2016 Tour Down Under WT January 19-24 Adelaide

[Lupi33x]

Re: Re:

4 stages, 4 Australian winners and 4 Australian GC leaders. Why is this race even World Tour? Well done Gerrans though.

Why it is WT?

Well, we all know the answer ... WT = MANDATORY for WT teams.

If this race wasn't mandatory, other than Orica, no other WT team would show up

Then why DID quite a number of them do so in the years before it went WT ? Some of them may have had an AUS rider on their books, others didn't.

because Tour de San Luis didnt exist back then and nor did the arab races which have since made it redundant as early season training

 

[Escarabajo]

Re: Re:

4 stages, 4 Australian winners and 4 Australian GC leaders. Why is this race even World Tour? Well done Gerrans though.

Why it is WT?

Well, we all know the answer ... WT = MANDATORY for WT teams.

If this race wasn't mandatory, other than Orica, no other WT team would show up

I disagree with you. This is like San Luis. Some WT riders have Australian just like some WT teams have South Americans and the races come handy on hot weather and early in the year.

Besides some WT riders need their vacation!

 

[movingtarget]

Re: Re:

What is comes down to is that people hang him for not being a Sagan or a Merckx. But if he could click a button and inherit those genetics, what do you reckon he would do? Ergo, why hate someone for not having superstar genetics and riding in full awareness of that reality?

In sport and life generally, I always prefer the person who makes the most of their more moderate abilities, than the superstars who are born with so much talent that they are streets ahead of the field.

I can't bring myself to cheer for Gerrans, because if he is in with a serious chance, usually that means that the race will have been dull. But I do agree with most of your post - Gerrans is not the most talented Australian cyclist of all time, nor is he the one with the very best palmares, but he is the one with the best palmares relative to his physical talent because he has the best racing brain of any of them.

How much of a racing brain do you need ? Other riders drag me to the finish and I win the sprint ! Gerrans always cops the criticism for riding to his strength and dumb tactical rides from his rivals. Good GT riders have to race tactically for three weeks and that can be very tactical. Cancellara usually wins with a break because he knows the best sprinters can beat him even though he has a good sprint especially at the end of a classic. Gerrans used to be a stage hunter and could win medium mountain stages in a break but I suppose success starts to kill your chances of getting in a successful break so he started to do more with his sprint. He was always a versatile rider but I never thought he would eventually win an MSR or LBL. The TDU needs to be harder to make it a better contest but most riders probably like the format and it's an early season race that helps them prepare for later races. The heat makes it hard even if the stages are short and there are not many decent climbs. Still better than a flat race through the desert with more wildlife than spectators.

 

[MatParker117]

Re:

4 stages, 4 Australian winners and 4 Australian GC leaders. Why is this race even World Tour? Well done Gerrans though.

Three and one colombian.

 

[Der Effe]

Re: Re:

4 stages, 4 Australian winners and 4 Australian GC leaders. Why is this race even World Tour? Well done Gerrans though.

Why it is WT?

Well, we all know the answer ... WT = MANDATORY for WT teams.

If this race wasn't mandatory, other than Orica, no other WT team would show up

I disagree with you. This is like San Luis. Some WT riders have Australian just like some WT teams have South Americans and the races come handy on hot weather and early in the year.

Besides some WT riders need their vacation!

I agree with this, but it's no reason for this race to be in the World Tour. Make it 2.1 (like San Luis) or 2.HC, but this way it gives the Australian an unfair advantage in the World Tour ranking.

 

[Bushman]

Not so sure Gerrans will win. I think he will be dropped by Porte, Henao and Woods, if he can keep it up, at Willunga.

 

[Angliru]

Re:

Heres Farrar, borrows bike and shoes to finish the race " no problem with that"
What if the bike was under the weight limit etc no UCI credited parts.
Could he be thrown out the race and what if he won on that bike, I bet other team would go ballistic .

That's a sweet bike. I would've been hesitant to "loan" it out.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re:

Not so sure Gerrans will win. I think he will be dropped by Porte, Henao and Woods, if he can keep it up, at Willunga.

Yes, I agree it is not a done deal, but Gerrans is quite good uphill. I think he can win it. Last year Porte was a monster and he took 28 seconds on Impey, Dennis who was 2nd took 19 seconds on Impey. I think Impey can be compared to Gerrans. So it will be close I guess.

I think McCarthy still has a shot too, I reckon he's a better climber than Gerrans and if he can stay close to Porte, Dennis, Henao, Woods he can win. He has time on them.

 

[GenericBoonenFan]

Re: Re:

Heres Farrar, borrows bike and shoes to finish the race " no problem with that"
What if the bike was under the weight limit etc no UCI credited parts.
Could he be thrown out the race and what if he won on that bike, I bet other team would go ballistic .

That's a sweet bike. I would've been hesitant to "loan" it out.

Remeber Jensie on the yellow Childrens bike in the TDF?

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Porte will destroy everybody on Will, but it ain't enough to take full commend of the race.

Gerrooooooo FT(GC)W

 

[yaco]

McCarthy is a much better climber than Gerrans - A much better climber - Non-choice of Dennis - You'll find that the AIS had a say in some selections at the beginning of OGE - Some may say too much say - Riders such as Porte have fallen out with the AIS, hence his non-selection for WC's - It will be interesting to see if Porte rides the Olympics.

Anyway from an OGE perspective the rider that excites me is Magnus Cort - Expect him to get good results in the next two years.

 

[Velolover2]

Re:

Porte will destroy everybody on Will, but it ain't enough to take full commend of the race.

Gerrooooooo FT(GC)W

Porte doesn't look as strong as in 2015. I think he has a different build-up this year. I know the Crockscrew is not his favorite kind of climb, but 36 seconds is a lot. I doubt he will win the stage and definitely not the overall unless he attacks from the bottom of OWH. Dennis has to be their GC rider.

