The final stage of the Santos Festival of Cycling men's race will take place on Saturday at Willunga Hill.

This is a stage not to be missed as the riders bid farewell to the king of Willunga, Richie Porte (Team Garmin Australia), and avenge the loss of James Whelan (Team Bridge Lane).

Even last year, when the overall was clearly in play before this stage, the rise of a new generation in Luke Plapp produced an unforgettable story, as he rolled across the finish line just behind his mentor Porte, who had him on his wheel halfway up the climb, and stood up and applauded

This year's race was the first of many.

The GC battle was still raging this year, and the door that seemed to be closing for Whelan's rivals was jimmy'd open after a controversial one-minute time penalty cut his lead from about a minute and a half to nearly 30 seconds.

"I'm still in a good position," he said. We need to do more or less the same thing we did when we were a minute and a half behind."

"I think we have the legs for it and the team can help us.

Whelan last raced Willunga in the Tour Down Under in 2019, when he finished 48th, 3:05 behind the stage winner (Porte, of course), but things couldn't have been more different. At the time, Whelan was just starting his first year as a World Tour pro, working under team captain Michael Woods. This time, he was the team leader, and he took it all in hand and raced in ferocious form, hoping to avenge the stigma of his victory at the Santos Festival of Cycling.

After his contract with EF Education Nippo was not renewed and he left the World Tour, he took a solo second place at the Australian Road Championships earlier this month.

And now, with a one-minute penalty, he has another reason to be excited.

"Negative motivation is not my problem," he said. 'Maybe I can make a bigger difference. I agree.

Some players are eager to stop him. Thirteen riders, including last year's champion Luke Durbridge, are within 33 seconds of each other overall and in third place, just eight seconds behind Porte and Plapp.

And then there is Brendan Johnston (Giant Racing). Last year he finished 15th, a minute behind the stage, but this year he is showing his form by finishing 3rd in the All-Japan Championships.

There are also two solid options in this group, including Inform TMX Make with Rudy Porter and Carter Turnbull, and Villa Wood with Jumbo Visma's Chris Harper and former BMC driver Tim Low, who finished fourth on this stage in 2021. Some teams.

But it is not only the GC that is at stake in Willunga. This stage and climb will be Porte's last in Adelaide, Australia. Porte will race with a young national team this year, which includes young riders as well as his new Ineos Grenadiers teammate, Plapp.

Porte and Plapp have been named by their rivals as the riders they will try to chase. With Plapp's puncture at a crucial moment in stage 3, which ended his GC hopes, the team is clearly committed to making this a memorable final climb for Porte.

"Before the king retires, he will have one last go at Willunga.