On the strength of a vicious attack on Corkscrew Road and a feverish descent to the finish, BMC Racing Team's Cadel Evans soloed to victory and into the race lead Thursday at the Santos Tour Down Under.

Evans powered his BMC teammachine SLR01 up the twisting 2.5-kilometre climb, leaving in his wake previous race leader Simon Gerrans (Orica-GreenEDGE) and Richie Porte (Team Sky), who briefly clung to the wheel of the 2011 Tour de France champion. Cresting the top with a 15-second lead, Evans increased that margin to 25 seconds on his plunge to the finish before the chase group pulled back time. Grimacing all the way to the finish, the 2009 world road champion acknowledged the BMC Racing Team's first win of the season and the cheers of his home country's crowd with a thumbs up.

"I had an idea of what we might have an opportunity to do," Evans said. "When you have an opportunity, you have to run with it. The team has been training really well and we have a really solid group here. It's been a pleasure so far, so I hope I can deliver them some more satisfaction.

"I had an idea of the opportunity I could get on Corkscrew climb and I knew what to do,"he added. "My team did a fantastic job to position me where I had to be. I had been training well but winning is what we are here for."

"It’s amazing to be back racing in Australia and win. A stage race is all about the leader’s jersey and time bonus is the key to win this race overall. We’ll see how it goes in the next stages. I haven’t won the GC yet."

Evans was happy that the race has now entered some harder terrain after two days that suited Orica-GreenEDGE. The GC is expected to be decided on Saturday's stage to the top of Willunga Hill.

"It's not quite a hilltop finish today," he said immediately after the race. "But it gives an indication of who's climbing best. On a 2km climb, you have a bit more time to think. Simon Gerrans and Orica, they really showed their expertise and they were really in their element in the first two days.

"We come into slightly different racing now, slightly more selective with the climb there," he added. "So going towards Willunga, it's a good indication, but I suspect everyone will probably we watching me now and trying to put the responsibility on myself and of course my team. The team has also shown they have the legs and we have the strength to do what we need to do, at least on Willunga."

"It's good to be back at my best level. I just want to come back after these ups and downs of these last two years and be back at somewhere near my best."

The victory was Evans's second stage win in eight participations in the Tour Down Under, with a best overall finish of fourth in 2002.

“Went Almost Perfectly”

Nathan Haas (Garmin-Sharp) led a 12-man chase group in 15 seconds after Evans. It included BMC Racing Team's Brent Bookwalter and Ben Hermans in seventh and eighth, respectively. Coupled with a 10-second time bonus for the stage win, Evans leads Gerrans by 12 seconds and third-place finisher and Stage 2 winner Diego Ulissi (Lampre-Merida) by 15 seconds with three stages remaining.

"Today went almost perfectly," Evans said. "It's a good start, but now we look toward Sunday. We've got our work cut out for us." A precisely executed plan by the BMC Racing Team laid the groundwork for Evans's winning attack on the Corkscrew ascent, Sport Director Fabio Baldato said. The team's other six riders sheltered Evans on the fast run-in to the base of the climb before riders like Brent Bookwalter and Steve Morabito took over the pace-making as the road turned upwards. "It went better than how we planned it," Baldato said. "I told the guys the climb would be like a sprint. We have been here more than one week and everybody did a reconnaissance of the climb and the downhill so everybody was ready. All the guys and Cadel did an amazing job."

By donning the leader's Ochre jersey, Evans leads a stage race for the first time since winning the two-day Critérium International in 2012. Last season, he won one race – Stage 4 of the Tour of Alberta in Canada – and placed third at the Giro d'Italia for his fifth career podium result at a Grand Tour. The victory was his first in a WorldTour race since capturing Stage 1 of the Criterium du Dauphiné in 2012. Evans was asked about the large crowd turnout along the 145-km route.

"I'm always in these dramatic moves in these races," he said, chuckling. "Win or lose, it's great to hear so many Aussie accents and to see so many Aussie flags that make this race what it is." Evans last raced the Tour Down Under in 2010.

The head of the BMC Team Performance Director, Australian Allan Peiper, says it was a fantastic day for the team.

"Cadel did all that was expected of him, and more," said Peiper. "We're excited about his win, and it should make for a more exciting race. 

"Tactically, we made it hard in the last part of the stage, and we had the whole team there for Cadel," explained Peiper of the plan hatched to put Evans in the lead.

"It's still four months to go to the Giro, but this is all part of the effort to build up Cadel for May.

"This win is important for his confidence," said Peiper. "Everyone can see the happiness that he has when he's riding his bike. He might underestimate the boost he's had from the Australian public, from the national championships, and racing this week."