The domestique has turned master at the Herald Sun Tour, with Damien Howson winning the key Falls Creek stage and taking the overall lead.
Howson leads Orica-Scott teammate Esteban Chaves and three-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome by more than a minute, leaving him well placed for an unlikely title win on Sunday.
It is the first professional win for Howson, the 2013 under-23 world time-trial champion.
The stage had been billed as a duel between Froome and Chaves, the two best-credentialed climbers in the field.
Howson has built a solid reputation as a mountain domestique, playing a key role last year as Chaves took second overall at the Giro d'Italia and third at the Vuelta a Espana.
But it was the 24-year-old's turn to shine on Thursday in stage one of the Herald Sun Tour.
Howson and Froome's Team Sky colleague Kenny Ellisonde broke clear of the main group midway up the decisive 29km climb to the finish at Falls Creek that highlighted the 174km stage from Wangaratta.
Once they caught brave solo leader Steve Lampier (Great Britain, JLT Condor), the pair continued building a lead.
Howson then attacked inside the last 3km and won by 32 seconds.
Lampier's young Australian teammate Jai Hindley also had a great day, catching and then passing Ellisonde for second place.
Ellisonde finished third at 47 seconds, while Australian Michael Storer was fourth and Chaves was fifth over the line at a minute and 10 seconds.
Froome was a second behind his Colombian rival in sixth.
Howson leads Hindley overall by 38 seconds and Ellisonde is third at 53 seconds.
But the main advantage for Howson is that he leads fifth-placed Froome by 1:12, while Chaves is ninth at 1:15.
The Tour is nowhere near over, given the hilly last stage on Sunday at Kinglake north of Melbourne.
But leading Froome by more than a minute is a solid buffer for Howson.
"Team Sky are one of the world's strongest teams so I guarantee they are going to throw everything they have (at us)," Howson said.
"There's still a lot of tough stages to come, but I also have a very strong team behind me.
"This is my first win in these (Orica-Scott) colours and it's been a long spell without a win.
"I have been living my successes through others which I am always happy to do, but it's nice to get a little bit of glory today."
Lampier was the last survivor of an eight-rider break that dominated the stage.
Howson and Ellisonde dropped him inside 10km to go and he finished 30th.
Share
