Today’s opening stage of the race saw the riders travel 145 kilometres from Port Adelaide to Lyndoch before tackling three laps of a 26.5km circuit in the finishing city with Greipel, representing Lotto Soudal, coming out on top in a tight affair with a time of 3 hours 50min 11sec.

It had looked like Mitchelton-Scott’s Caleb Ewan, from host country Australia, was going to take the stage but he was pipped to the post by Greipel just metres from the finishing line on the German’s first Tour Down Under since 2014.

Greipel, who last year revealed he had felt like he had lost his racing instincts after winning his first Tour de France stage since 2012, dedicated his victory to his mother, who died in early December.

"My whole career is dedicated to her," he told Channel Nine after his victory.

"She was my biggest supporter, all my career and I know she keeps looking."

The two-time overall champion also addressed his comments after the Tour de France.

"It was a big disappointment, then you say stupid things," he added.

"It's nice when you're 35 and everyone tells you, you will get slower.

"But I don't feel it and I really like to race my bike."

Ewan was complimentary towards Greipel, despite losing by such a narrow margin,

"He might not have had the season he hoped, but he's really hit the ground running here," Ewan, winner of four stages in last year's Tour Down Under, said.

Ewan’s compatriot Williams Clarke, riding for Team EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale, finished third.

The next stage of the Tour Down Under, the first event of this year's International Cycling Union (UCI) World Tour, is due to begin tomorrow with the riders starting a 148.6km race in Unley and which finishes in Stirling.