January 24, Stage 4: Unley - Victor Harbor 148.5km
André Greipel and team, Lotto-Belisol, took their first win of the 2014 season in Stage 4 of the Santos Tour Down Under. Greipel, the German champion, was victorious in the sprint after 148.5km from Unley to Victor Harbor. Lotto-Belisol teammate, Jürgen Roelandts, who had perfectly pulled the sprint, finished second proving the immense talent in this team powered by SRM Training System.
Andre, racing at approximately 82kg, averaged over 235 watts with an average cadence of 70rpm. He maintained an average speed of 40.5kph while climbing just over 1,450m in the day.
"For me this was the first real sprinter's chance at the Tour Down Under. That today we not only take the stage win but also the second place with Jürgen Roelandts shows the strength of our team. This was a very strong collective performance. It was a nervous stage, with a lot of crosswind. At the right moment we raised the pressure which resulted in a split of the peloton. Of course I'm glad I could take my first victory. I knew the last climb and the final well, so I knew what we could expect. This well-deserved victory is great. The team is rewarded for its work." - Andre Greipel
Andre and Team Lotto-Belisol ride the SRM Campagnolo PowerMeter
In the final 5km of the race Andre was able to hold 387 average watts with a 79rpm cadence average.
Andre Greipel delivered an epic sprint pushing 1,105 average watts over 400 meters with a max speed of 69.1kph into the finish. His maximum wattage inside the sprint was 1,687 watts.
Frans Rutten - 25.01.2014
Without the actual file details are always hard to get by. But talking of a maximal power inside a sprint with 1466W ignores the fact, that Greipel's maximal power was quite higher, which in this case must have been close to 1700W. Still a few percentages from what must be his best. But TDU is of cause still early in the season.