Plapp does what he hopes to replicate in the Giro, Visma | Lease a Bike pleased with strong Gloag

Jhonatan Narváez won the fifth stage of the Tour Down Under, but plenty of other riders also delivered strong performances behind the Ecuadorian. On the scorching climb of Willunga Hill, the time gaps were small, resulting in mixed emotions at the summit. Here's a recap of the key performances.

Best of the rest was Oscar Onley. The 22-year-old Brit from Picnic-PostNL came to Australia with general classification ambitions and, after finishing second on Willunga Hill, sits fourth overall heading into the final stage. However, the explosive climber wasn’t really satisfied. "The guys fully committed to me today, riding on the front and supporting me all stage; which I’m thankful for," Onley said in a team press release.

"I rode a conservative climb holding back a little for the final but unfortunately Narvaez was stronger in the sprint at the end," Onley analyzed. "It’s a good start to the season but I also wanted more from the stage and the GC. This trip isn’t over yet though and we have a few more opportunities with Tobi in the coming days," he added, referring to teammate Tobias Lund Andresen, who will get another shot at the sprint on the final day of the Tour Down Under and in the upcoming Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race on February 2.

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Onley (in purple) saw that Narváez was stronger

Plapp: Top Australian in front of home crowd

Luke Plapp finished fourth, just three seconds behind Narváez, Onley, and Finn Fisher-Black of Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe. "I gave it everything I had. I mean, I'm never gonna beat those guys in a sprint," Plapp admitted post-race. "I'm really happy with where the legs are. Obviously, you always want more, and I was super excited for this morning. Talking to Richie (Porte, ed.) and everything this morning, you dream big. But I gave it the best I could."

Plapp, 24, isn’t stopping there. The Jayco-AlUla rider recently revealed his ambition to target the general classification in the Giro d’Italia this May. Speaking on the Geraint Thomas Cycling Club podcast, Plapp outlined his goals: "My aim is to ride hard for three weeks and see where I end up. I’m not setting specific targets, I just want to give it my all every day."

With analysts predicting Wout van Aert could contend for the Giro title, why shouldn’t Plapp aim for a solid top-10 finish? "The two time trials look great, but the final week is brutal. Every day is 200 kilometers with 5,000 meters of climbing. It’s going to be a grind. My plan is to go all-out for the first two weeks and then just survive the third."

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Luke Plapp finished fourth on Willunga Hill

Gloag impresses Visma | Lease a Bike

Lastly, we turn to Thomas Gloag, who stepped up for Visma | Lease a Bike. The 23-year-old Brit secured an impressive seventh-place finish, just six seconds behind Narváez. The Dutch team was thrilled with the performance, as sports director Addy Engels proudly explained in a press release: "Shortly before the foot of the climb, the peloton broke into pieces. We were surprised too, but a strong effort by his teammates allowed Thomas to start the final climb in an excellent position."

Visma | Lease a Bike, which had seen Loe van Belle abandon after an early crash, was rewarded for its hard work with Gloag’s result. "It was another great result for him," Engels said, referring to Gloag’s fifth-place finish on stage three. "Thomas had a lot of bad luck last year, so it is great that he can show himself right away in this season opener. We definitely want to try to go for a good result again with Matthew Brennan. In addition, it will be important to defend Thomas' eighth place in the general classification."

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