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Hot racing coming up in Australia

Page 108 - Get up to date with the latest news, scores & standings from the Cycling News Community.
The national elite RR should have been cancelled the last two years - Last year's field was weak and this years field was weaker - Anyway, Plapp rode a controlled race in which he showed his undoubted talent - This year on the WT will be a development year but expect bigger things in 2023 - Plapp is an Ethan Hayter type rider who climbs better. Whelan could not even get a PCT or CT contract in Europe - He was the victim of signing a WT contract after one result in Europe - I doubt riding at CT level in Oz will help his chances of getting back to the WT, unless Bridgelane rides more of an overseas calendar.
 
The national elite RR should have been cancelled the last two years - Last year's field was weak and this years field was weaker - Anyway, Plapp rode a controlled race in which he showed his undoubted talent - This year on the WT will be a development year but expect bigger things in 2023 - Plapp is an Ethan Hayter type rider who climbs better. Whelan could not even get a PCT or CT contract in Europe - He was the victim of signing a WT contract after one result in Europe - I doubt riding at CT level in Oz will help his chances of getting back to the WT, unless Bridgelane rides more of an overseas calendar.
That doesn't make any sense, Meyer was a worthy winner of the race and the same goes for Plapp. The strength of the field shouldn't dictate if the race should be held.

Bridgelane usually spends a couple of months racing in Europe every year so Whelan will get his chance to demonstrate to bigger teams if he's worth a punt next transfer season.
 
That doesn't make any sense, Meyer was a worthy winner of the race and the same goes for Plapp. The strength of the field shouldn't dictate if the race should be held.

Bridgelane usually spends a couple of months racing in Europe every year so Whelan will get his chance to demonstrate to bigger teams if he's worth a punt next transfer season.

Simple because of quarantine rules the cohort of European based Aussie cyclists could not return to Australia, and therefore compete in the Nationals - Somehow you are forgetting we are in a pandemic and Australia made it very hard for their citizens to return to the country - The women's race was extremely week with only 4 WT riders. I had no objections to the under 23 and Junior categories having their events because they are based in Australia.
 
I rate Robbie McEwan has one of the very best cycling expert commentators in the world. It is a baffling decision. I wonder if Matt Keenan will travel to Europe to be onsite for the big European races ? There is not the same vibe when you are calling from another country.
tbh I'm not sure it is baffling, it's entirely consistent with the way SBS has been run in recent years. I'm surprised they've continued to fund cycling coverage for so long (not that I'm complaining).
 
Simple because of quarantine rules the cohort of European based Aussie cyclists could not return to Australia, and therefore compete in the Nationals - Somehow you are forgetting we are in a pandemic and Australia made it very hard for their citizens to return to the country - The women's race was extremely week with only 4 WT riders. I had no objections to the under 23 and Junior categories having their events because they are based in Australia.
I am not forgetting we are in a pandemic, I just don't think that because some pro's can't make it back due to quarantine issues is a valid reason to cancel the nationals.
 
I stated to cancel the elite RR - It wasn't a few pro's but the majority of pro's A few countries cancelled their Nationals in 2020 due to COVID

A weaker field is not a good reason to cancel the national road race titles - it was strong enough. Luke Plapp a deserving winner for 2022. Also the 2021 Australian time trial champion. Still only 21 I am looking forward to following Plapp's progress.
 
A weaker field is not a good reason to cancel the national road race titles - it was strong enough. Luke Plapp a deserving winner for 2022. Also the 2021 Australian time trial champion. Still only 21 I am looking forward to following Plapp's progress.

Matthews hasn't raced in Australia since 2014 and given that he is obviously the best rider for the Nationals course, they really should just have cancelled the event all those years.
 
But he's never actually been Australian champion, though he has been crowned as both Oceanian and world champion on Oceanian soil.

I know Oceania is the term for that particular region of the world, but "Oceanien soil" still sounds a bit mutually exclussive.

Missing the point - Matthews would have won standing on his head from 2014-2018 so why did they even bother racing

I would have paid good money to see that!
 
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Missing the point - Matthews would have won standing on his head from 2014-2018 so why did they even bother racing

My point was that since he wasn't able to win titles in the years he did participate, it's probably been a deliberate descision not continue to lose out. For the sake of this argument let's totally ignore that the fact that he settled down in Europe with his now wife around that time.
 
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I know Oceania is the term for that particular region of the world, but "Oceanien soil" still sounds a bit mutually exclussive.

I couldn't say Australian nor home soil, because the OC was held in New Zealand that year. I didn't write Oceanien nor exclussive, mainly because they aren't actually English words :p

I would have paid good money to see that!

I bet images of Bling standing on his head while a young Pogacar rides around him on a unicycle will appear in your dreams from now on.
 
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My point was that since he wasn't able to win titles in the years he did participate, it's probably been a deliberate descision not continue to lose out. For the sake of this argument let's totally ignore that the fact that he settled down in Europe with his now wife around that time.

Actually, Matthews travels back to Australian nearly every summer, to visit family and friends - It's just that he does not like to ride before March - Anyway in a surprise he's on the start list for Challenge Mallorca.
 
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Unfortunately there's a small group who have taken it upon themselves to blame Bridie O'Donnell for this decision and have been harassing her on social media. Some cruel stuff being written.

SBS need to protect their employee and clear the air.

Do you think SBS will clear the air ? Keenan and McEwan are contracted by ASO to commentate for the English version of the TDF and the Vuelta ? Has this changed ? Will SBS take the ASO version for the GT's or look elsewhere ? Lots of questions to be answered.
 
I stated to cancel the elite RR - It wasn't a few pro's but the majority of pro's A few countries cancelled their Nationals in 2020 due to COVID
Which riders who normally race the nationals and would actually be competitive are missing? O'Connor might be one, possibly Drizners and Schultz. The last time Ewan raced in Australia he skipped the nationals and the year before was a DNF, Storer also skipped them the last time he raced here, Haig hasn't started the nationals since 2016, Porte 2018, Lucas Hamilton missed this year but made it in 2021 and Matthews has already been discussed. The field might have been a little weaker on paper but in reality not that much weaker and certainly not a good reason to cancel the race.
 
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Unfortunately there's a small group who have taken it upon themselves to blame Bridie O'Donnell for this decision and have been harassing her on social media. Some cruel stuff being written.

SBS need to protect their employee and clear the air.
Yeah spotted that myself and it's unfair on O'Donnell, this one is on SBS who should have handled this better.
 

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