Hot racing coming up in Australia

[yaco]

Teams are usually staying for CEGRR as well though. Annette Edmondson also said that they want to have more stages in the future, so let's hope that indeed happens.

It appears that the TDU was the straw that broke the camel's back for Gigante - It's now reported on CN that Gigante was disappointed that when she returned to Europe in July 2023 that Movistar would not race her - She was in Europe for four months and had 6 race days - Anway, the most important aim for Gigante in 2024 is to complete a GT.

 

[Unchained]

what kind of tourism does it bring ?

there seemed barely any spectators lining the course or at the finishes, not surprisingly really given the heat and the parcours, but it doesnt strike me as a race people are travelling much to visit

and in terms of its positioning, from Europe, you would literally be spending longer flying to get there and back, than you would actually racing, 3 stages isnt long enough to make it worthwhile especially with the costs associated for shipping team & equipment out there.

it kind of only works because the Australian nationals are adjacent to it and alot of the Aus pro riders compete for that and so you get enough of a pool of riders and teams wanting to score easy points, and if your team doesnt enter the race, you do what Sarah Roy did and join up as your national team instead. any rider whose view of the world is Im going to swap teams because they wont do this one race is probably not going to enjoy much success in their career.

Don't know why people would be paying much attention to weather in other parts of the world, additionally don't know that all people are aware of different seasons in the world, depending on your location. In the US for example, currently our winter and huge portions of the country are not fit for humans because of bitter winter conditions, snow, temperature reaching -20, roads and bridges, frozen, people dying in the cold.
When you see beautiful panoramic scenes of the Australian coast, see people about enjoying sunshine, all things outdoors. Seeing bike racing probably a distant priority as thousands make vacation plans. Australia looks like an absolutely perfect place to travel when where you live it's too cold to go outside.
Not sure if people are aware of the numbers, yes it looks like a significant expense to hold a massive event like a bike race, but it's really a drop in the bucket for the tourism industry in Australia..
Thousands of people will see the TDU and while the race itself may not be the deciding factor for making travel plans, but it can't hurt.

The economic importance of tourism - Corporate - Tourism Australia

Tourism in Australia continues to be a driver of growth for the Australian economy, with domestic and international tourism spend totaling $122 billion in 2018-19.

www.tourism.australia.com

Those are billions not millions

 

[Sciatic]

The reason the TDU works is because it’s at the start of year in the summer/holiday period, move it to October and I highly doubt the finances would stack up as the tourism it brings to Adelaide/South Australia would disappear.

I thought the reason it works as a more than a local pro race is because the UCI gave it WT status?

 

[yaco]

I thought the reason it works as a more than a local pro race is because the UCI gave it WT status?

The TDU was a dot pro race or lower for the first 12 years of its existence and it was doing OK. It got WT status in 2011.

 

[Cookster15]

Why doesn't the TDU have its own thread? Placing it under "Hot racing coming up in Australia" is daft.

​

 

[Netserk]

Why doesn't the TDU have its own thread?

You haven't opened one yet.

 

[Cookster15]

You haven't opened one yet.

I wasn't game to. Felt there must be a good reason I wasn't aware of. . I also don't really have the time to do such a thread justice, having seen many great race threads here over the years. But surely the TDU has earned the right for its own thread?

 

[Samu Cuenca]

I wasn't game to. Felt there must be a good reason I wasn't aware of. . I also don't really have the time to do such a thread justice, having seen many great race threads here over the years. But surely the TDU has earned the right for its own thread?

Some years it has its own thread, other years it's being discussed in this one instead.

 

[tobydawq]

Some years it has its own thread, other years it's being discussed in this one instead.

Has it really ever had its own thread? I don't recall so.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Has it really ever had its own thread? I don't recall so.

I did a forum search, and it appeared like there had been some made after this thread was created:

Search results for query: down under

forum.cyclingnews.com

 

[Cookster15]

I did a forum search, and it appeared like there had been some made after this thread was created:

Search results for query: down under

forum.cyclingnews.com

Thanks. so 8 years ago. I think the race is a little more significant now ? I find it disappointing that yet again discussion of TDU is hidden away under "hot racing coming up in Australia".

If anyone has time to create a new thread I am sure it would be appreciated by many at this time of the year. It is the first race of the year when its still too cold in Europe. It is the first look we get at the riders and teams in maybe 4 months. Sure, it only has small climbs, but Richie Porte and Cadel Evans showed the TDU can be ridden hard by guys capable of grand tour podiums in Europe. The TDU can also be hotter than France in July so that gives an interesting physical dimension with teams coming out of the European winter.

 

[Netserk]

so 8 years ago. I think the race is a little more significant now ?

Why do you think that? If I had to pick a time, I think the relative prestige of this race was it its highest 8-10 years ago.

Many (star) riders do fewer prep races, and the February competition has gotten stiffer. The pandemic obviously hasn't helped either.

