Hot racing coming up in Australia

[Berniece]

I second this, and Plapp while riding great would have been a factor, don't see him as a stage favorite, because of the massive road rash, we don't get to find out. A couple of teams better go for broke,
Tough call for UAE because the gap is so small that a rider like Ganna, Alaphilppe, Haig,Yates,Ben Swift, Simone Clark, Gesink, Vader all could come up with a good day, unlikely Del Toro cracks, but if he is reading the internet and answering a fraction of the calls and messages on his phone, he is feeling a ton of pressure, maybe he can start dating Kylie Minogue that will break the internet or maybe Dua Lipa or Shakira will say he is cute and blow up the internet.
This is not very scientific, but the stages have not been very fast, not too hard or aggressive and seeing lots of riders, guessing euros going back for ice bags and tons of urine all over, thinking that lots of guys think it's really really hot, that's going to be a factor, Willunga is going to crack a bunch of guys..
Ulissi and Finn Fisher- Black have to be supportive!!

Not to mention this is his first pro year and I don’t believe he is currently the best of the peloton at TDU.

 

[armchairclimber]

Not to mention this is his first pro year and I don’t believe he is currently the best of the peloton at TDU.

Whether he'll lose enough time to lose the lead is a different matter of course.

 

[Unchained]

Not to mention this is his first pro year and I don’t believe he is currently the best of the peloton at TDU.

He is not the best, bike racing is a bank account and you need to deposit and build value over time, right now Del Toro is in more of a winning lottery situation, or a few winning hands of cards at a casino.
In my opinion the guy with the most to gain and to lose is Julian Alaphilppe..I hope he comes up with a big day.. Del Toro getting overall is my preferred outcome but if he loses to some rider w years of quality racing experience, that's that.

 

[Berniece]

Whether he'll lose enough time to lose the lead is a different matter of course.

I guess there are seconds to be gained at the finish? He’s only 11s ahead of most riders, so a gap of 5s is enough to get the leader jersey

 

[Cookster15]

Porte's Willunga Strava KOM record was set in 2020. I don't think that is in jeopardy. But I have no clue who will win.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

So if Del Toro wins tomorrow, will Vingegaard start to get worried?

Vingegard was already mortified after the win last year of Jai Vine. Now surely with the emergence of Isaac de Torro the mexican bull, we get a vingegard giro participation announcement in the next few days

 

[scribers]

If Del Toro does win, we can agree he might be dealing with some special values and we won't second guess him again (this race at least)

 

[search]

I guess there are seconds to be gained at the finish? He’s only 11s ahead of most riders, so a gap of 5s is enough to get the leader jersey

Porte won by 20s once, but most years even he didn't get much of a gap. Last time (setting a record?) he finished 4s ahead of Ulissi, Geschke, Dennis and van Baarle. So in the shape he seems to be in, I wouldn't be too sure del Toro will lose the jersey.

 

[Lequack]

Will Bora want to take Welsford to the TDF now, making life difficult for Roglic?

 

[theyoungest]

Will Bora want to take Welsford to the TDF now, making life difficult for Roglic?

Hold your horses, it's the f.cking Tour Down Under. Last year Welsford won two stages in his first race. And that was against better opposition.

 

[Skijumper Roglic fan]

Small GC gaps, new season (teams, looks, names) could make it quite tricky for the guys who want to control the race. Whom shall they chase, who is rider #xy, how far is he back on GC, and so on.

Best thing for UAE is to go as fast as possible from start to finish. Best thing for an attacker is to go as fast as possible as soon as he attacks, until the finish line.

Yesterday or so I couldn’t believe my eyes when checking GC standings… Suddenly Axel Mariault was in 3rd spot overall. I could hardly believe it… (and now I know he can ride his bike quite fastly…)

 

[Tim Cahill]

Automatic support to anyone who goes on the first Willunga, whoever it is, much like anyone foolish enough to attack early in Fleche.

 

[Sciatic]

Plapp DNS

 

[perico]

Richie Porte and Willunga. He just can’t quit his one true love

 

[Unchained]

If Del Toro does win, we can agree he might be dealing with some special values and we won't second guess him again (this race at least)

These types of climbs are exactly what he is used to..

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Will Bora want to take Welsford to the TDF now, making life difficult for Roglic?

I think the real question is, will Welsford even accept Roglic as part of his TDF lead-out?

 

[Unchained]

Sleeper so far, team directors w everything on repeat, gap at 3:13 at 50k left to race..nobody is wasting a calorie catching these guys, Bora has to be happy with the way things are going, Wanty needs something different and something sooner, Caleb has got to be wondering when it's his turn

 

[tobydawq]

What happened to Corbin? Crash?

 

[Sciatic]

The audio tic stuttering is funny.

 

[Potomac]

The audio tic stuttering is funny.

OK, I thought it was my internet connection. Thanks for posting that.

 

[scribers]

Del Toro is pasted to the wheel of Simon Yates

 

[Potomac]

Del Toro is pasted to the wheel of Simon Yates

Good place to be

 

[Potomac]

Archie Ryan for the win today.

 

[Unchained]

He is right there!!!!!

 

[RedheadDane]

Onley takes it.