Hot racing coming up in Australia

[42x16ss]

Re:

BMC rode possibly the stupidest race I've ever seen from a single team: use all their horsepower (only 4 riders right?) to bring back the days break, and then watch as Porte rides tempo up the final climb, Ewan in tow, well after the winning break had gone.

To be fair Porte did put in a late dig, but geez what breathlessly idiotic tactics.

Good win by Edmonson. I think he'll take a few big(ger) wins when he matures - he's got the goods to win in a few different ways. Could potentially be the best Aust cobbled classics guy since Anderson. As for Durbridge - looked super strong, shame he went down.

Someone had to drop Ewan. The longer he was able to hang around, the more he became the logical choice to ride for. All Mitchelton had to do was ride the easiest tempo that didn’t annoy everyone else. BMC didn’t have enough guys, EF-Drapac (apart from Will and Simon Clarke at the death) rode like *** and Bennelong were good, but not good enough.

Had Drapac and BMC bothered to work together it would have been a totally different race.

 

[swuzzlebubble]

Drapac always had someone "up the road" so excused themselves from working in the peloton

 

[42x16ss]

Which was probably the wrong move considering how good Simon Clarke was looking. If he, Porte, Haas and McCarthy rolled the dice as a group they may have torn the race apart.

 

[The Hegelian]

Re: Re:

BMC rode possibly the stupidest race I've ever seen from a single team: use all their horsepower (only 4 riders right?) to bring back the days break, and then watch as Porte rides tempo up the final climb, Ewan in tow, well after the winning break had gone.

To be fair Porte did put in a late dig, but geez what breathlessly idiotic tactics.

Good win by Edmonson. I think he'll take a few big(ger) wins when he matures - he's got the goods to win in a few different ways. Could potentially be the best Aust cobbled classics guy since Anderson. As for Durbridge - looked super strong, shame he went down.

Someone had to drop Ewan. The longer he was able to hang around, the more he became the logical choice to ride for. All Mitchelton had to do was ride the easiest tempo that didn’t annoy everyone else. BMC didn’t have enough guys, EF-Drapac (apart from Will and Simon Clarke at the death) rode like *** and Bennelong were good, but not good enough.

Had Drapac and BMC bothered to work together it would have been a totally different race.

Not sure about this. If I was DS at BMC I would be thinking: the break has 7 mins, we have 4 guys including 2 past winners, it's up to Mitchelton to bring it back unless they want to gamble on Power outriding all the others (a big gamble given that they had at least 3 genuine contenders).

If I was DS at Mitchelton I would be thinking: do we still have Gerrans on our books??

 

[Tigerion]

Re:

I don't really care about the lack of streams for Australian races (TDU is being shown on National Danish television), but what's with your habit of having your races in the middle of our night? Jeez, some of us actually need to sleep!

Well you need to understand that we are in the southern hemisphere so we need to hang our clocks upside down so they work properly. So while it looks like it is midnight for you it actually looks like 6:30 for us

 

[WheelofGear]

The chance of Porte winning TDU is still 85-90%.

He is going to destroy them on OWH.

 

[yaco]

Think we have to accept that MS played their cards best - Anyway MS were desperate to win the RR - It's one item ticked off their bucket list.

 

[movingtarget]

Re:

The chance of Porte winning TDU is still 85-90%.

He is going to destroy them on OWH.

He won't be lacking motivation after last year but he might want to take it day by day instead of thinking too far ahead. It seems Porte's GT career is about the mind not keeping up with the body.........

 

[WheelofGear]

Re: Re:

The chance of Porte winning TDU is still 85-90%.

He is going to destroy them on OWH.

He won't be lacking motivation after last year but he might want to take it day by day instead of thinking too far ahead. It seems Porte's GT career is about the mind not keeping up with the body.........

I just think he want to win on Willunga Hill and that would be end-game for the rest of the contenders.

His only real competitor is his own team mate, Rohan Dennis.

 

[yaco]

Mitchelton Scott team is Ewan, Edmondson, Bauer, Impey, Howson, Hayman and Meyer. Its all about Ewan and stages.

 

[42x16ss]

Howson and Meyer will challenge.

 

[Ferminal]

Bit of a shame they aren't using Corkscrew into the finish on Stage 4, would descend pretty much straight into the bottom of that roller.

