Australian Nationals

[Dazed and Confused]

well, well, well, Porte starts the season (when his contract expires) on a strong note.

Perhaps he can actually add value to the Giro this time around.

Lets see if Orica can stop Porte in the RR.

 

[samhocking]

Porte starts the early season very strong every year. It's not like he'll have any problems finding a contract for 2016. He's already said he's leaving Sky the end of 2015 anyway so pretty sure he's lined up something already.

 

[May0maniac]

Wow, Porte is already in super form. I'm wondering how much time he will win in Giro TT's. He is the only Sky rider that I like so I hope he will do well all season long. After this performance I'm curious what you guys think he will do in the Road Race? In my opinion he will try to ride a high tempo so no one can stay with him but Cadel will manage that and outsprint him at the finish.(maybe C. Meyer too)

Other than that good performance by Bobridge. I hope he will have a good year at his new team.Onthe other hand, Durbridge continues his bellow average TT performances. Some years ago I thought this guy will dominate TT races but now I'm not sure he will ever do that.

What, the only one?
Ok, some guys just dislike the anglo-riders but you don't want Nieve, both Henaos, König, Poels and Kiryienka to do well?

 

[LaFlorecita]

Porte starts the early season very strong every year. It's not like he'll have any problems finding a contract for 2016. He's already said he's leaving Sky the end of 2015 anyway so pretty sure he's lined up something already.

Indeed, Porte always starts off strong

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Porte starts the early season very strong every year. It's not like he'll have any problems finding a contract for 2016. He's already said he's leaving Sky the end of 2015 anyway so pretty sure he's lined up something already.

Most Aussies starts well of course, but Porte was never really in winning mode (TdU stage win in '14 only real result) in January. High end placement form at best imo.

He was pegged back last year, but I think he will be at his absolute best in 2015 partly because he wants to land a big contract somewhere.

If he can smoke everybody in the NC ITT its a step up compared to other years.

 

[samhocking]

If he stays well, he'll carry this form through now to Giro. Last year he was always playing catch-up after his gastric flue early march. Got well again, but quit the Giro ill/weak and then I believe was suffering infections and illness for most of Tour de France and on antibiotics too. Then he quit Tour of Britain and was diagnosed with pneumonia. About as shocking a season as anyone could have I would think.

 

[The Hegelian]

I started this to try and get info about the TV coverage (since sadly I can't make it to Ballarat this year), does anybody actually know? Channel 9 has some non-specific listing for that time, and CA has nothing that I can find, which totally p*sses me off TBH.

Yeah, their website is shocking. Everything is #hashtag useless web link.

 

[nhowson]

Yeah, their website is shocking. Everything is #hashtag useless web link.

11:00pm is TT highlights I think, and Women's Race highlights on Saturday night. 2:00pm on Sunday for the last two hours of the road race, on GEM/Nine.

 

[Ferminal]

Nice by Bobridge, hopefully he is decent on Sunday as it should be enough for a TDU gig. A bit bemused by Rogers, I don't believe he isn't planning on having the legs for the RR and the TDU and why even bother with the TT to finish top10? I think he just wanted a hit out and will be at his best soon enough...

 

[IlPirata92]

Great performance by Porte! Curious about who Orica will use to stop him...

 

[Ferminal]

If he has 5 seconds at the top of the climb he is probably uncatchable, they don't have the firepower to chase down this year. I forget the order over the top last year amongst Gerrans/Meyer/Porte/Evans but it will pretty much be the same. His problem is that he is outsprinting no one.

 

[greenedge]

Porte to highlight to Uran his flaw of leaving Sky and marginal gains at the Giro

If Meyer is sheltered for most of the race he could attempt to catch him. Durbridge and Clarke would have to be on stellar form to survive and chase him down (surviving the climb for Luke and chasing Porte down on the flats for Simon), in that case most likely for Ewan or Meyer. OGE need to have at least one of Durbridge, Meyer or Clarke in the early break to take off some of the pressure for them, with a domestique being a bonus.

