Australian rider Simon Gerrans outsprinted Germany's Andre Greipel to win the opening stage of the Tour Down Under on Tuesday, taking an emphatic step toward winning the opening event of cycling's ProTour season for a third time. A demanding climb up Mengler's Hill 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) from the end of the 135-kilometer (84-mile) stage from Nurioopta to Angaston took several of the top sprinters out of contention. Greipel stayed near the lead and seemed set for his 15th stage victory in Australia when he hit the front early on the uphill sprint the finish. Australian Steele von Hoff finished third in Tuesday's stage, while Diego Ulissi of Italy was fourth and Maxime Bouet of France fifth.
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