Cycling: A horror accident casts doubt on Patrick Bevin's chances of winning the Tour Down Under

With his ragged ocher chef's jersey and blood flowing down his elbows and knees, Patrick Bevin made the journey of his life to keep his dream of Tour Down Under Glory alive.

He must now hope that the damage caused by a late fall in the fifth leg does not affect his chances of victory.

After a fall 10 kilometers from the penultimate stage, Bevin hit the deck thoroughly and, while he was limping up, it seemed like his run was over.

But, one way or another, he found the strength to continue and, even more incredible, he managed to return to the peloton. The peloton briefly slowed down in sign of sportiness for the leader jersey, but in front of the tight finish line, it was necessary to keep the tempo, leaving Bevin a lot of work to do to catch up.

Fighter in pain, that 's what he did, crossing the finish line at the 44th place stage won by Jasper Philipsen, in order to keep the lead of the race for the decisive final round tomorrow.

But Bevin immediately went to Calvary Wakefield Hospital in Adelaide, where X-rays and CT scans showed that he was suffering from a bruised hip, an injured rib and multiple bruises.

Bevin will be observed during the night and will undergo a shock test on Sunday morning to determine if he is able to start the finals.

"It was such a nervous stage and there was a battle for the position all day, all it took was a touch of the wheel and I fell, I'm pretty fucked right now, but I really hope to be able to stand in line tomorrow … Fortunately, nothing is broken, so we'll see how I get up in the morning, "said Bevin.

By the time Bevin collapsed, the fifth stage was almost perfect for his hopes of becoming the second New Zealander to win a World Tour race.

Bevin claimed five seconds of bonuses in the intermediate sprints to maintain his seven-second lead over defending champion Daryl Impey and extend his margin to 26 seconds over his other main rivals.

His attention is now turning to the biggest test of the race: the last stage, which ends with the ascent of Willunga Hill, a climb quite difficult to bear without injuries.

The Australian climber Richie Porte won this climb of 3.6 km, with an average slope of 7.1%, and this, along with several others, for five consecutive years. It is certain that Bevin will take the time to take the time to finish in style.

However, the question will be how long Bevin's rivals can win, and the time bonuses Bevin gained today could prove crucial – as well as the injuries resulting from his unfortunate accident.

In full health, Bevin is unlikely to lose 27 seconds against the climbers in the running – but with a 10-second bonus on hand for winning the stage and teams unlikely to leave a win in the breakout contest. , the winner of the stage only needed 17 seconds. Bevin to claim the general glory.

Last year, Porte won the 8-second stage on Impey, leaving 10 to 20 seconds to the rest of the contenders. Yesterday, Bevin lost about 12 seconds against a group of climbers during the climb of Corkscrew, 2.3 km long, before catching them in the descent. cable.

Of course, Bevin is not the only Kiwi to win this race. George Bennett, the only New Zealander to ever win a World Tour race with his overall title in the Tour of California in 2017, remains seventh overall, 27 seconds behind Bevin.

Last year, Bennett's attempts to track Gate on Willunga Hill had a negative effect, he lost 14 seconds, but he seemed to be the strongest rider in the Corkscrew race yesterday, and the win is not out of the question.

However, for now, all eyes will be on Bevin and if he will fight for the best result that deserves his incredible performance.