Hot racing coming up in Australia

[yaco]

Actually Orica have 10 Aussie riders. Haig is not riding so you will probably end up with around 6 or 7 riders.
Likely contenders will be Durbridge, howson and Meyer.

 

[42x16ss]

Re:

Following discussion of the Aussie road nats in the GreenEdge thread, it will be interesting to see how strong a team Sunweb bring.
Potentially a stronger team than OricaScott.
EF Drapac should be well represented too.

Unlikely that Matthews will ride Nationals/TDU, his main goals are later in the year at the Ardennes and TDF.

If Matthews does ride, and has solid form, he's a good chance to win both.

 

[42x16ss]

Re:

Actually Orica have 10 Aussie riders. Haig is not riding so you will probably end up with around 6 or 7 riders.
Likely contenders will be Durbridge, howson and Meyer.

Durbridge and Meyer will probably lead, both usually have good form for nationals.

 

[yaco]

Matthews just spent 5 days in Australia which was his first trip back for 2 years. I suspect Haig will end up like Matthews and rarely racing in Australia.

 

[dirkprovin]

Re:

Matthews just spent 5 days in Australia which was his first trip back for 2 years. I suspect Haig will end up like Matthews and rarely racing in Australia.

Re Matthews, unlikely to be seen racing AUS summer races at least until he's ticked off at least one of his major spring targets. Other factor may be pressure from a new team should he find he needs to move on from Sunweb due to being de-prioritised due to Tom D GC campaigns.

Re Haig, as long as he is at Orica (or whatever they may be called in future), he is unlikely to be pressured to ride AUS summer unless its compatible with his major priorities for the season. However, should he move on (either due to Orica folding or $$$$), his new team may say otherwise.

 

[42x16ss]

Re: Re:

Matthews just spent 5 days in Australia which was his first trip back for 2 years. I suspect Haig will end up like Matthews and rarely racing in Australia.

Re Matthews, unlikely to be seen racing AUS summer races at least until he's ticked off at least one of his major spring targets. Other factor may be pressure from a new team should he find he needs to move on from Sunweb due to being de-prioritised due to Tom D GC campaigns.

Re Haig, as long as he is at Orica (or whatever they may be called in future), he is unlikely to be pressured to ride AUS summer unless its compatible with his major priorities for the season. However, should he move on (either due to Orica folding or $$$$), his new team may say otherwise.

Matthews' wife is a Shimano rep, from Slovakia(?) so they probably don't see too much of each other during the season and living in Monaco, they may not see her family too much either.

Having family on opposite sides of the world would be hard with the amount of travel these guys already have to do.

 

[yaco]

Re: Re:

Matthews just spent 5 days in Australia which was his first trip back for 2 years. I suspect Haig will end up like Matthews and rarely racing in Australia.

Re Matthews, unlikely to be seen racing AUS summer races at least until he's ticked off at least one of his major spring targets. Other factor may be pressure from a new team should he find he needs to move on from Sunweb due to being de-prioritised due to Tom D GC campaigns.

Re Haig, as long as he is at Orica (or whatever they may be called in future), he is unlikely to be pressured to ride AUS summer unless its compatible with his major priorities for the season. However, should he move on (either due to Orica folding or $$$$), his new team may say otherwise.

Matthews' wife is a Shimano rep, from Slovakia(?) so they probably don't see too much of each other during the season and living in Monaco, they may not see her family too much either.

Having family on opposite sides of the world would be hard with the amount of travel these guys already have to do.

True - And his wife was a major conduit in his signing for Sunweb, due to her work connections with the sponsors of Sunweb.

 

[Jakob747]

We have Tour of Tasmania coming up next week! Looking forward to some awesome racing there!

Lionel Mawditt just rode a fabulous stage up to the ski-resort of Coronet Peak (In Southland) and he will be on the start-line in Tasmania. L. Mawditt did inline-skating for 10 years and only started cycling back in March 2016... He has been progressing rapidly and will be fun to follow on the stage up to Poatina!!!

