Hot racing coming up in Australia

[42x16ss]

Van Baarle is a very good rider. He has good endurance (he tends to be quite good for a non climber in 3rd weeks of a GT) and is good on short and not too long climbs.

That said, I would find surprising if he reached a Kiryienka level. Also i find surprising he climbed better than Sivakov or Howson today. Regarding climbing abilities i rate him like Knees type in his heydays.

I would prefer to see Van Baarle play to his strengths as a rouleur and classics rider. Being used solely as a Knees/Kiriyenka style domestique would be a waste of his abilities.

I suspect that Van Baarle is simply in better form than Sivakov and Howson. Van Baarle will be targeting the classics while Sivakov and Howson don't need to be at their best until the main stage races start.

 

[Velolover2]

Van Baarle is gonna win the overall now.

The new Hesjedal. :lol:

 

[yaco]

Nick Schultz and Dylan Van Baarle smash stage 4, leaving the favourites in their wake - Van Baarle leads 2 seconds - Great ride by Chris Harper to finish 3rd on the stage and up to 5th in GC. You have to wonder how Harper is stuck at CT level - He is definitely PCT level and could do a job at WT level.

 

[CTQ]

Re:

Nick Schultz and Dylan Van Baarle smash stage 4, leaving the favourites in their wake - Van Baarle leads 2 seconds - Great ride by Chris Harper to finish 3rd on the stage and up to 5th in GC. You have to wonder how Harper is stuck at CT level - He is definitely PCT level and could do a job at WT level.

Van Baarle leads 24 seconds not 2.
Time/Gap
1. 27 Dylan VAN BAARLE (SKY) NED 11h28:42
2. 7 Nicholas SCHULTZ (MTS) AUS +24

 

[yaco]

The moral of the last two days is you need a strong team to defend the lead, especially in early season races.

 

[CTQ]

the first 3 in the last stage: https://twitter.com/HeraldSunTour/status/1091916535440920576
1. @KristofferHalv1
2. @DionSmithy
3. @brenton_jones
all the results here : https://timedresult.com/jhstmen/
7 Dylan VAN BAARLE (SKY) GC
26 Pavel SIVAKOV (SKY) Young rider
55 Ayden TOOVEY (BLN) Sprint classification
24 Christian KNEES (SKY) Kom
77 Alistair DONOHOE (ACA) Stage aggressor
TEAM SKY Team classification

 

[42x16ss]

Re:

Nick Schultz and Dylan Van Baarle smash stage 4, leaving the favourites in their wake - Van Baarle leads 2 seconds - Great ride by Chris Harper to finish 3rd on the stage and up to 5th in GC. You have to wonder how Harper is stuck at CT level - He is definitely PCT level and could do a job at WT level.

Harper and Donohoe certainly look to be at PCT level while Aiden Toovey and Jason Lea have ridden impressively this summer as well.

After Mobius merged with the squad it looks like Mobius Bridgelane are only another good sponsor and a few more key signings away from going PCT should they choose to.

 

[yaco]

Re: Re:

Nick Schultz and Dylan Van Baarle smash stage 4, leaving the favourites in their wake - Van Baarle leads 2 seconds - Great ride by Chris Harper to finish 3rd on the stage and up to 5th in GC. You have to wonder how Harper is stuck at CT level - He is definitely PCT level and could do a job at WT level.

Harper and Donohoe certainly look to be at PCT level while Aiden Toovey and Jason Lea have ridden impressively this summer as well.

After Mobius merged with the squad it looks like Mobius Bridgelane are only another good sponsor and a few more key signings away from going PCT should they choose to.

I understand that Harper peaks in January and does a good job, but surely he's a better rider than Clarke or Morton who continue to obtain WT contracts.

 

[42x16ss]

Re: Re:

Nick Schultz and Dylan Van Baarle smash stage 4, leaving the favourites in their wake - Van Baarle leads 2 seconds - Great ride by Chris Harper to finish 3rd on the stage and up to 5th in GC. You have to wonder how Harper is stuck at CT level - He is definitely PCT level and could do a job at WT level.

Harper and Donohoe certainly look to be at PCT level while Aiden Toovey and Jason Lea have ridden impressively this summer as well.

After Mobius merged with the squad it looks like Mobius Bridgelane are only another good sponsor and a few more key signings away from going PCT should they choose to.

I understand that Harper peaks in January and does a good job, but surely he's a better rider than Clarke or Morton who continue to obtain WT contracts.

Will Clarke is a worthy WT rider, it's just that riders like him come and go from the WT all the time. He has a job and does it well.

Morton? Well, he's talented, just not sure if he even wants to be a Pro rider I think. A lion in the USA, a lamb in Europe. A rider who is capable of so much more.

 

[Spenser777]

I am looking forward for it

 

[RedheadDane]

Me too. To be fair, if TDU was in the middle of the season, I probably wouldn't bother getting up in the middle of the night to watch it. However, it isn't in the middle of the season, and I might - or might not - have a bit of an addiction.

 

[42x16ss]

Bay Crits are 3-5 January, big names so far include

Mens:
Luke Durbridge
Brenton Jones
Nathan Haas
Caleb Ewan
Jay McCarthy
Zak Dempster
Miles Scotson
Heinrich Haussler
Roger Kluge
Koen de Kort

Womens:
Amanda Spratt
Sarah Gigante
Shannon Malseed
Peta Mullens
Chloe Hosking
Valentina Scandolara

No surprises there, the usual suspects but entries are still open. Usually gets good racing.

 

[Sciatic]

I like this thread for the simple fact that we're using the same thread 7 years running.

 

[yaco]

Koen De Koert is a Dutchie who spends more time in Australia than Aussies like Matthews and Haig.

 

[tobydawq]

I like this thread for the simple fact that we're using the same thread 7 years running.

Me too.

It just has to be this way.

 

[Mayomaniac]

No idea if this is the right thread to ask something like this, but is Durbridge going to focus on track because of the Olympics?

 

[yaco]

Durbridge gave up the track years ago - I doubt very much he will get the nod for the ITT at the Olympics with Australia only qualifying four riders.

 

[greenedge]

No idea if this is the right thread to ask something like this, but is Durbridge going to focus on track because of the Olympics?

I wouldn't assume so as he seems to have given up his track ambitions (there was an article a few years back on him saying that the opening speed in the team pursuit was too much for him).

 

[oldcrank]

Yeah if Jordan Kerby was told there was no place for him on the Aussie team, no chance at all for Luke to be on the track roster.

 

[42x16ss]

Durbridge hasn't had any interest in track for years now. He's happy to leave it to the specialists.

As for the Olympic ITT surely he's first picked after Dennis, as the only other multiple national champs atm are him and Meyer.

 

[yaco]

Durbridge hasn't had any interest in track for years now. He's happy to leave it to the specialists.

As for the Olympic ITT surely he's first picked after Dennis, as the only other multiple national champs atm are him and Meyer.

Doubt Durbridge will be selected as the ITT riders have to double up in the RR.

 

[claude cat]

Amanda Spratt and Sam Welsford win Day 1 of the Bay Crits.

 

[Velolover2]

Yates is riding for Impey in TDU?

If not, I think Porte is about to get dethroned on Willunga Hill.

 

[yaco]

I suspect Porte will be dethroned on Willunga Hill - TDU is a tougher route this year with Paracombe on stage 3 - My favorite is Kwiatkowski.

 

[Northerner]

Are any of the routes of the upcoming Australian races affected by the fires?