Hot racing coming up in Australia

[yaco]

Cadel Evans race is one that Jayco has never got right - I'd focus on Ride Torquay on Thursday.

 

[Rob5091]

Welsford & Bora doing the business again - Viviani & McLay filling up the podium - which was not in many predicitions for the stage, I would guess. Bora seem to have a good lead out so it'll be interesting to see how well Welsford does against Milan in the Giro.
Shame for Plapp - he'll be home for a while recovering.

 

[CyclistAbi]

So del Toro and Bora, definitely two pleasant surprises.

 

[tobydawq]

Is it just my TV that has problems or is the image quality from this race piss poor? I can barely make out a face during the live stream.

 

[Unchained]

Is it just my TV that has problems or is the image quality from this race piss poor? I can barely make out a face during the live stream.

I am watching on YouTube and while it's not HD it's pretty good, and really weird, no commentary only helicopter sound and occasional people talking on the motorcycle and people yelling and ringing bells..

 

[Unchained]

Today will show who cares and who does not.. It's not a criterium, but short, and only one hill and dozens of riders, many of them good ones @11 seconds back so don't know if you could shake anyone on the one small climb, but someone has to try..

 

[Wyndbrook]

I am watching on YouTube and while it's not HD it's pretty good, and really weird, no commentary only helicopter sound and occasional people talking on the motorcycle and people yelling and ringing bells..

Bliss.

 

[yaco]

Is it just my TV that has problems or is the image quality from this race piss poor? I can barely make out a face during the live stream.

The streaming is a bit flaky and unreliable, while the image quality could be better.

 

[Skijumper Roglic fan]

Today will show who cares and who does not.. It's not a criterium, but short, and only one hill and dozens of riders, many of them good ones @11 seconds back so don't know if you could shake anyone on the one small climb, but someone has to try..

That sounds promising…

I hope for entertainment, and most of all, a safe race, without injuries from crashes.

 

[hayneplane]

Today will show who cares and who does not.. It's not a criterium, but short, and only one hill and dozens of riders, many of them good ones @11 seconds back so don't know if you could shake anyone on the one small climb, but someone has to try..

Probably too far out for any GC action but you would expect Girmay and Strong to have their teams set a hot pace to try and decisively drop Welsford and others such as Bauhaus.

 

[Skijumper Roglic fan]

Shame for Plapp - he'll be home for a while recovering.

No DNS known, yet - but he probably won’t start, correct.

Clearly he is no Frank Vandenbroucke, but has quite some charisma. I feared he could have the „humorless“ personality of a Michael Rogers or Rohan Dennis, but he‘s really interesting and entertaining. Spoke of TDU as their TdF, wanted to win all six stages with his team. Crashes when no one crashes, and even in his most important race (something that never happened to humorless Lance during his seven Tours).

I think I like Plapp, and look forward to cheering for him in the future.

Also his career doesn’t completely go according to plan. Leaving Ineos for Jayco is a „step back“ for him, rather. But it‘ll make him stronger. I like these guys who handle setbacks well.

 

[Unchained]

To all Australian bike racing fans your national team director is great!! He is sending a rider every day and showing national pride and intelligence!! Yes some young gun from the Australian team might win the sprint finish, but probably not, the breakaway card is a better play and for people that don't know the nuance of the sport they see a countryman off the front and it's awesome!! Would love to see a miscalculation by big trade team and have some kid win, w his friends in the crowd!

 

[KZD]

Welsford and his Bora train looking superb in this race. Three sprint stages, three wins.

 

[Tim Cahill]

Jayco signed the wrong sprinter, though to be fair I could probably bring a few home myself with that cracked leadout train

Tomorrow the boy Onley will get his first WT win, though I got Derek Gee at 400/1 before the race after looking at strava and in many ways Canada has always been our favourite son.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Yes some young gun from the Australian team might win the sprint finish, but probably not

Ah, give Ewan a bit more creedence than that. (He's young to some of us)

 

[yaco]

Jayco signed the wrong sprinter, though to be fair I could probably bring a few home myself with that cracked leadout train

Tomorrow the boy Onley will get his first WT win, though I got Derek Gee at 400/1 before the race after looking at strava and in many ways Canada has always been our favourite son.

I would have signed Welsford, but understand why Jayco chose Ewan, especially after seeing Welsford struggle in the 2023 TDF - Ewan will come good after he returns to full fitness - Will add that both were very good at the Aussie National RR.

 

[Faserr]

I think Welsford signed for Bora because he has a leadout train there. No need to sign for Jayco.

 

[Potomac]

Listen up western hemisphere cycling fans.
This race has a decisive stage that you can watch live TONIGHT with a six pack and pizza

 

[tobydawq]

Listen up western hemisphere cycling fans.
This race has a decisive stage that you can watch live TONIGHT with a six pack and pizza

How strange to have a Willunga stage where we don't know beforehand that Porte will destroy the field. Last time that happened was 11 years ago.

 

[Lequack]

So if Del Toro wins tomorrow, will Vingegaard start to get worried?

 

[scribers]

So if Del Toro wins tomorrow, will Vingegaard start to get worried?

They haven’t thawed him out yet from his cryogenic hibernation

 

[armchairclimber]

Is there a live stream on youtube?

Edit: ignore that, I have it on Discovery Sports

 

[Skijumper Roglic fan]

These last two stages of TDU will be great.

Lots of good climbers in this peloton.

No reason for any of the good climbers to hold anything back. They are at this race for these two stages. Time gaps are still small.

I hope for and expect some fireworks. The chance for many to finally win big - it‘s a WT race, after all. I expect fast, nervous stages. Hoping all goes well, no more crashes.

 

[Berniece]

So if Del Toro wins tomorrow, will Vingegaard start to get worried?

He won’t win, although he is lucky that Plap is out

 

[Unchained]

He won’t win, although he is lucky that Plap is out

I second this, and Plapp while riding great would have been a factor, don't see him as a stage favorite, because of the massive road rash, we don't get to find out. A couple of teams better go for broke,
Tough call for UAE because the gap is so small that a rider like Ganna, Alaphilppe, Haig,Yates,Ben Swift, Simone Clark, Gesink, Vader all could come up with a good day, unlikely Del Toro cracks, but if he is reading the internet and answering a fraction of the calls and messages on his phone, he is feeling a ton of pressure, maybe he can start dating Kylie Minogue that will break the internet or maybe Dua Lipa or Shakira will say he is cute and blow up the internet.
This is not very scientific, but the stages have not been very fast, not too hard or aggressive and seeing lots of riders, guessing euros going back for ice bags and tons of urine all over, thinking that lots of guys think it's really really hot, that's going to be a factor, Willunga is going to crack a bunch of guys..
Ulissi and Finn Fisher- Black have to be supportive!!