lap.
Plappโs Swiss teammate Mauro Schmid started the stage at second overall and Jayco AlUla were looking at their tactics in a bid to take the lead from Vine.
But they knew it would take something massive for Vine to lose the Tour.
Fellow Australian Harry Sweeny (EF Education Easypost) held third overall at 1:12 in an impressive performance.
