Cycling's rock star Peter Sagan is billing himself the support act, despite his headline performance in brutal Tour Down Under heat.
Sagan, the three-time defending world road champion, insists Australian Jay McCarthy is their team's main overall hope.
That, plus defending Richie Porte revealing he has been unwell, means there is plenty of intrigue surrounding the pivotal Queen stage on Saturday at Willunga.
But on Friday, it was all about Sagan. He made Tour history with his pulsating stage-four win as the temperature hit the mid-40s.
In the Tour's 20th year, he is the first reigning world champion to win a Tour stage.
It is also the first time the current world champion has led the Tour.
A day out from the pivotal hilltop finish at Willunga, Sagan said McCarthy remained the main rider for their Bora-Hansgrohe team.
McCarthy is well placed in third overall, eight seconds behind Sagan.
Asked if the Australian was still their main contender, Sagan replied "for sure, yes".
"Tomorrow is going to be a different story," he said.
Sagan said he was surprised he had stuck with the front group up the Norton Summit climb near the end of Friday's stage.
And Sagan has much bigger ambitions than the overall Tour win, with the European spring classics looming.
Sagan was asked whether he could contend at Willunga.
"I hope not - otherwise, I'm going to be really bad later," he said.
"I'm just getting condition."
But he has already exceeded expectations, also winning Sunday night's Classic street race, two days before the start of the Tour.
Porte (BMC), seeking to be the first Tour champion to defend his title, was prominent at the end of Friday's stage.
He remains well placed in a group of 29 riders, who are 14 seconds behind Sagan overall.
But it remains to be seen whether Porte can unleash his trademark attack 2km from the Willunga summit finish.
This is his first stage race since last July, when he crashed out of the Tour de France.
"I didn't feel good today ... felt a little bit sick overnight. Hopefully tomorrow, we will see what happens. I had a pretty rough day," he said.
Everyone suffered on Friday in the blast-furnace conditions and Australian Nathan Haas (Katusha), who dropped out of overall condition, said it was too hot to race.
Sagan initially did not want to talk after the finish, where he outsprinted South African Daryl Impey (Mitchelton-Scott) to the line.
"I'm very happy, but I have to eat first," he said.
They led home a select group of 25 riders, which included all the key contenders, except Haas.
Impey is two seconds behind Sagan overall, but has never been among the frontrunners at Willunga.
A cool change is forecast for Saturday, but the temperature will stay in the mid-30s.
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