Hot racing coming up in Australia

[Coffeeplanter]

Normally we'd have the Bay Cycling Classic to keep us occupied in the early days of the year, but unfortunately that race no longer exists.

What is interesting about the Aus Nats in a week is that for the first time in about 100 years the race is headed to Perth, rather than Ballarat. Complete other side of the country, on the west coast. Should still be the Luke Plapp Classic given the elevation around Bold Park and Kings Park, but still.

Now that Holmes has stepped up to the U23, I am expecting Ben Coates to fill the gap in the junior ranks.

 

[yaco]

Do the riders who are listed as reserves travel to Australia as well?
I guess they have to; the point of reserves being to have someone to quickly take a spot on the roster, and some of them might be doing CEGORR anyway.

It's an interesting question. If Jayco or Liv Alula have problems in the National Championships they will be flat out getting a rider to Australia.

 

[Rockestar_33]

Normally we'd have the Bay Cycling Classic to keep us occupied in the early days of the year, but unfortunately that race no longer exists.

What is interesting about the Aus Nats in a week is that for the first time in about 100 years the race is headed to Perth, rather than Ballarat. Complete other side of the country, on the west coast. Should still be the Luke Plapp Classic given the elevation around Bold Park and Kings Park, but still.

Now that Holmes has stepped up to the U23, I am expecting Ben Coates to fill the gap in the junior ranks.

They do have the surf coast classic the Thursday before the CEGORR

 

[yaco]

Normally we'd have the Bay Cycling Classic to keep us occupied in the early days of the year, but unfortunately that race no longer exists.

What is interesting about the Aus Nats in a week is that for the first time in about 100 years the race is headed to Perth, rather than Ballarat. Complete other side of the country, on the west coast. Should still be the Luke Plapp Classic given the elevation around Bold Park and Kings Park, but still.

Now that Holmes has stepped up to the U23, I am expecting Ben Coates to fill the gap in the junior ranks.

The total elvation for the men's Rr is 2500 metres. Unless one or two are particularly strong, then there should be a largish group will contest the final. Reckon they have the calendar wrong for the Aussie Summer. Cadel's race should lead into the TDU and the National's the following week.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Reckon they have the calendar wrong for the Aussie Summer. Cadel's race should lead into the TDU and the National's the following week.

Why? Nobody who isn't from Oceania wants to be racing in Australia even earlier than they have to do now and it would mean the new champions would have to wait 11.5 months to show off the green and gold in a home race. The sole benefit would be a shorter flight for the Aussies and the Aussies alone to Europe after the Australian Summer, and I don't see how that's worth it. Of course, you could move CEGORR to the third weekend of January, have the TDU end two weeks later and then move to Perth, but that makes the timing of the Nationals more awkward relative to the non-Aussie calendar (the NZ nationals are in a similar slot and the WT pros usually skip it).

 

[yaco]

Why? Nobody who isn't from Oceania wants to be racing in Australia even earlier than they have to do now and it would mean the new champions would have to wait 11.5 months to show off the green and gold in a home race. The sole benefit would be a shorter flight for the Aussies and the Aussies alone to Europe after the Australian Summer, and I don't see how that's worth it. Of course, you could move CEGORR to the third weekend of January, have the TDU end two weeks later and then move to Perth, but that makes the timing of the Nationals more awkward relative to the non-Aussie calendar (the NZ nationals are in a similar slot and the WT pros usually skip it).

You have the Cadel race on the weekend 11/12 January which is the current slot for the National's, then the TDU from 21 to 26 January and the National's from 30 January to Feb 3. You could also add another one day race in the week leading up to the TDU race. The teams would be happy to have one or two one day races before the TDU. You need to be aware that many of the TDU riders arrive two weeks before the TDU and spend a month in Australia as a racing and training block.

 

[Coffeeplanter]

The total elvation for the men's Rr is 2500 metres. Unless one or two are particularly strong, then there should be a largish group will contest the final. Reckon they have the calendar wrong for the Aussie Summer. Cadel's race should lead into the TDU and the National's the following week.

It's slightly easier than what Ballarat had to offer, but Plapp benefiting from his mythical Aussie summer super peak on Jayco isn't losing that race unless there is another Jayco solo out in front.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

You have the Cadel race on the weekend 11/12 January which is the current slot for the National's, then the TDU from 21 to 26 January and the National's from 30 January to Feb 3. You could also add another one day race in the week leading up to the TDU race. The teams would be happy to have one or two one day races before the TDU. You need to be aware that many of the TDU riders arrive two weeks before the TDU and spend a month in Australia as a racing and training block.

The bolded is exactly why it would go down like a bucket of sick - it would require teams to travel to Australia in the middle of the holiday period to get their pre-race training in. Nobody wants that.

 

[Rockestar_33]

The only change I'd have is getting the Oceania champs earlier to allow all the best Aussie and NZ cyclists to attack it as it's usually second tier riders who win it from those countries anyway.

 

[yaco]

The bolded is exactly why it would go down like a bucket of sick - it would require teams to travel to Australia in the middle of the holiday period to get their pre-race training in. Nobody wants that.

Many riders arrive in Australia the first week of January for the Aussie summer and are primed and ready to go after specialising in the December training camps. You make it like the riders arrive three days before the TDU.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Many riders arrive in Australia the first week of January for the Aussie summer and are primed and ready to go after specialising in the December training camps. You make it like the riders arrive three days before the TDU.

Do you even read your own posts? You are the one proposing to move the first international race forward, so that international riders who now arrive 'in the first week of January' (your own words) would have to arrive earlier.

 

[Unchained]

Is Alula also a main sponsor for Jayco or slightly smaller contribution?

 

[yaco]

Do you even read your own posts? You are the one proposing to move the first international race forward, so that international riders who now arrive 'in the first week of January' (your own words) would have to arrive earlier.