 

[Alex Simmons/RST]

Unfortunately I'm unable to get to Tassie this year - the date change resulted in a clash with family travels. Else I'd have been watching from Chief Comms car! Never mind, I'll be down for Nationals and Sun Tour.

 

[42x16ss]

Tour of Tasmania was always fun, just pack for any possible conditions :lol:

 

[WheelofGear]

Why no stage(s) with red dirt road sections yet in order to give Tour Down Under some more personality? The cobbles down under. Flat and/or hilly, it would be an unique experience.

Let's do this, m8s.

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

Strade Rosse! I like it

 

[swuzzlebubble]

Long way from Radelaide

 

[StryderHells]

Re:

Long way from Radelaide

You don't have to travel far from Adelaide to find roads similar to the ones shown above, I doubt the TDU would be interested in using them unfortunately.

 

[movingtarget]

Re: Re:

Long way from Radelaide

You don't have to travel far from Adelaide to find roads similar to the ones shown above, I doubt the TDU would be interested in using them unfortunately.

The heat at that time of the year might be one factor. If it's hot in Adelaide it will be worse further inland plus no facilities at all. They would also need a water truck in the convoy. Maybe a night stage with riders wearing miners helmets ? The only spectators will be kangaroos. A welcome change to the usual road runners.

 

[yaco]

I believe the Stan Sjeka Classic in Launceston happens in around 2 weeks - Could Porte spin his legs.

 

[StryderHells]

Re: Re:

Long way from Radelaide

You don't have to travel far from Adelaide to find roads similar to the ones shown above, I doubt the TDU would be interested in using them unfortunately.

The heat at that time of the year might be one factor. If it's hot in Adelaide it will be worse further inland plus no facilities at all. They would also need a water truck in the convoy. Maybe a night stage with riders wearing miners helmets ? The only spectators will be kangaroos. A welcome change to the usual road runners.

The Adelaide Hills and the Barossa are considered to far inland? As I said you don't have to travel far out of Adelaide to find useable dirt roads that could get used in the TDU if they really wanted to do it.

 

[MatParker117]

Greipel is heading back to the TDU, should make things difficult for Ewan.

 

[42x16ss]

Re:

Greipel is heading back to the TDU, should make things difficult for Ewan.

I don’t know, Ewan and especially Gaviria both blew him away at the Giro last year.

 

[yaco]

I suspect an in-form Sagan will have them both covered.

 

[movingtarget]

Re:

I suspect an in-form Sagan will have them both covered.

Too early in the season for Sagan. Ewan will dominate again I expect.

 

[42x16ss]

Re: Re:

I suspect an in-form Sagan will have them both covered.

Too early in the season for Sagan. Ewan will dominate again I expect.

This^^

Sagan will still have a shot at a stage or two but it’s more likely he’s riding for McCarthy and possibly Bennett

 

[Alex Simmons/RST]

Sagan's job is to help pull crowds.

 

[yaco]

Re: Re:

I suspect an in-form Sagan will have them both covered.

Too early in the season for Sagan. Ewan will dominate again I expect.

This^^

Sagan will still have a shot at a stage or two but it’s more likely he’s riding for McCarthy and possibly Bennett

I doubt Bennett will be at the TDU - Yes McCarthy will ride for GC at the TDU but it's never stopped sprinters fighting out the final - Ewan is a perfect example - Certain Sagan will win a stage - More certain than Greipel - In saying that it's a good decision by Greipel to come to the TDUto build confidence.

 

[Jakob747]

I hyped Alexander Evans a little in another thread on this forum. Great to see him take a dominating win on the mountain-top finish onto Poatina! --- He did a reversed Talansky, switching from Triathlon onto a full-time road focus.

Back in September he practical matched Sean Lake in the 1 in 20 hill climb! Probably Victoria's most ridden climb. 1:20 is a real power climb way more suited to a powerhouse like Sean Lake, so to see Evans only come 15seconds down on such a rouleur climb also speaks to his class (in my opinion)...

Evans is yet another rising talent to come out of Bendigo!!!