Sky will once again be defending the general classification lead that Geraint Thomas has over Tom-Jelte Slagter which is a slim 5 seconds. In a race where seconds determine placing in almost the top 30 riders the gc won't be shaken up today with Stage 5 to Old Willunga Hill still looking like the decisive stage. Today's race will be another chance for the sprinters and could be the day that Greipel wins his 13th TDU stage and becomes the first rider to have done so in the 15th edition of the race. The 126.5km stage begins in Modbury and contains just one big climb, Kersbrook Road on Humbug Scrub, after just 30kms but after that there are undulating roads but nothing dramatic. The final few kms are almost dead flat and will see Greipel, Goss and Kittel fighting it out for the win. Orica-GreenEdge has had a disappointing return to the TDU after Simon Gerrans overall win in last years edition and Goss looks good after finishing second on yesterday's stage. Last year Óscar Freire won the sprint but in 2010 it was Greipel who won in the Barossa Valley town.
Geraint Thomas leads the overall, climbers and sprint classifications but could lose his sprinters jersey to one of the fast men. The gc shouldn't really change at the pointy end but with Jack Bobridge tied for points in the KOM he may just try to take the lead in the polka classification. With Thomas wearing the ochre jersey, Bobridge will wear the Kom jersey and Slagter should be in the points jersey. This gives Gorka Izagirre (Euskaltel-Euskadi) a day in the young riders jersey or if Slagter wears the young riders jersey, Daniele Pietropolli (Lampre-Merida) will be in the blue points jersey. GreenEdge will have some joy with Simon Clarke in the aggressive rider jersey and RadioShack Leopard will once again be leading the team classification, continuing their team form from last year when they won the classification.
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