The target on Simon Gerrans' back at this year's Tour Down Under has become a large, flashing beacon.
The in-form Australian cycling star capitalised on outstanding teamwork from Orica-GreenEDGE to win the 135km opening stage at the Barossa town of Angaston and take a six-second overall lead.
He did the near-impossible at this race - beat German Andre Greipel (Lotto Belisol) in a sprint finish - nine days after Gerrans scored another outstanding win over Cadel Evans and Richie Porte at the Australian road championships.
Gerrans admitted it might have been better for Greipel, who is second overall, to have the lead for a stage or two so early in the six-day race.
But given the Tour is decided usually by a handful of seconds, Gerrans also knows he must take every possible advantage.
After being out of action since crashing and fracturing his hip last September, Gerrans has returned to racing this month with a vengeance.
His time bonus gains mean he has opened up crucial leads on Evans (11 seconds) and Porte (15 seconds), the other two main Tour favourites.
Apart from gaining a 10-second bonus for the win, Gerrans also picked up another second for taking third on the second intermediate sprint during the stage.
"I think I was being hunted before the stage even started," Gerrans said.
"Everybody knew that I was in good shape, but I think I have just proved everyone right now.
"You can't afford to hold too much back in this race.
"Every second on the road counts, every stage win counts so you have to take these opportunities when they come up."
Gerrans also led from start to finish when he won the Tour for the first time in 2006.
He is on track to become the first three-time winner, having taken out the 2012 edition as well.
Greipel, one of the world's top sprinters, has won a record 14 Tour stages.
But he was weakened by the Menglers Hill climb, 15km from the finish, which predictably split the field.
Greipel did well to go over the climb in the front group of 69 riders and the uphill finish also did not suit him.
Newly crowned Australian criterium champion Steele von Hoff (Garmin Sharp) rode impressively to finish third.
But compatriot David Tanner (Belkin) became the fourth rider in this year's field to crash and suffer a bone fracture.
Tanner broke his collarbone in a pile-up just outside the last kilometre.
French star Thomas Voeckler suffered the same injury in a training accident last week, while Italian Giovanni Visconti (compound leg fracture) and Australian Chris Sutton (wrist fracture) were hurt in Sunday night's curtainraiser street race.
Australians Will Clarke (Drapac) and Neil Van Der Ploeg (UniSA) made an early break and they were caught at 119km.
The front group that formed on Menglers Hill featured all the overall contenders, including Evans and Porte.
Evans finished ninth and recorded the same finish time as Gerrans, but Porte lost four seconds and was 29th.
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