2012 Tour Down Under Stage 6: Adelaide Street Circuit, 90km, 2.WT

[benpounder]

If none of the leaders earn any sprint bonuses, wont the overall go to a count-back? If so, how many places must Valverde be in front to take the win?

 

[El Pistolero]

Gerrans, as Movistar said they're not chasing the GC on the final stage

You mean that article where Guttierez said the biggest load of bull one can imagine?

 

[Libertine Seguros]

If none of the leaders earn any sprint bonuses, wont the overall go to a count-back? If so, how many places must Valverde be in front to take the win?

74. Which is very unlikely as GreenEdge will just have Gerrans either up near the front or on Valverde's wheel in the closing stages.

 

[Fetisoff]

You mean that article where Guttierez said the biggest load of bull one can imagine?

Yep. That's the one. I mean he probably thinks he's talking bull****, but all of it is actually logical and is true (other than the fact that Valverde can beat anyone except for Cavendish). Frankly, I just don't see where Valverde can get a single bonus second.


But yet again, I thought Sagan had no chance last year in Poland either

 

[sublimit]

A bit of a shame its a crit and not a proper stage, like even a 140k flat stage could make for some action even if it fell flat.

Basically its going to be a coronation for Gerrans and another Greiple stage win.

 

[hilltopfinisher]

If anyone follows the World Tour scores, it looks like it will be close at the top for the team ranking after tomorrow.

According to my maths if all stays the same after stage 6...

Greenedge 107 (Gerrans, McEwan)
Movistar 107 (Valverde, Moreno)
SKY 105 (Rogers, EBH)
RNT 104 (Bennati, Machado, Bakelants)

with 6, 4, 2, 1, 1 (WT Points) available on the line and most likely GC move would be EBH up to 4th, Rogers/Dennis down a place each - would put SKY ahead by 10 (EBH 3rd on stage for example). If Matthews would win, he'd jump over Moreno and Bakelants, dropping Movistar and RNT 10 points each.

Will think about the nationality ranking as well...
Australia 230
Spain 113

 

[Libertine Seguros]

A bit of a shame its a crit and not a proper stage, like even a 140k flat stage could make for some action even if it fell flat.

Basically its going to be a coronation for Gerrans and another Greiple stage win.

Or an epilogue time trial.

sub-100km crits have no business being in the World Tour. In fact, crits full stop have no business being in the World Tour.

 

[Mellow Velo]

A bit of a shame its a crit and not a proper stage, like even a 140k flat stage could make for some action even if it fell flat.

Basically its going to be a coronation for Gerrans and another Greiple stage win.

Agreed.
Week stagers aren't 3 week GTs.
Final stages should offer at least a glimpse of chance for some GC change.
90 kms going around in flat circles..............well, we all know how that goes.

 

[movingtarget]

Well Paris has it's promenade every year why not Adelaide ? But I agree, I don't like to see criteriums in stage races not Pro Tour events anyway. Smaller races I can understand it. They could have had an interesting circuit race without it being a criterium but maybe it's just logistics and road closures they wanted to avoid. I still think this race is improving and I hope it continues to.

 

[Richeypen]

If anyone follows the World Tour scores, it looks like it will be close at the top for the team ranking after tomorrow.

According to my maths if all stays the same after stage 6...

Greenedge 107 (Gerrans, McEwan)
Movistar 107 (Valverde, Moreno)
SKY 105 (Rogers, EBH)
RNT 104 (Bennati, Machado, Bakelants)

with 6, 4, 2, 1, 1 (WT Points) available on the line and most likely GC move would be EBH up to 4th, Rogers/Dennis down a place each - would put SKY ahead by 10 (EBH 3rd on stage for example). If Matthews would win, he'd jump over Moreno and Bakelants, dropping Movistar and RNT 10 points each.

Will think about the nationality ranking as well...
Australia 230
Spain 113

Dont think anyone follows the WT team rankings until teams have to renew with the UCI and then its teams donw the bottom which are of interest anyway.

The nationality rankings should run from after the Tour of Poland.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Well Paris has it's promenade every year why not Adelaide ? But I agree, I don't like to see criteriums in stage races not Pro Tour events anyway. Smaller races I can understand it. They could have had an interesting circuit race without it being a criterium but maybe it's just logistics and road closures they wanted to avoid. I still think this race is improving and I hope it continues to.

Because of what MV says. In a 21-stage Tour, there is scope for a stage which is a bit of a parade, where the winners get congratulated and the finishers can pat each other on the back and take in the crowd's applause for making it to the end.

This is a six-stage race. Making it to the end of the race is not such an achievement that it merits that kind of self-congratulatory show, and we demand some bang for our buck in short stage races, on the basis that they are short, and therefore the riders do not need an unofficial day off. It effectively is a waste of a day.

The riders can all promenade around Adelaide if they want, but a time trial would be way better.

To be honest, the TDU is one of the few races of the year where a Nordic skiing style pursuit race would actually work - there's only 47 minutes between first and last so it wouldn't be the endless wait for the guys that don't care that it would be in a GT.

 

[theyoungest]

Or an epilogue time trial.

sub-100km crits have no business being in the World Tour. In fact, crits full stop have no business being in the World Tour.

... and why?

