The difference between winning and losing in a motorcycle race is often a matter of tactical decisions and rider ability that determine the final outcome. The difference between victory and defeat is much more obvious after the race, especially when the winning team is parked next to the biggest rival they have just beaten.

The emotional contrast between the Trek Segafredo and Mitchelton Scott team vans was dramatic as they crossed the summit of Willunga Hill. With no team bus, there was nowhere to hide the raw emotions after the race.

The Australian team started the race with Daryl Impey in the leader's jersey, but was eliminated as Richie Porte of the South African team took the overall win. Trek-Segafredo missed out on the stage win, but Porte took his second overall win. Impey dropped to sixth overall by 30 seconds. Simon Yates could not keep up with Porte and finished seventh overall, 37 seconds behind.

The silence as the Mitchelton-Scott athletes recovered and dressed was broken by the celebration of the Trek-Segafredo athletes. Fate brought the two rival teams side by side on the decisive day of the 2020 Tour Down Under.

Kim Andersen, director sportif of Trek-Segafredo, congratulated the arriving athletes, hugging and high-fiving each other.

On paper, Trek-Segafredo's lineup was weaker than Mitchelton Scott's, with Neo Pros Michel Reese and Juan Pedro Lopez, World Champion Mads Pedersen, Kane de Court, Kiel Reynen and Kenny Ellisonde. The Australian team was led by Simon Yates as second leader, with Jack Bauer, Luke Durbridge, Lucas Hamilton, and Cameron Meyer doing all the hard work. Andersen, however, aced Porte and his superior climbing ability.

Mitchelton Scott dominated the race all week, building a two-second lead as Impy chased down time bonuses. He pulled out all the stops to upset Porte on the final stage, refusing to accept responsibility as race leader and chasing the day's 26-man breakaway.

Trek-Segafredo had to lead the chase when the gap widened to over 5 minutes, hoping to eventually close the gap and allow Porte to put in another great performance on Willunga Hill.

After three tense hours in the team car, it was a great satisfaction for Kim Andersen to have done it.

"It was a really hard battle today. I didn't expect the whole peloton to go against us and Ritchie. Mitchelton Scott was competitive, but in a way they lost.

Andersen denied any rivalry, but was clearly pleased with his win on the Tour Down Under and his defeat of Mitchelton Scott in Australia.

"This is a game, a race. Everybody does what they think they should do," he added, insisting that he had no personal feelings toward Mitchelton Scott. It's just a bike race, nothing personal."

Mitchelton-Scott sport director Matt White sportily congratulated the Trek-Segafredo rider and Andersen as he walked toward his athlete to console and praise him. White has celebrated many victories on the Tour Down Under and around the world, but this year's loss seemed to hurt a bit.

"It's a shame," he said. Darryl was five seconds out of second place. Darryl was five seconds out of second place. But I'm very proud of the way they ran all week. We had a very smart race tactically. It just wasn't enough to catch Richie on the climb today," White said.

With a twinkle in his eye, White insisted that tactical tactics of not chasing the break were part of the game.

"We did a chunk of work this week, but there are some tactics in the race. They needed to win and they did today". This is a bike race, we're not fighting a war. It's just a sport, and I think the difference between the sport directors and the teams of 10 or 15 years ago is that we respect each other's work. At the end of the day, you're going to see Kim Andersen in another bike race in 10 days.

"When we win, we are the first to congratulate our competitors and they do the same. Cycling is a world too small to have enemies."

The race rivalry must have ended with a few beers in an Adelaide bar on Sunday night.