Hot racing coming up in Australia

[proffate]

Apparently they expected the course to be driest when it was wettest.

Knowing that the top contenders would select start times based on the forecasted conditions, it seems like a smart gamble for an outsider like Bettiol to start at a different time, in case the forecast was off. Nothing to lose, everything to gain.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Tomorrow's main climb (or I guess today's, from an Australian POV). Doesn't look too hard for the sprinters, then again there aren't too many of them here and the Australian squad will not be able to control things for Ewan...

 

[search]

yeah, they did it from the way harder side a couple of years back and Greipel still took the win - normally it shouldn't be much of a problem. But teams unwilling/unable to chase indeed could be, if it somehow turns out to be a strong break.

Durbridge won on this circuit by a couple of minutes when it was used for the Aussie-only race in 2021. Maybe he'll try again

 

[Samamba]

Bora for Meeus, Intermarché for Thijssen, Alpecin for Deceuninck, ... enough teams that will help I think.

 

[Potomac]

The images on my stream seem really washed out.
Like the lens filter is foggy

 

[Potomac]

Even the adverts seem washed out.

I'm watching through the channel 7 website. But their other broadcasts seemed normal enough.

 

[Potomac]

Alberto's in ochre?
He told me he doesn't even know her.

 

[tobydawq]

Hayter not bothering to do three more pedal strokes to the line in the intermediate sprint just cost him two seconds to Matthews. Not smart...

 

[Potomac]

I had no plans to finish this stage, but I'm to far into it so I can't go to bed yet.

But these adverts are killing me. And the roving report at the finishing area is totally annoying. He belongs on morning tv, not sports.

 

[Potomac]

Is Bettiol going to keep the leaders jersey? Hard to say at this point.

 

[DNP-Old]

Bauhaus, Ewan, Matthews? Ewan by far the fastest, think he gained about 10 positions in the last 25 meters.

 

[Potomac]

I thought Mathews was going to take the leaders jersey with all his bonus seconds but it looks like Betiol hangs on.

 

[tobydawq]

I thought Mathews was going to take the leaders jersey with all his bonus seconds but it looks like Betiol hangs on.

He was 14 seconds behind before the stage?

Ewan's sprint was absurd. If he had won, it would have been like Kittel's Giro stages in 2014.

 

[stefank]

Ewan was by far the fastest at the end, but was coming from too far back.

 

[movingtarget]

Ewan caught up once again but did the right thing going down the outside. Thought Matthews had it won.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Ewan starting the sprint from too far back and Gesink crashing out. Cycling hasn't changed too much in 2023 yet.

 

[DNP-Old]

Didn't help that Ewan only had Marriage with him. A very talented, but very young and inexperienced time trialist who has never ridden in a peloton of this capacity, let alone at such speeds. The rest were long dropped. You'd expect a Drizzners to be up there to guide him through the finale, but maybe he crashed.

 

[Samamba]

Good win for Bauhauss. Pretty crazy sprint from Ewan there also. Was kind of to be expected that he was going to have throuble being in a good position with him not having a strong team here. But the legs are definitely there.

Well, atleast he didn't crash. Some big names down immediately. Pretty annoying.

 

[Salvarani]

Was there a crash at the end?

I see Plapp, Sheffield, L. Hayter and Hindley seems to have been involved but got the same time as the peloton.

 

[Samamba]

Didn't help that Ewan only had Marriage with him. A very talented, but very young and inexperienced time trialist who has never ridden in a peloton of this capacity, let alone at such speeds. The rest were long dropped. You'd expect a Drizzners to be up there to guide him through the finale, but maybe he crashed.

Drizners had a mechanical at 7k from the finish.

 

[tobydawq]

Didn't help that Ewan only had Marriage with him. A very talented, but very young and inexperienced time trialist who has never ridden in a peloton of this capacity, let alone at such speeds. The rest were long dropped. You'd expect a Drizzners to be up there to guide him through the finale, but maybe he crashed.

Drizners had a mechanical.

 

[yaco]

Lotto merely had to bring three riders from overseas to support Ewan at the TDU, seeing that Drizners and Sweeney are Australian - I am surprised that S.Bennett chose to ride ST Luis, instead of coming to the TDU - He'd win every sprint stage with Van Poppel leading him out.

 

[tobydawq]

Lotto merely had to bring three riders from overseas to support Ewan at the TDU, seeing that Drizners and Sweeney are Australian - I am surprised that S.Bennett chose to ride ST Luis, instead of coming to the TDU - He'd win every sprint stage with Van Poppel leading him out.

How many sprint stages do you expect there to be? Surely only one more chance for a guy like Bennett, and that is with an uphill finish, making Ewan a massive favourite.

 

[Netserk]

How many sprint stages do you expect there to be? Surely only one more chance for a guy like Bennett, and that is with an uphill finish, making Ewan a massive favourite.

Tomorrow as well.

 

[DNP-Old]

Drizners had a mechanical at 7k from the finish.

Ah, there we go. Bad luck, but Ewan looks really good, so that’s a plus at least.