 

[movingtarget]

Re:

Howson and Meyer will challenge.

Maybe if the lack of kms in Richie's legs have an effect otherwise he seems unbeatable on Willunga.

 

[movingtarget]

Re:

Bit of a shame they aren't using Corkscrew into the finish on Stage 4, would descend pretty much straight into the bottom of that roller.

Yeah Corkscrew is always entertaining and takes a few GC riders by surprise when it is raced hard.

 

[WheelofGear]

Re:

Bit of a shame they aren't using Corkscrew into the finish on Stage 4, would descend pretty much straight into the bottom of that roller.

Yeah. And that's the only climb where Porte has been dropped before.

One time by Evans who won the stage and one time by Henao/Woods who where catch on the downhill part.

Along with descents, muritos are Porte's achilles' heel. Only way to drop him.

Willunga Hill might be semi-short, but it's only about 7%.. so it's completely different effort.

 

[yaco]

Re:

Howson and Meyer will challenge.

Howson is tuning up for the Herald Sun Tour, while Meyer isn't fit enough to contend for GC - In saying that, Meyer should be the protected rider at the Cadel Evan's race.

 

[WheelofGear]

https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/tour-down-under/2018/startlist

All teams confirmed. The question is now.. who will get 2nd after Porte? Wanna bet on a top 10?

I'd say:

1. Porte
2. Dennis
3. Ulissi
4. McCarthy
5. Ion
6. Bernal
7. Oomen
8. Haas
9. Valgren
10. Bennett

 

[Alexandre B.]

Can't wait for the Jancouver week.

 

[pastronef]

Re:

Can't wait for the Jancouver week.

ehehehe, me too, let´s hope Richie wins again for his joy

 

[Velolover2]

Re:

https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/tour-down-under/2018/startlist

All teams confirmed. The question is now.. who will get 2nd after Porte? Wanna bet on a top 10?

I'd say:

1. Porte
2. Dennis
3. Ulissi
4. McCarthy
5. Ion
6. Bernal
7. Oomen
8. Haas
9. Valgren
10. Bennett

1. Porte
2. Ion Izagirre
3. Haas
4. Bernal
5. McCarthy
6. Ulissi
7. Slagter
8. Oomen
9. Pozzovivo
10. Restrepo

 

[movingtarget]

Re: Re:

Can't wait for the Jancouver week.

ehehehe, me too, let´s hope Richie wins again for his joy

I wonder how he feels about winning jockeys ? Especially the ones that have never won over two miles.........

 

[swuzzlebubble]

Re:

https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/tour-down-under/2018/startlist

All teams confirmed. The question is now.. who will get 2nd after Porte? Wanna bet on a top 10?

I'd say:

1. Porte
2. Dennis
3. Ulissi
4. McCarthy
5. Ion
6. Bernal
7. Oomen
8. Haas
9. Valgren
10. Bennett

No UniSA yet?

 

[search]

UniSA needed to make some changes due to the new anti doping rules, initial plans of lining up mainly Bennelong guys had to be scrapped as most riders haven't been in the testing pool long enough

 

[swuzzlebubble]

UniSA announced now

Scott Bowden (Bennelong SwissWellness Cycling Team p/b Cervelo)
Zak Dempster (Israel Cycling Academy)
Nathan Earle (Israel Cycling Academy)
Alex Porter (Bennelong SwissWellness Cycling Team p/b Cervelo)
Timothy Roe (Bennelong SwissWellness Cycling Team p/b Cervelo)
Steele von Hoff (Bennelong SwissWellness Cycling Team p/b Cervelo)
Sam Welsford (Australian Cycling Academy)

 

[Jspear]

Re:

https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/tour-down-under/2018/startlist

All teams confirmed. The question is now.. who will get 2nd after Porte? Wanna bet on a top 10?

I'd say:

1. Porte
2. Dennis
3. Ulissi
4. McCarthy
5. Ion
6. Bernal
7. Oomen
8. Haas
9. Valgren
10. Bennett

Is Dennis gonna try for the GC?

1. Porte
2. McCarthy
3. Haas
4. Ulissi
5. Bernal
6. Ion
7. Dennis
8. Fernandez
9. Bennett
10. Pozzovivo

5-10 could be so many different riders.