 

[cineteq]

Guys... hold your horses, Valverde will NOT be contesting the sprints:

"Gutierrez concluded with the assessment that Valverde will not contest Gerrans’ leadership during the final criterium in Adelaide on Sunday. “We’re not a sprinters’ team,” said the Spaniard. “In a one-on-one sprint, Alejandro would beat Gerrans, as he would beat Petacchi, Freire, Boonen etc. Probably the only one he wouldn’t beat is Cavendish. But in the middle of 130 riders, it’s mission impossible. GreenEdge has the perfect riders for criterium racing and they’re used to this kind of cycling in Australia. In Europe, we don’t have any. But that’s ok, we’re happy with what we’ve achieved.”

Source: http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/gutierrez-praises-valverdes-comeback-victory

 

[BYOP88]

Well to be fair, the TDU has no business being in the World Tour, it's an awful race! There are many better races out there, that should be World Tour over this junk.

 

[BillytheKid]

A bit of a shame its a crit and not a proper stage, like even a 140k flat stage could make for some action even if it fell flat.

Basically its going to be a coronation for Gerrans and another Greiple stage win.

I understand that there are a number of time bonus. 2 sprints and 2 mountain. SA-UNI and Sky have a vested interest in bumping RSNT's Machado off. This could effect the Gerrans-Valverde battle for the overall. Something more than a crit would be better, but this should have more than a parade value. A TT would put Machado in for the win. That would make it a real stage race.

 

[theyoungest]

Guys... hold your horses, Valverde will NOT be contesting the sprints:

"Gutierrez concluded with the assessment that Valverde will not contest Gerrans’ leadership during the final criterium in Adelaide on Sunday. “We’re not a sprinters’ team,” said the Spaniard. “In a one-on-one sprint, Alejandro would beat Gerrans, as he would beat Petacchi, Freire, Boonen etc. Probably the only one he wouldn’t beat is Cavendish. But in the middle of 130 riders, it’s mission impossible. GreenEdge has the perfect riders for criterium racing and they’re used to this kind of cycling in Australia. In Europe, we don’t have any. But that’s ok, we’re happy with what we’ve achieved.”

Source: http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/gutierrez-praises-valverdes-comeback-victory

JIGP is kidding, right?

 

[Parrulo]

I understand that there are a number of time bonus. 2 sprints and 2 mountain. SA-UNI and Sky have a vested interest in bumping RSNT's Machado off. This could effect the Gerrans-Valverde battle for the overall. Something more than a crit would be better, but this should have more than a parade value. A TT would put Machado in for the win. That would make it a real stage race.

lol with a short itt( about 10 15k long) this stage race would indeed be much better

 

[will10]

If anyone follows the World Tour scores, it looks like it will be close at the top for the team ranking after tomorrow.

According to my maths if all stays the same after stage 6...

Greenedge 107 (Gerrans, McEwan)
Movistar 107 (Valverde, Moreno)
SKY 105 (Rogers, EBH)
RNT 104 (Bennati, Machado, Bakelants)

with 6, 4, 2, 1, 1 (WT Points) available on the line and most likely GC move would be EBH up to 4th, Rogers/Dennis down a place each - would put SKY ahead by 10 (EBH 3rd on stage for example). If Matthews would win, he'd jump over Moreno and Bakelants, dropping Movistar and RNT 10 points each.

Will think about the nationality ranking as well...
Australia 230
Spain 113

I don't wish to burst your bubble but no-one cares about the TDU, and as a result no-one cares about the WorldTour rankings after the TDU.

 

[BillytheKid]

Well to be fair, the TDU has no business being in the World Tour, it's an awful race! There are many better races out there, that should be World Tour over this junk.

I agree to a point. Yesterday's stage 5 was a big improvement with an uphill finish. Big attacks and a shatter peloton, the works, but it needs a TT to make a little more than a sprinter's showcase. Last year's Cali had all the components except World Tour status which diminished the field. A great stage yesterday.

 

[BillytheKid]

I don't wish to burst your bubble but no-one cares about the TDU, and as a result no-one cares about the WorldTour rankings after the TDU.

Did you watch the race yesterday?

 

[Fetisoff]

Should have a team time trial, like Qatar this year.
That would be so awesome....

 

[gerundium]

I think the TDU doesn't plan a TT because of the same logistical problem they had for the tour of beijing. The teams would have to ship a bus filled with TT frames. Seeing the teams race a TT on their normal road frames would make it painfully obvious that they don't really have the TDU rated highly.

I do agree though that having a TT in there would make it more like a stage race.

 

[BYOP88]

Well the reason for it being WT over say a race like Qatar is Uncle Pat makes more money from the TDU than he would from the ASO event.

 

[Fetisoff]

I think the TDU doesn't plan a TT because of the same logistical problem they had for the tour of beijing. The teams would have to ship a bus filled with TT frames. Seeing the teams race a TT on their normal road frames would make it painfully obvious that they don't really have the TDU rated highly.

I do agree though that having a TT in there would make it more like a stage race.

Well, in Oman last year they rode their road bikes in a time trial. TBH it's going to be interesting to see what they ride in Qatar TTT. Maybe if Oman has a time-trial this year as well, they will bring their TT bikes this time around

 

[Gloin22]

Well, in Oman last year they rode their road bikes in a time trial. TBH it's going to be interesting to see what they ride in Qatar TTT. Maybe if Oman has a time-trial this year as well, they will bring their TT bikes this time around

Oman has 5 flat stages and one MTF. TT is gone