2013 Santos Tour Down Under Stage 6: Adelaide Street Circuit, 90km

[auscyclefan94]

2013 Santos Tour Down Under Stage 6: Adelaide Street Circuit, 90km

Map and Profile

GC:
Tom Jelte Slagter 16h:35:33
Javier Moreno +13
Ben Hermans +25
Ion Izagirre +28
Geraint Thomas +29
Tiago Machado +29
Gorka Izagirre +32
Daniele Pietropolli +32
Wilco Kelderman +32
Jussi Veikkanen +37

Another day for Greipel or can Kittel get it right?

 

[Afrank]

Guardini for the win! the only thing that can stop him is Monteflore hill (the small rise on the profile between 1.5 and 2 kilometers).

More seriously though, Greipel is probably already celebrating win #14.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Greipel is still hungry, but it will be closer this time.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Either Guardini will begin his WorldTour domination or he will gift the stage to Greipel.

 

[will10]

Guardini to be bumped off the right wheel for the 65th time in his short career. Worst positioning than an early Greipel...

Today: Greipel to make everyone look daft.

 

[movingtarget]

Greipel wins this. Can't see who will beat him at the moment.

 

[Pentacycle]

Greipel wins this. Can't see who will beat him at the moment.

Fenn will be close, like he always is when a stage is shorter than 100 kms.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

The race organisers seem to be doing a good job of developing this race into a nice early season event, but 90km crits do NOT belong in the World Tour.

 

[hughmoore]

The race organisers seem to be doing a good job of developing this race into a nice early season event, but 90km crits do NOT belong in the World Tour.

First Crit is not part of World Tour. TDU is Tuesday to Sunday

Hugh

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Yes, I am aware of that, but stage 6 IS part of the World Tour.

 

[auscyclefan94]

The race organisers seem to be doing a good job of developing this race into a nice early season event, but 90km crits do NOT belong in the World Tour.

Why not? Crits are used in La Vuelta which aren't that longer than this one. World Tour is not just about stage racers having mountain stages to race across.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Why not? Crits are used in La Vuelta which aren't that longer than this one. World Tour is not just about stage racers having mountain stages to race across.

Where? All I can think of is the Logroño circuit, which was over a 20km long circuit, was 150km long so at least a half decent length for a professional bike race, and was a bunch of crap. Everything else is finishing circuits. Even the ceremonial stages travel from somewhere before the finishing circuits.

I also hate ceremonial final stages. It's dumb enough when you're celebrating making it to the end of the Tour or the Vuelta, but there it's tradition and after 3 weeks of racing the riders can afford to showboat a bit and pat themselves on the back for finishing. In a one-week race, riders don't need to be proud of themselves for making it to the end, so they don't need to be given a day off to roll around the streets for less than 2 hours to feel smug about making it to the end of the race. This race is getting better year on year, but ending it like this and giving World Tour points out for a 90km crit is just a joke.

 

[Wilba60]

Not sure how hard Goss came down on Stage 4 but I think he is the biggest threat to Greipel. After a bad run in on Stage 1 (after an excellent criterium a couple of nights previous) he was very unlucky not to grab the stage win on Stage 3 and then have the unfortunate crash the following stage when the OGE boys looked to have their act together.

If he is ok, he is going to have to rely on O'Grady, Durbridge and Mouris for his lead out, although Simon Clarke showed he can do a pretty good lead out in the Vuelta last year. If Goss is ok, he might just choose to sit on Greipel himself....at least we know he won't let Greipel jump clear as he has done to the rest.

Well done to Gerro on his Willunga win, pity about the asthma or he might be going for the GC victory tomorrow.

 

[maltiv]

Kittel and Guardini are the only ones who can challenge Greipel here. But only if they have excellent positioning going into the sprint, because Greipel will certainly get the best leadout.

It was more fun earlier when the TDU sprints were all about how much distance Greipel could make up in the final 200 meters after he had positioned himself horribly. Usually he won anyway, but at least he had to fight for it...With the leadout he's getting nowadays the sprints aren't even entertaining.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

The race organisers seem to be doing a good job of developing this race into a nice early season event, but 90km crits do NOT belong in the World Tour.

why not? they are fantastic racing. I don't care if they are 50 km like in brazil or australia, those races are awesome

 

[djlovesyou]

The race organisers seem to be doing a good job of developing this race into a nice early season event, but 90km crits do NOT belong in the World Tour.

Haha, you need at least 150km of flat racing for enough time to get your point across that you don't like flat stages.

 

[LaFlorecita]

I hope Thomas can grab some bonus seconds

 

[theyoungest]

Where? All I can think of is the Logroño circuit, which was over a 20km long circuit, was 150km long so at least a half decent length for a professional bike race, and was a bunch of crap. Everything else is finishing circuits. Even the ceremonial stages travel from somewhere before the finishing circuits.

I also hate ceremonial final stages. It's dumb enough when you're celebrating making it to the end of the Tour or the Vuelta, but there it's tradition and after 3 weeks of racing the riders can afford to showboat a bit and pat themselves on the back for finishing. In a one-week race, riders don't need to be proud of themselves for making it to the end, so they don't need to be given a day off to roll around the streets for less than 2 hours to feel smug about making it to the end of the race. This race is getting better year on year, but ending it like this and giving World Tour points out for a 90km crit is just a joke.

You must really hate prologues, they're less than 8 km long.

A crit is not a regular stage, you're right about that. Doesn't mean it doesn't deserve a place in WORLD Tour cycling, which should incorporate multiple cycling traditions.