 

[Mr.White]

Re:

Porte will destroy everybody on Will, but it ain't enough to take full commend of the race.

Gerrooooooo FT(GC)W

Henao will win on Willunga, he's the best climber in this race. Gerrans will win overall though...

 

[pastronef]

Re: Re:

Porte will destroy everybody on Will, but it ain't enough to take full commend of the race.

Gerrooooooo FT(GC)W

Henao will win on Willunga, he's the best climber in this race. Gerrans will win overall though...

THAT`S WHAT I WANT TO SEE. aupa Sergio!

 

[Brullnux]

Re: Re:

4 stages, 4 Australian winners and 4 Australian GC leaders. Why is this race even World Tour? Well done Gerrans though.

Why it is WT?

Well, we all know the answer ... WT = MANDATORY for WT teams.

If this race wasn't mandatory, other than Orica, no other WT team would show up

I disagree with you. This is like San Luis. Some WT riders have Australian just like some WT teams have South Americans and the races come handy on hot weather and early in the year.

Besides some WT riders need their vacation!

I agree with this, but it's no reason for this race to be in the World Tour. Make it 2.1 (like San Luis) or 2.HC, but this way it gives the Australian an unfair advantage in the World Tour ranking.

Australia is too big a cycling nation to not have a WT race. Mind you, the US and UK should probably have one too.

 

[Alexandre B.]

Re: Re:

Porte will destroy everybody on Will, but it ain't enough to take full commend of the race.

Gerrooooooo FT(GC)W

Henao will win on Willunga, he's the best climber in this race. Gerrans will win overall though...

Willunga is such a different climb than Corkscrew. Porte wasn't the best climber on the steepest climb of the race in 2014 and 2015, but he managed to be the best on Willunga the past two years.

 

[dirkprovin]

Is TdU the biggest, most important race on the calendar ? Hell no, but it has never claimed to be "the fourth Grand Tour" or competing with the Grand Tours like a certain other race we could name.

Unlike Tour of Beijing or the Middle East races, it is not a race imposed by the UCI or ASO on "alien turf". It DID serve its apprenticeship up through the various grades with a growth in stature & quality of fields along the way. It DOES have strong public support and is probably one of the few WT races outside GTs that ARE financially sound.

World Tour races in the UK ? For many years, that was probably problematic but from the level of support of the past 4-5 years there is certainly a case to be made for at least one.

Tour of Cali or US Pro Cycling Challenge could have WT status very easily but to do that, this would mean that they'd have to stop feather-bedding US based Conti teams ...... and we couldn't have them hurting all their poor little "All American" fee-fees, can we ! Very good races that certainly should be on World Tour level but, for better or worse, the organisers seem happy to remain insular rather than say to domestic teams, if you want to race here then you need to step up to Pro Conti.

 

[tweak37]

Re:

Not so sure Gerrans will win. I think he will be dropped by Porte, Henao and Woods, if he can keep it up, at Willunga.

Gerrans had won on willunga hill and has performed consistently well there over the past few seasons. Can't see why this year should be any different? Or is the stage harder now?

 

[MatParker117]

Cali and Ridelondon will apparently move up to WT soon.

 

[ray j willings]

Re: Re:

Heres Farrar, borrows bike and shoes to finish the race " no problem with that"
What if the bike was under the weight limit etc no UCI credited parts.
Could he be thrown out the race and what if he won on that bike, I bet other team would go ballistic .

That's a sweet bike. I would've been hesitant to "loan" it out.

The chap who owns the bike got in one of the tour cars and picked it up at the finish line. I bet he got a few team goodies.

 

[42x16ss]

Re: Re:

4 stages, 4 Australian winners and 4 Australian GC leaders. Why is this race even World Tour? Well done Gerrans though.

Why it is WT?

Well, we all know the answer ... WT = MANDATORY for WT teams.

If this race wasn't mandatory, other than Orica, no other WT team would show up

Mate, you've been saying this every year since you joined and you've been proven time and time again that top level teams and riders have been turning up since 1999 when it was a 2.1 race.

I remember collating a list of teams and riders last year to dispel this myth yet you continue banging on again next time around. It's like a broken record - you know the season has started because Jancouver is b!tching about the TDU

 

[42x16ss]

Re:

4 stages, 4 Australian winners and 4 Australian GC leaders. Why is this race even World Tour? Well done Gerrans though.

If Cannondale had actually placed Wippert properly, Ulissi timed his bike throw or Woods and Henao had held out for another couple of 100 metres it would be a different race. Have you not enjoyed the racing?

 

[stefank]

Re: Re:

I agree with this, but it's no reason for this race to be in the World Tour. Make it 2.1 (like San Luis) or 2.HC, but this way it gives the Australian an unfair advantage in the World Tour ranking.

This can be easily fixed by banning riders from competing in WT events in their home country! That will get rid of the problem for you.

 

[May0maniac]

Come on, the unfair advantage thing is bs, everyone peaks for the biggest national stage races...
It shouldn't be a WT race, but the whole concept of a WT is flawed and sucks, so who cares?

 

[Wilba60]

Australians doing well in their home World tour event and other races like the Sun Tour and Cadel Evans ride is to be expected. Most of the Aussie riders get to spend some time at home in the warmth and train and support their local clubs and local races in the November/December timeframe. This is a perfect lead in to the Summer Bay Crits series and the National Championships.

Add to this home crowds and for athletes who are away from home 95% of their racing lives, the chance to showcase themselves, their sport and national pride is a very strong combination. I am sure it is the same for European and other Northern Hemisphere riders when they set up for their National Championships prior to the Tour de France.