 

[will-10]

Thanks. so 8 years ago. I think the race is a little more significant now ? I find it disappointing that yet again discussion of TDU is hidden away under "hot racing coming up in Australia".

If anyone has time to create a new thread I am sure it would be appreciated by many at this time of the year. It is the first race of the year when its still too cold in Europe. It is the first look we get at the riders and teams in maybe 4 months. Sure, it only has small climbs, but Richie Porte and Cadel Evans showed the TDU can be ridden hard by guys capable of grand tour podiums in Europe. The TDU can also be hotter than France in July so that gives an interesting physical dimension with teams coming out of the European winter.

in the time you've spent commenting on this thread you could've opened one

 

[search]

I've always had the impression that it's more of an Australian thing, and this year the race isn't even broadcast in (most of) Europe. But same as for every other race, whoever feels the need for a thread can create one, I guess.

Edit: it actually is live on Discovery+ in Europe, starting at 1:30am daily. I checked the wrong day.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Thanks. so 8 years ago. I think the race is a little more significant now ? I find it disappointing that yet again discussion of TDU is hidden away under "hot racing coming up in Australia".

If anyone has time to create a new thread I am sure it would be appreciated by many at this time of the year. It is the first race of the year when its still too cold in Europe. It is the first look we get at the riders and teams in maybe 4 months. Sure, it only has small climbs, but Richie Porte and Cadel Evans showed the TDU can be ridden hard by guys capable of grand tour podiums in Europe. The TDU can also be hotter than France in July so that gives an interesting physical dimension with teams coming out of the European winter.

I personally don't think it's being hidden away. This thread gets new posts every year, so people are able to find it. I also like this tradition. Whenever the thread pops up on the first page, you know the road season is about to start.

Tour Down Under in brackets could be added to the title to make it more obvious what the thread is about.

 

[Lequack]

Meanwhile at Bahrain

 

[42x16ss]

I wasn't game to. Felt there must be a good reason I wasn't aware of. . I also don't really have the time to do such a thread justice, having seen many great race threads here over the years. But surely the TDU has earned the right for its own thread?

The main reason a thread was never created is because it would have been spammed with posts from Jancouver complaining that the TDU even gets mentioned, how it should be relegated to a 2.2 race, European riders are forced to come here in chains by their teams and we are all wrong for even acknowledging that the race exists.

See the earlier pages of this very thread.

 

[42x16ss]

Interesting to see hear the post race comments from TDUOrganizer Scott O'Grady that AG Insurance were a last minute addition to the start list. So possibly there was a dispute between Movistar ( who did not win the race ) and Gigante over the TDU which led to her leaving the team.

No, Movistar stopped racing Gigante because she was either sick or injured from crashing almost the entire time and they lost patience. Harsh, but they did think they were getting an AvV understudy, even if she is raw.

 

[yaco]

No, Movistar stopped racing Gigante because she was either sick or injured from crashing almost the entire time and they lost patience. Harsh, but they did think they were getting an AvV understudy, even if she is raw.

I have no doubt that Movistar lost confidence in Gigante and I thought that when she returned to Europe in July 2023 she was unfit/injured/ill because she only raced 6 days BUT as per the CN news article from yesterday she was actually was fit and Movistart chose not to race her - Anyway, she has raced around 40 days in Europe in 4 years, so she has to race more moving forward - A GT start in 2024 will be agood start.

 

[42x16ss]

I have no doubt that Movistar lost confidence in Gigante and I thought that when she returned to Europe in July 2023 she was unfit/injured/ill because she only raced 6 days BUT as per the CN news article from yesterday she was actually was fit and Movistart chose not to race her - Anyway, she has raced around 40 days in Europe in 4 years, so she has to race more moving forward - A GT start in 2024 will be agood start.

Yeah a GT finish is essential for Gigante to develop

 

[Potomac]

Why doesn't the TDU have its own thread? Placing it under "Hot racing coming up in Australia" is daft.

​

This forum is filled with traditions and a sense of humor about not changing things and to just dig in deeper.

My take is that keeping the TDU talk in this thread is a bit of a joke.

 

[Lequack]

Can the Pogacars, Roglics, Remcos and others really be called the greatest without winning the Tour Down Under?

 

[Izzyeviel]

Nevermind that, could you have a Grand Tour in Australia & New Zealand? Could you do a week in New Zealand followed by two in Australia, & then the next year, two weeks in Australia before the last week in New Zealand?

Why not have a winter Grand Tour?

 

[theyoungest]

Meanwhile at Bahrain

Well, Trey Parker, I think if Visma really had this plan they'd have come with a stronger team. If they get a top-10 on GC that would already be pretty good.

I'm actually more curious how their former devo rider Archie Ryan will do in this race, it seems quite suited to his capabilities. Maybe a dark horse.

 

[Berniece]

Can the Pogacars, Roglics, Remcos and others really be called the greatest without winning the Tour Down Under?

They’ll ride it when they’re 34 and the organisation pays them 1 million dollar like they did for the likes of Armstrong