 

[Geraint Too Fast]

Riders who Rohan Dennis has finished 2nd to in TT's/prologues (since he turned pro);

Porte
Dowsett
Wiggins
Kwiatkowski
Dumoulin
Sagan
Martin
Durbridge


Riders who have finished 2nd to Rohan Dennis in TT's/prologues (since he turned pro);

TBA

 

[CraZyCaLL]

If he has 5 seconds at the top of the climb he is probably uncatchable, they don't have the firepower to chase down this year. I forget the order over the top last year amongst Gerrans/Meyer/Porte/Evans but it will pretty much be the same. His problem is that he is outsprinting no one.

Gerrans was first over the top, Porte only 4-th

 

[May0maniac]

Riders who Rohan Dennis has finished 2nd to in TT's/prologues (since he turned pro);

Porte
Dowsett
Wiggins
Kwiatkowski
Dumoulin
Sagan
Martin
Durbridge


Riders who have finished 2nd to Rohan Dennis in TT's/prologues (since he turned pro);

TBA

I wanted to say Malori, but then I realised that he was only third in the final Vuelta ITT, Jesse Sergent was 1 sec faster.

 

[PeterB]

With two third places in the road race, Porte will start the 183km event as a favourite. If he wins, he would be the first rider since Luke Durbridge in 2013 to win both the time trial and road race...

Golden piece of journalism in this sentence from CN article

 

[BigMac]

Golden piece of journalism in this sentence from CN article

Are you even surprised, though?

 

[Tragic]

Heavy rain predicted for Sunday, could favour someone like Hansen.

 

[greenedge]

Evans or Rogers will also benefit.
Porte and Goss could as well from their Tasmanian roots.

 

[The Hegelian]

Riders who Rohan Dennis has finished 2nd to in TT's/prologues (since he turned pro);

Porte
Dowsett
Wiggins
Kwiatkowski
Dumoulin
Sagan
Martin
Durbridge


Riders who have finished 2nd to Rohan Dennis in TT's/prologues (since he turned pro);

TBA

Some quality legs there. Think he's spoken a bit about his frustration at being the perpetual bridesmaid in '14 (and now'15), but the real story there is impeccable consistency and his arrival into elite TT ranks. I wonder if he'll blossom into a GT contender?

 

[del1962]

Riders who Rohan Dennis has finished 2nd to in TT's/prologues (since he turned pro);

Porte
Dowsett
Wiggins
Kwiatkowski
Dumoulin
Sagan
Martin
Durbridge


Riders who have finished 2nd to Rohan Dennis in TT's/prologues (since he turned pro);

TBA

Seems like you have to go to 2.2 races and 2012 to find TT's he has won.

Johan Le Bon and Dylan Van Baarle came second, I guess they are before he turned pro.

 

[Tragic]

Evans or Rogers will also benefit.
Porte and Goss could as well from their Tasmanian roots.

You'd be right, but I don't see Gossy on the start list. I like Porte's chances, if things go right.

 

[Sasquatch]

Nice by Bobridge, hopefully he is decent on Sunday as it should be enough for a TDU gig. A bit bemused by Rogers, I don't believe he isn't planning on having the legs for the RR and the TDU and why even bother with the TT to finish top10? I think he just wanted a hit out and will be at his best soon enough...

I would have thought Bobridge was a shoe in for a TDU gig being South Australian and a big name and all. He would have been the first rider chosen.

On Rogers, I agree. I think he will win the Tour Down Under and will give it a good shake in the RR. Will Porte be able to drop Rogers on Willunga? I don't think so. Rogers can outsprint him to get bonus seconds on the line.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Rogers will not be a factor at TDU imo.

 

[De Snelle Duif]

It's not really Australia but close enough: Does anyone know why Sergent didn't compete in NZ TT championship? This should be a piece of cake for him!