Luke Rowe produced a battling display to finish fifth after a thrilling sprint climax to the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race in Australia.

The Cardiff-born rider dug deep to put himself in with a chance of victory after a 174km blast near Geelong.

But it was Nikias Arndt (Team Sunweb) who edged out his rivals overhauling Simon Gerrans (Orica-Scott) and Cameron Meyer (Australia) at the line.

For Rowe fifth place added to his fourth in the race two years ago.

The Team Sky rider , 26, said: “It’s quite frustrating. I think I pretty much rode the perfect race and was in the right place at the right time.

“Everything went to plan and then in the sprint it was a cross-headwind from the left.

“I banked on Jay McCarthy and stayed on his wheel but we didn’t come into the finish as fast as I’d have hoped.

“I felt I could have got a better result but that’s bike racing. No excuses.

“I think I hit my max heart-rate on each of the three climbs on the last lap! I was literally hanging on by the skin of my teeth.”

Rowe, who opened his season at the Tour Down Under, will stay in Australia for this week’s Herald Sun Tour.

He will be a key support rider as three-time Tour de France champ Chris Froome looks to defend his title.

Rowe was due to be joined by fellow Cardiff-born rider and 2016 Olympic team pursuit champ Owain Doull.

But Doull’s World Tour debut with the team has been delayed by the ruptured appendix which forced him out of the Tour Down Under.