Improving the TDU

[auscyclefan94]

http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2010/01/27/140791_news.html

- What is it with you guys? Its a friggin world championships! Are you stupid?

+1
i don't want him down here. I would like Alberto Contador down here (not likely) as he really is the best bike rider at the moment. I want to see guys like Gilbert, valverde, Sammy Sanchez, Andy Schleck, Robert gesink, alexandr kolobnev and Damiano Cunego down in Aus so we can watch a great bike race rather than have more news and coverage on Lance than on the winner of the races.
The TDU coverage on SBS was sickening. it's funny as on the site they have a 17 minute interview of lance before the tdu started and before stage 6 they had PL and Tomalaris interviewing him for 10 minutes which I needed to go to the toilet because I needed to throw up due to listening to the questions of PL and Tomalaris

 

[53 x 11]

+1

The TDU coverage on SBS was sickening. it's funny as on the site they have a 17 minute interview of lance before the tdu started and before stage 6 they had PL and Tomalaris interviewing him for 10 minutes which I needed to go to the toilet because I needed to throw up due to listening to the questions of PL and Tomalaris

Well it was better than listening to 30 seconds of Evans.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Well it was better than listening to 30 seconds of Evans.

You'd rather listen to Liggett dribble over Armstrong for 10 minutes than Evans for 30 seconds?

ok it's 7 minutes thirty but it felt like 10 minutes. you asked for it...
http://player.sbs.com.au/cycling#/cycling_08/interviews/interviews/playlist/Lance-Armstrong-at-the-Tour-Down-Under/

 

[53 x 11]

You'd rather listen to Liggett dribble over Armstrong for 10 minutes than Evans for 30 seconds?

Yep, as neither of them are from my country. I can dismiss it as a media whoring American and Chamois sniffing Brit.

And you realise that you have a Ligget quote as your sig right?

 

[auscyclefan94]

Yep, as neither of them are from my country. I can dismiss it as a media whoring American and Chamois sniffing Brit.

And you realise that you have a Ligget quote as your sig right?

Yes, but that when he was calling my favourite rider to victory and armstrong wasn't racing so no biased commentary came into it! that was keenan's job

 

[mherm79]

might be a bit late with these comments, but as someone who's been to the TDU for the last two years I'm convinced that organiser will not mess with the race format coz that's what's so good about the race.

to be more specific:

1. all the riders get to stay in the same hotel in the middle of the CBD, lowers costs and makes the trip more enjoyable.
2. stages are set-up such that you can drive to the start, KOM and finish on almost all stages.
3. race is for sprinters who like winning races this time of year and most aussies are peaking due to end of their season (i.e all of UniSA)
4. the european riders go almost unnoticed by the locals. I was the only one that asked Valverde for his autograph at the start of st2
5. riders can ride back to the hotel after each stage and not get mobbed.


i think above covers why it's been such a success and also why Melbourne won't get the race.

only riders that seemed focussed where Griepel (who hands mid year to Cav) and TeamSky (Sutton and Henderson peaked over Oz summer races)

 

[The Dr]

The race doesn't need to be changed or improved at all. Making the race harder by including a TT or more climbs wont necessarily improve the race, it will simply discourage a lot of the better riders from coming out for the race. As for moving the race from Adelaide?? Why? This race would not work anywhere else in Australia but Adelaide....and this comes from a Victorian

 

[auscyclefan94]

The race doesn't need to be changed or improved at all. Making the race harder by including a TT or more climbs wont necessarily improve the race, it will simply discourage a lot of the better riders from coming out for the race. As for moving the race from Adelaide?? Why? This race would not work anywhere else in Australia but Adelaide....and this comes from a Victorian

Why wouldn't it work in Vic?

 

[badboyberty]

Why wouldn't it work in Vic?

One of the big appeals of the TdU (to teams and foreign spectators) is that most stages start and finish within 40 - 60 minutes ride of the Adelaide Hilton. If they tried that in Melbourne it wouldn't be the Tour Down Under, it'd be the Tour de Monotonous Grey Suburbs. It takes less time to ride from the Adelaide CBD to McLaren Vale than it takes to use a tram to get from Northcote to St Kilda.

To suggest a city where the best place to ride a bike is a crowded coastal highway strip should host the TdU is naive at best. Plus your beer is crap, there's too many hipsters on over-geared fixies blocking traffic in the city, your wine regions are few, far away and aren't all that amazing, and if there's anything cool in Melbourne it was probably started by someone from Adelaide anyway....

