Hahndorf, Australia - Simon Gerrans enjoyed the protection of his French AG2R team to retain control of the Tour Down Under on Thursday as fellow Aussie professional Allan Davis finally bagged a stage.

Davis, who along with Stuart O'Grady was one of two Australians to come close to winning the world championships road title in 2004, is one of two riders, the other being Estonian veteran Jaan Kirsipuu, to have competed in all eight editions here.

It was something of an albatross. An established sprinter in the European peloton, the diminutive Liberty Seguros sprinter had never managed to claim a professional stage victory on home soil.

But that all changed on Thursday's second stage when he comfortably held off fellow Australian Paul Crake in a two-man sprint for the finish after he raced ahead to join a decisive breakaway which formed after only 35 kilometers.

The 146km stage from Stirling to Hahndorf began with a climb at the 17km mark. AG2R-Prevoyance’s rider Samuel Dumoulin went over the Echunga hill first to increase his lead in the Laubman and Pank King of the Mountain classification.

With no major GC threats present, the group was allowed to stay away.

Photo: Graham Watson

But not long after the climb, Dumoulin was joined by 10 others, including Davis and the group soon established a lead on the rest of the field. With no one in the group who posed a threat to the top four riders on GC, the peloton opted to let them stay away.

Through the first intermediate sprint at Woodside (51km) Hilton Clarke (Navigators) took out the maximum points and did so again at the second intermediate sprint at the 92km mark.

Completeing the third of three circuits at Hahndorf it was five-time Empire State Building stair climbing champion, Paul Crake, (UniSA-Australia) who launched the attack with Davis joining him soon after to set up a two man battle for stage honors.

Davis played his superior sprint skills perfectly to slingshot off Crake's wheel in the final 200 meters for an easy win across the line and to put an end to his eight-year drought at the TDU.

"We were the only team with two men in the break and you have to make the most of that advantage," said Davis who benefited from the support of Eladio Sanchez throughout the day. "I knew I had strong legs today so I went across to the lead group by myself early in the race and thought, 'I'm going to have a go - if I'm going down, I'm going down boxing. So I had a go and I won. Full credit to Crakey as well because he had a go and it's a great result for both of us."

In third place was Spaniard Eladio Sanchez, also of Liberty Seguros, who with less than five kilometers to race had attacked the nine-man group that Davis and Crake had originally been part of.

Crake takes a dig and Davis joins him

Photo: Graham Watson

"I can't tell you how hungry I was for a win this year. My wife just had a baby five weeks ago, and I would like to dedicate it to my family," said an ecstatic Davis.

It was another day of hot temperatures in the hills surrounding Adelaide, and AG2R were only too happy to see an early breakaway form and race ahead as none of them posed a real threat to Gerrans in the general classification.

The closest threat was Frenchman Rony Martias of Bouygues Telecom. Hailing from Guadeloupe in the French Caribbean, he is the cousin of French athletics star Christine Arron, but not even that family connection could help him close the 23-minute deficit he had to the Aussie.

Victory is now one step closer for 25-year-old Gerrans, and it would be welcomed by AG2R, a recent addition to cycling's ProTour who have won the Tour Down Under twice. Nonetheless, he still has to hold off the threat of reigning race champion Luis Leon Sanchez (Liberty Seguros), compatriot William Walker and ace sprinter Robbie McEwen.

Gerrans admitted the team could have eased up during the stage in order to save precious energy for the days ahead, but said he was growing in confidence.

Gerrans still has the lead...

Photo: Graham Watson

"The team rode absolutely perfectly, I couldn't fault them. They could have backed off a little bit but that was the pace they were happy to set so that was good," Gerrans told AFP. "I'm even more confident after today's ride. I'm really impressed about how the boys rode so I think we'll defend the jersey for another few days."

Gerrans, who leads Sanchez by a scant seven seconds in the overall standings, said he expects a tough fight in the coming days, especially as temperatures continue to top 100 degrees here in the midst of Australia’s summer season.

"Everyone struggles with the heat, not just my team, so it's an even playing field (because) it's not cooler for anyone else," said Gerrans whose team rode just hard enough today to protect their race leader. "It would have been really silly to race flat out today (because) tomorrow and the next day, Saturday, are going to be the real test."

Sanchez, considered an emerging hot talent in Spain, McEwen and Walker are all still in contention, as are Gene Bates and AG2R’s Dumoulin.

Despite McEwen's status as a sprinter with eyes only for stage wins, Gerrans said he would not rule out the 33-year-old Davitamon team ace.

"Liberty put two in the breakaway there, and obviously won it with Allan (Davis). But they're still really looking after Sanchez,” he noted. "I'd never count Robbie McEwen out either. Even going up that one-kilometer climb he was comfortable. He can still be there."

Friday's stage is another undulating race over 154km from Strathalbyn to Yankalilla.

Tour Down Under - Stage 2
1. Allan Davis (Aus), Liberty Seguros-Würth 146km in 3:27:21 (42.2kph),
2. Paul Crake (Aus), UniSA-Australia
3. Eladio Sanchez Prado (Spa), Liberty Seguros-Würth, at 0:38
4. Hilton Clarke (Aus), Navigators Insurance, at 0:54
5. Rony Martias (Fra), Bouygues Telecom
6. Mark Renshaw (Aus), Credit Agricole, at 2:00
7. Matthew Goss (Aus), South Australia.com-AIS
8. Fabio Sabatini (Ita), Milram
9. Mauro Da Dalto (Ita), Liquigas-Bianchi
10. Jens Renders (Bel), Chocolade Jacques-T Interim
FULLRESULTS