Greipel in sight of Tour Down Under win

Andre Greipel moved within sight of a second Tour Down Under victory on Saturday after a thrilling chase over the race's most demanding stage.

Reigning world champion Cadel Evans led a fierce breakaway over the infamous Willunga Hill before Greipel battled back to hold on to the leader's jersey with one stage to go.

Spain's Luis Leon Sanchez, the 2005 winner, took the stage five victory with Greipel nine seconds behind, reducing the German's overall lead to 11 seconds.

Milram's Luke Roberts was second, Spanish star Alejandro Valverde third and Evans fourth. Seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong crossed in the same group as Greipel and was designated 33rd.

But Greipel, the 2008 champion, has already won three stages and will be favourite to preserve his lead over Sunday's flat, 90-kilometre (56-mile) stage six around central Adelaide.

"It was just awesome from the guys," Greipel said. "There was no time to panic, we just needed to chase -- we were 40 seconds behind.

"Tomorrow I just want to go with the guys in front. Hopefully there will be not so many attacks. But I think with a strong team like I have we can hold on to the jersey."

Greipel's HTC-Columbia team-mate Michael Rogers said it was a group effort to drag the sprint specialist over Willunga Hill and close the gap on the leaders in the dying stages.

"We were a little bit nervous leading into the final eight or nine kilometres but we used our experience and our brains," Rogers said.

"It came off perfectly in the end. We didn't win the stage but first and foremost we held on to the (leader's) jersey.

Greipel crashed out of last year's Tour Down Under when he hit a parked police motorbike, ending his title defence and sidelining him for four months following shoulder surgery.

"He will be hard to beat (on Sunday)," Rogers said. "We'll be very motivated for the bunch sprint and he's clearly moving much faster than anyone else in the last 200 metres of the race."

Armstrong is the biggest name in a strong field including 2006 Tour de France winner Oscar Pereiro and Evans, who has twice finished second in cycling's biggest race.

Tour of Spain champion Valverde, another major star, is fighting a two-year doping ban in Italy as well as attempts to extend it worldwide.