Luis Leon Sanchez is known for his strong starts to the season and he is one of the favourites for the Tour Down Under. Today he proved his good form when he finished sixth in the uphill sprint in Stirling.

“The strategy  was to control the race and attack in the final. In the sprint I was behind Cadel Evans but we found ourselves a little closed," Sanchez said after a sixth-place finish in the northern hills of Adelaide at stage two of the Tour Down Under.

Sanchez finished in the same time as stage winner Juan Jose Lobato of Spain. After time bonuses, teammate Lieuwe Westra slipped from second overall to third behind Lobato with four more days of racing.

Stage three is another uphill finish, with more chances for Astana Pro Team to hunt for victory.