Not sure how hard Goss came down on Stage 4 but I think he is the biggest threat to Greipel. After a bad run in on Stage 1 (after an excellent criterium a couple of nights previous) he was very unlucky not to grab the stage win on Stage 3 and then have the unfortunate crash the following stage when the OGE boys looked to have their act together.

If he is ok, he is going to have to rely on O'Grady, Durbridge and Mouris for his lead out, although Simon Clarke showed he can do a pretty good lead out in the Vuelta last year. If Goss is ok, he might just choose to sit on Greipel himself....at least we know he won't let Greipel jump clear as he has done to the rest.

Well done to Gerro on his Willunga win, pity about the asthma or he might be going for the GC victory tomorrow.

Goss indeed made it seem like he should have won in Stirling, but he only got closer when Slagter had already stopped sprinting. Nothing unlucky about that, just beaten by the better rider on the day. Who was on the front for 350 meters, rather than 50.

 

[Tragic]

Yes, I am aware of that, but stage 6 IS part of the World Tour.

First, this is technically a circuit race, not a criterium (think its 2 K limit for crit)

Second, every race has its traditions. While this never changes the GC it is often a tactical race for climber and sprinter points.

Third, its a great spectators race, there are several points on the circuit where you can see two parts of the course. Also its a fun family day in the city. Every sport has to give something to the fans (and I mean the public, not us hard-core)

Fourth, if you don't like it, don't watch it.

 

[HiCadence]

Machado to take 10'ish minutes on the field from a break-away to make a god like comeback and rip the Ocre jersey from Slagter's back.

 

[Peccio89]

Total flat and with less than 100kms? That's perfect for Guardini

 

[Libertine Seguros]

You must really hate prologues, they're less than 8 km long.

A crit is not a regular stage, you're right about that. Doesn't mean it doesn't deserve a place in WORLD Tour cycling, which should incorporate multiple cycling traditions.

I'm not a prologue fan, but at least at the start of the race, they set the scene for it and provide some kind of GC gap, and compared to the alternative (a TTT) they're amazing.

I feel about this the same way as I feel about the sprints in XC skiing. They're a bit of fun, a bit of light entertainment, but they aren't much more than that, and shouldn't be giving out the same amount of points as a victory in a 'proper' stage. But then I think points are weighted heavily in favour of sprinters enabling people to get good WT scores by coming 5th in a bunch of sprints in minor events and this should be rectified too, perhaps by making secondary jerseys worth more and placements worth less (I'm still ok with the points for stage winners, except I'm not sure about giving the same points for this 90km crit as for a 200km five climb stage in Suisse or a 250km hilly stage in Tirreno-Adriatico. Hypothetical of course as these stages could well fail to materialise). Should we include a cyclocross round in the World Tour? That might improve it greatly, actually. I'll take the crits in the WT if we get some cyclocross rounds.

 

[movingtarget]

Where? All I can think of is the Logroño circuit, which was over a 20km long circuit, was 150km long so at least a half decent length for a professional bike race, and was a bunch of crap. Everything else is finishing circuits. Even the ceremonial stages travel from somewhere before the finishing circuits.

I also hate ceremonial final stages. It's dumb enough when you're celebrating making it to the end of the Tour or the Vuelta, but there it's tradition and after 3 weeks of racing the riders can afford to showboat a bit and pat themselves on the back for finishing. In a one-week race, riders don't need to be proud of themselves for making it to the end, so they don't need to be given a day off to roll around the streets for less than 2 hours to feel smug about making it to the end of the race. This race is getting better year on year, but ending it like this and giving World Tour points out for a 90km crit is just a joke.

I have to agree with you. Only a Team Time Trial would be worse. This race is getting better but a bit more tweaking and it could be much better but I think the riders are probably happy with this sort of race so early in the season.

 

[Museeuw]

I have to agree with you. Only a Team Time Trial would be worse. This race is getting better but a bit more tweaking and it could be much better but I think the riders are probably happy with this sort of race so early in the season.

This is a very important point. There is absolutely no reason to make this race any harder when it's in January. This years edition is pretty much perfect. Corkscrew Hill on stage 2 and slightly harder Stirling stage were those missing pieces. Earlier TDU was little bit too easy and it was all about Willunga Hill.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Where? All I can think of is the Logroño circuit, which was over a 20km long circuit, was 150km long so at least a half decent length for a professional bike race, and was a bunch of crap. Everything else is finishing circuits. Even the ceremonial stages travel from somewhere before the finishing circuits.

I also hate ceremonial final stages. It's dumb enough when you're celebrating making it to the end of the Tour or the Vuelta, but there it's tradition and after 3 weeks of racing the riders can afford to showboat a bit and pat themselves on the back for finishing. In a one-week race, riders don't need to be proud of themselves for making it to the end, so they don't need to be given a day off to roll around the streets for less than 2 hours to feel smug about making it to the end of the race. This race is getting better year on year, but ending it like this and giving World Tour points out for a 90km crit is just a joke.

There are circuit races all around the world. They are an element of road cycling, therefore cyclists should compete in them from time to time.. Just because it does not suit what you like, it does not mean that we should not have criteriums or circuit races used. Many fans find them entertaining. I don't see the final stage as being ceremonial. In many past editions, the final stage has decided the winner of the race. Your argument is also quite ridiculous when you are basing length of a race as the reason a race should be given more points. Does a longer race = a more exciting race? Of course not. Ending the race in Adelaide is also rather logical, considering that it is the capital city of South Australia and is a central area for people to watch the race and go out for meal, which is convenient for the people and good for business.