Not that the 24 year-old South Australian was playing down his joy for winning the first round race of the World Tour.

"It's a really special moment, obviously," Dennis (BMC) said after Sunday's final and sixth 91km stage in Adelaide that was won by Dutchman Wouter Wippert (Drapac) in a bunch sprint from Australian road champion Heinrich Haussler (IAM Cycling) and Belgian Boris Vallee (Lotto Soudal).

The stage, while marred by two crashes – the second being a huge one and on the second last of 20 laps and with 6.1km to go – did not alter the top overall positions.

The podium remained as it was after Saturday's decisive fifth stage to Willunga Hill.

Behind Dennis, Tasmanian Richie Porte (Sky) placed second at 2s and Victorian Cadel Evans (BMC), the 2011 Tour de France champion who will retire on Sunday after the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race in Geelong, was third at 20s.

"It's the first race of the year and puts BMC on top of the world rankings and for myself, home town, home country. To take the win is a dream come true."

But Dennis' mind was already on his next major goal - the world hour record that he will attempt on February 8 in Grenchen, Switzerland - a record that fellow South Australian Jack Bobridge (Uni SA-Australia) will attempt in Melbourne next Saturday.

"I'm already starting to think about it," Dennis said. "I can't have too many drinks. I have to keep a lid on it (and) really concentrate on my recovery over the next weeks."

For Dennis, his Tour Down Under win will serve as a major confidence booster for his record tilt.

That he won the Tour Down Under in itself was remarkable – it was not planned.

His first goal off the back of his world hour record training was the men's elite time trial at the recent Australian road championship in which he placed second at 7s to Porte and then to help Evans the men's elite road race and Tour Down Under.

"I didn't target this race," Dennis said of the Tour Down Under.

"I targeted the national time trial. I really did come here and go to the nationals (road race) to support Cadel. I've been training on the track ... and that seems to help here.

"So to be able to perform on the road when I've been doing track work is a huge confidence boost."

Evans believes in Dennis' potential that has been already revealed in his professional career that began when he joined the Garmin-Sharp team (now Cannondale-Garmin).

In 2013, the former track endurance rider who joined BMC mid-way through last year, won the Tour of Alberta and finished eighth overall in the Criterium du Dauphine.

Then last year he rode for BMC in their world team time trial title winning team, placed second overall in both the Tour if California in which he won stage three and the Circuit de la Sarthe, and was second in the Commonwealth Games time trial before finishing the year with a fifth in the world time trial championship.

"He still has a lot of time to gain some experience," Evans said.

"Physically he has amazing ability and he is going to have a great opportunity to show that … when he goes for the hour record.

"If he can just harness those physical capabilities and put it on the result results sheets … It takes experience. It takes a lot of concentration, quite a lot f sacrifices."

Rupert Guinness has covered the Tour Down Under courtesy of the race organisation