Team LottoNL-Jumbo finished its trip to Australia with the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race this morning. Enrico Battaglin finished ninth in a tough 174-kilometre race in South Australia won by Peter Kennaugh (Team Sky).

The Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race featured a big lap of 113 kilometres and three tough laps of 20 kilometres to close it off.

“After 25 kilometres, four riders attacked and after a while, two others bridged to that breakaway,” sports director Frans Maassen said after the race.

“Orica-GreenEDGE controlled the race, though, and got some help from Trek afterwards. When we were already in the closing laps, Maarten Tjallingii and nine others broke away from the peloton in their chase to the last two early escapees. When everything came together a new group of seven dangerous riders escaped. Tjallingii and Bert-Jan Lindeman led the chase together with BMC to grab those seven riders again. On the penultimate climb, Kennaugh attacked and he was able to stay out of the clutches of the peloton.”

Behind Kennaugh, a group of 20 riders was able to sprint for the second place. Battaglin grabbed the ninth place. “I felt strong on the last climb,” the Italian said. “The sprint was a little bit disappointing, though. I thought that I would be able to come closer.”