All I have done is proposed a switching in the order of races. They would still arrive in Australia around the same time. The riders are usually in Australia for close to a month.

 

[yaco]

Is Alula also a main sponsor for Jayco or slightly smaller contribution?

A slightly smaller contribution. I will get Devils Elbow angry by proposing the Alula Tour should start a week later. It starts three days after the finish of the TDU which makes it difficult for Jayco Alula, whereas in 2024 there was ten days between the two races.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Let's move the whole calendar around to give jayco the best shot at winning all the races. Fed up of uae and rabobank dominance

 

[Devil's Elbow]

A slightly smaller contribution. I will get Devils Elbow angry by proposing the Alula Tour should start a week later. It starts three days after the finish of the TDU which makes it difficult for Jayco Alula, whereas in 2024 there was ten days between the two races.

A grand total of 4 riders (Jacobs, Vink, FFB, Simon Yates) started both races last year, there are approximately 679 pairs of races on the calendar that would clash more strongly if moved closer together.

The reason they’ve moved the Saudi Sportswashing Tour is because the entire Arab Peninsula Sportswashing Season has been moved forward by a week to eliminate the clash between the UAE Sportswashing Tour and opening weekend. That’s normally the kind of clash I would be happy to see eliminated, but really the main effect will probably be more sprinters in Kuurne which isn’t something to get excited about.

 

[Unchained]

A slightly smaller contribution. I will get Devils Elbow angry by proposing the Alula Tour should start a week later. It starts three days after the finish of the TDU which makes it difficult for Jayco Alula, whereas in 2024 there was ten days between the two races.

As I have been given the Devil's elbow to the face and ribs for over praising, some say fanatical love for Isaac Del Toro..TDU was his first race as a pro, on his first day he was victorious in Australia!!
That said UAE has decided to start him at Alula vs TDU and he is penciled in for Giro instead of Vuelta like last year.. I think many of the Arab events are really better than expected.. Australia is only thing in conflict or coordination.. It is a shame that they can't be spread out a little more so all are viable early season possibilities..I think all the races w a one week format are excellent for pro racing.. For purists maybe not, but for a week you still give fans that spectacle of massive bunch flying by..3 week races guys finishing @30+ minutes back talking about their wives and family

 

[Unchained]

A grand total of 4 riders (Jacobs, Vink, FFB, Simon Yates) started both races last year, there are approximately 679 pairs of races on the calendar that would clash more strongly if moved closer together.

The reason they’ve moved the Saudi Sportswashing Tour is because the entire Arab Peninsula Sportswashing Season has been moved forward by a week to eliminate the clash between the UAE Sportswashing Tour and opening weekend. That’s normally the kind of clash I would be happy to see eliminated, but really the main effect will probably be more sprinters in Kuurne which isn’t something to get excited about.

So what would be your vetting process to insure that only " the proper kind of money, from proper sources " was invested in cycling.
I can tell you first hand, that when I started racing I rode for a team sponsored by doctors ( sports medicine specialists) ambulance chasing law firm(s) and liquor and soda companies, one distributor was major, major distribution outlet for 2 brands of sweetened tea..I wouldn't have cared where the money came from, who it came from and there were a number of teams that had association with illegal drug sales.. So golf,F1,football, bike racing sort of pointless to cherry pick sponsors. And big oil is part of pro cycling since @1940s for sure.. Maybe some complaints but what's the use..
I watched, absolutely loved different motorcycle races, road and motocross that were sponsored by big tobacco.. They pulled out and many events contracted or died.
.I would say to characterize cycling Arab sports washing is a little fast and loose.. I am out of my seat applauding what UAE and others are doing for the sport.. And don't know if you consider it storm clouds on the horizon, but bike racing, bicycle anything is going to need deep, deep, unprecedented cooperation with China and Taiwan and the rest of the world.. If the business model of racing bikes in order to sell bikes is turned upside down or destroyed completely, which is a real possibility.. Maybe the Arab loot lying around might be the answer or part of the answer.. The season of powers trying to destroy the Chinese bicycle industry have not officially started but it's been officially announced.

 

[ingsve]

It does make for a great opportunity for Matthew Brennan to become the race's youngest-ever stage winner.

Only for that record to be stolen by Albert Withen Philipsen instead.

 

[RedheadDane]

Only for that record to be stolen by Albert Withen Philipsen instead.

He's said himself that he doesn't have any ambitions in the race.

 

[ingsve]

He's said himself that he doesn't have any ambitions in the race.

He says that until he finds himself still with the main riders with 10k to go and then anything can happen.

 

[ingsve]

I think in terms of scheduling if the UCI really wanted to make the racing more global and highlight the non-european races more then I would make sure to schedule more of the races together. Combine TDU and the aussie one days in the same month as Tour of Guangxi and add to it Tour de Langkawi and make that WT as well.

Then you can also have a month with racing in the Americas. Get a month with say Tour de San Luis, Tour of Colombia, Tour of California and the Canadian WT races. That way you can have a prolonged campaign with teams staying in the time zones without flying back and forth for the races and it would highlight those times in the calendar, whenever it would be appropriate to put them.

 

[Netserk]

Let's hope then that the foolish top-down globalism dies fast.

 

[RedheadDane]

Then you can also have a month with racing in the Americas. Get a month with say Tour de San Luis, Tour of Colombia, Tour of California and the Canadian WT races.

When would that be?
The South American races are held in February, probably partly to not clash with the European calendar, and/or because it would be too hot later in the year.
Bit cold for a bike race in Canada in February.

 

[ingsve]

Let's hope then that the foolish top-down globalism dies fast.

What's foolish about it? It's basic capitalism, marketing your product to a wider audience.