2013 Santos Tour Down Under: 20th Jan - 27th Jan

[auscyclefan94]

2013 Santos Tour Down Under

Stage 1: Prospect to Lobethal, 135km
Stage 2: Mt Barker to Rostrevor, 116.5km
Stage 3: Unley to Stirling, 139km
Stage 4: Modbury to Tanunda, 126.5km
Stage 5: McLaren Vale to Old Willunga Hill, 151.5km
Stage 6: Adelaide Street Circuit, 90km

Startlist - Provisional
Riders of note (so far): Boasson Hagen, Rojas, Visconti, A. Schleck, Rogers, Iglinskiy, Guardini, Kelderman Gasparotto, De Gendt, Greipel, Kelderman, Kittel, Gerrans, P Velits, Lloyd and Gilbert.

TV Schedule (all times are AEDST/CET times where appropriate)
Down Under Classic - Channel 9 Highlights from 10:30pm to 12am
- LIVE Feed of this event will start at 7:30pm/9:30 on ninemsn.com.au

Stage 1 - 1pm -> 3:30pm/3am -> 5:30am on both GEM and ninemsn feed for those overseas.
- Highlights on Channel 9 from 11pm -12am

Stage 2 - 12:30pm -> 3pm/2:30am -> 5:00am on both GEM and ninemsn feed for those overseas
- Highlights on Channel 9 from 11pm - 12am

Stage 3 - 1pm -> 3:30pm/3am -> 5:30am on both GEM and ninemsn feed for those overseas.
- Highlights on Channel 9 from 11pm -12am

Stage 4 - 1pm -> 3:30pm/3am -> 5:30am on both GEM and ninemsn feed for those overseas.
- Highlights on Channel 9 from 11pm -12am

Stage 5 - 11:30am -> 4pm/1:30am -> 6:00am on both Channel 9 and the ninemsn feed.
- Highlights on Channel 9 from 11pm -12am

Stage 6 - 1:30pm -> 4:30pm/3:30am -> 6:30am on both Channel 9 and the ninemsn feed
- Highlights on Channel 9 from 11pm -12am

ALL STAGES ARE LIVE

 

[dlwssonic]

Andy to come back with a bang and destroy his opposition on wilunga hill.

 

[calinmarian]

Andy to come back with a bang and destroy his opposition on wilunga hill.

I don't think so.The old willunga hill is not a climb for diesel climbers like Andy,there will be a battle between Simon Gerrans and Big Phil.For Andy to destroy his opposition,he needs a big climb and to be in top form like 2011 Tour.Perhaps he achieves a top 10 in the race,but to win TDU you need to have some miles in your legs like the Australians who are going to the Jayco Bay to tune up the form for their national Tour.

 

[Parrulo]

/thread

next one?

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Van Rensburg should be competitive. Looking forward to see him going against top level sprinters.

 

[theyoungest]

I don't think so.The old willunga hill is not a climb for diesel climbers like Andy,there will be a battle between Simon Gerrans and Big Phil.For Andy to destroy his opposition,he needs a big climb and to be in top form like 2011 Tour.Perhaps he achieves a top 10 in the race,but to win TDU you need to have some miles in your legs like the Australians who are going to the Jayco Bay to tune up the form for their national Tour.

The only Aussie who can still win it in the current setup is Gerrans (barring breakaways etc). And he only narrowly beat Valverde last year, by stealing a few bonus seconds here and there.

Sure, the Aussies have an advantage in form, but the course is more suited to the Europeans. Not to Andy Schleck of course, I agree. He'll probably finish dead last on every stage.

 

[Ferminal]

He's in with a shot on the Stirling stage, no chance against proper sprinters on flat/downhill finishes though.

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/kashechkin-reinstated-at-astana

Watch out aussies, Kash has entered the building

 

[auscyclefan94]

If any decent climber has some form, they should be able to ride away from Gerrans. Last year's competition did poorly on the final climb when trying to challenge Gerrans although the field was decimated a fair bit by the 2nd climb of Wilunga so not all the climbers were present.

 

[jens_attacks]

1.gerrans
2.kash
3.andy
4.gaspa

watch out, astana is coming to the party!
i expect some action on old willunga

 

[theyoungest]

If any decent climber has some form, they should be able to ride away from Gerrans. Last year's competition did poorly on the final climb when trying to challenge Gerrans although the field was decimated a fair bit by the 2nd climb of Wilunga so not all the climbers were present.

It's not really a climb though, more of a hill. All joking about Machado aside, on a proper climb he should finish ahead of Gerrans. As should Rogers.

 

[calinmarian]

1.gerrans
2.kash
3.andy
4.gaspa

watch out, astana is coming to the party!
i expect some action on old willunga

I disagree:
1.Big Phil
2.Simon "the wheelsucker" Gerrans
3.A.Valverde
4.Gasparotto
5.De Gendt
off the pace for Andy Schleck a place between 15th and 20th.

 

[Panda Claws]

Phil's form has traditionally been good here, and he should be better on such hills than Gerrans.

Gerrans will likely have superior form though, so it should be interesting.

Valverde is a factor too if he has the same form here as he had last year. Although I think that his good form in the TDU then was mainly because he was so happy to be racing again.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

He's in with a shot on the Stirling stage, no chance against proper sprinters on flat/downhill finishes though.

yep, deep and wide field, still Reinardt won't go down without a fight.

 

[jens_attacks]

valverde...he won't even be present i guess ???

anyway this is simon's race to lose.i don't think phil will match a full form aussie in tour down under.

kash will make the peloton suffer no doubt

 

[Afrank]

I'll wait until Aussie Nationals to make predictions. Phil I think could go well though, and hopefully Sutton is up there in the sprints.

Andy to come back with a bang and destroy his opposition on wilunga hill.

Would be awesome , but I don't see it yet. I think the most we can hope for from Schleck is to maybe see him trying to be in the break. As long as he hangs in there though he should be satisfied.

 

[Ferminal]

yep, deep and wide field, still Reinardt won't go down without a fight.

Will he be part of Kittel's train?

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Will he be part of Kittel's train?

sure, but Kittel will likely only make a couple of finales.

 

[Gloin22]

Gerrans and Valverde were best last year here... Nowhere in the Ardennes.

Being very good here might not be best sign for the guys trying to peak for Ardennes. Obviously few like Gilbert can win even not being anywhere near his best shape.

 

[GP Blanco]

Will he be part of Kittel's train?

Think so. He still has to prove himself, so it would be normal to expect him to do a lead-out.

 

[will10]

He's in with a shot on the Stirling stage, no chance against proper sprinters on flat/downhill finishes though.

Presumably Matthews is riding for Raboblanco? Odds on fave for Stirling stage as usual, if so.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

I see Demare wants a piece of the party. Could be an ideal course for the young Frenchman.

 

[Pentacycle]

Presumably Matthews is riding for Raboblanco? Odds on fave for Stirling stage as usual, if so.

He rides for the Aussie OGE team now...

I don't really now who they're sending.

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

kash will make the peloton suffer no doubt

hear hear!

 

[the asian]

It seems that some teams haven't finalized their lineup yet.

Out of the riders mentioned Gerrans should be favourite. Lloyd could also be competitive. Pretty sure he will lead Lampre. Nathan Haas could be an outside bet.