The stage was animated by a series of attacks, most of which centred on Logan Owen (EF-Drapac), with his most successful move coming alongside Dimension Data’s Ben O’Connor.

With the peloton happy to ease up, their lead stretched beyond the two-minute mark but there was never any real threat to the sprinters once the laps began to count down.

O’Connor was the first to drop back, and Owen’s time up the road also came to an end with two laps still to raise.

Team Sky debutant Egan Arley Bernal was also in the bunch, sealing the youth classification and sixth place overall at 20 seconds.

And Scott Davies (Dimension Data) also completed a successful UCI WorldTour debut – the Welshman’s 23^rd place, at 45 seconds, ensuring he finished as Britain’s highest-placed rider.

Tour Down Under 2018: stage six – result

1) Andre Greipel (GER) – Lotto-Soudal – 2.01.19hrs
2) Caleb Ewan (AUS) – Mitchelton-Scott – ST
3) Peter Sagan (SVK) – Bora-hansgrohe
4) Phil Bauhaus (GER) – Team Sunweb
5) Elia Viviani (ITA) – QuickStep Floors
6) Steele von Hoff (AUS) – UniSA-Australia
7) Simone Consonni (ITA) – UAE Team Emirates
8) Mads Pedersen (DEN) – Trek-Segafredo
9) Carlos Barbero (ESP) – Movistar
10) Mads Wurtz Schmidt (DEN) – Katusha-Alpecin

General classification

1) Daryl Impey (RSA) – Mitchelton-Scott – 20.03.34hrs
2) Richie Porte (AUS) – BMC Racing – ST
3) Tom-Jelte Slagter (NED) – Dimension Data +16”
4) Diego Ulissi (ITA) – UAE Team Emirates +20”
5) Dries Devenyns (BEL) – QuickStep Floors – ST
6) Egan Arley Bernal (COL) – Team Sky
7) Gorka Izagirre (ESP) – Bahrain-Merida
8) Luis Leon Sanchez (ESP) – Astana +23”
9) Ruben Guerreiro (POR) – Trek-Segafredo – ST
10) Robert Gesink (NED) – LottoNL-Jumbo +24”