On the real topic, the organisers could liven things up by moving the Stage 6 intermediate sprint point from the start-finish line to what is currently the KoM line on Montefoire Hill (and ditching the KoM points from that stage), and not deliberately routing the Friday stage through 50kms of flat as f*** country-side for the sake of the Mutual Community Challenge Tour participants. Probably best thing they could do however, is they could spend LA's appearance fee money on making sure Chavendish and Thor are here next year so the sprint finishes involve some serious sprinting...

 

[mherm79]

One of the big appeals of the TdU (to teams and foreign spectators) is that most stages start and finish within 40 - 60 minutes ride of the Adelaide Hilton. If they tried that in Melbourne it wouldn't be the Tour Down Under, it'd be the Tour de Monotonous Grey Suburbs. It takes less time to ride from the Adelaide CBD to McLaren Vale than it takes to use a tram to get from Northcote to St Kilda.
/QUOTE]

Agreed. Vic is far too busy to hold this event. Riders would take on back end of morning peak to get to the stages and be ridding back in afternoon peak. Our weekends are busier than what I saw of Adelaide peak periods.

Also, and let's face it, we'd stuff it up trying to make it more 'Pro' and just end up making it too hard to be a good training ride.

 

[Ferminal]

One of the big appeals of the TdU (to teams and foreign spectators) is that most stages start and finish within 40 - 60 minutes ride of the Adelaide Hilton. If they tried that in Melbourne it wouldn't be the Tour Down Under, it'd be the Tour de Monotonous Grey Suburbs. It takes less time to ride from the Adelaide CBD to McLaren Vale than it takes to use a tram to get from Northcote to St Kilda.

To suggest a city where the best place to ride a bike is a crowded coastal highway strip should host the TdU is naive at best. Plus your beer is crap, there's too many hipsters on over-geared fixies blocking traffic in the city, your wine regions are few, far away and aren't all that amazing, and if there's anything cool in Melbourne it was probably started by someone from Adelaide anyway....

On the real topic, the organisers could liven things up by moving the Stage 6 intermediate sprint point from the start-finish line to what is currently the KoM line on Montefoire Hill (and ditching the KoM points from that stage), and not deliberately routing the Friday stage through 50kms of flat as f*** country-side for the sake of the Mutual Community Challenge Tour participants. Probably best thing they could do however, is they could spend LA's appearance fee money on making sure Chavendish and Thor are here next year so the sprint finishes involve some serious sprinting...

Definitely.

I haven't heard Chavendish before, is that a new or old one? (a goodie nonetheless)

 

[Inner Peace]

I don't see why the TDU needs improving, really...

Great race this year with Big Griepel only just winning against more stage-racer-lie riders in Evans and Sanchez...

Maybe a third time over Willunga Mountain would make things a tad bit more exciting, but that stage was still great this year...

 

[blaxland]

adding an individual Time Trial(5-10kms)would get rid of most sprinters.......
Maybe finishing the willunga stage on top of the climb rather than a long decent to the finish......letting the sprinters teams work back to peloton.......

 

[auscyclefan94]

One of the big appeals of the TdU (to teams and foreign spectators) is that most stages start and finish within 40 - 60 minutes ride of the Adelaide Hilton. If they tried that in Melbourne it wouldn't be the Tour Down Under, it'd be the Tour de Monotonous Grey Suburbs. It takes less time to ride from the Adelaide CBD to McLaren Vale than it takes to use a tram to get from Northcote to St Kilda.

To suggest a city where the best place to ride a bike is a crowded coastal highway strip should host the TdU is naive at best. Plus your beer is crap, there's too many hipsters on over-geared fixies blocking traffic in the city, your wine regions are few, far away and aren't all that amazing, and if there's anything cool in Melbourne it was probably started by someone from Adelaide anyway....

On the real topic, the organisers could liven things up by moving the Stage 6 intermediate sprint point from the start-finish line to what is currently the KoM line on Montefoire Hill (and ditching the KoM points from that stage), and not deliberately routing the Friday stage through 50kms of flat as f*** country-side for the sake of the Mutual Community Challenge Tour participants. Probably best thing they could do however, is they could spend LA's appearance fee money on making sure Chavendish and Thor are here next year so the sprint finishes involve some serious sprinting...

Have you ever been to melbourne? Saying that it has grey suburbs is insulting. melbourne/victoria does have more than just winery after winery. Adelaide really is a backwater part of Australia. You could still hold a good bike race in Melbourne!

 

[auscyclefan94]

adding an individual Time Trial(5-10kms)would get rid of most sprinters.......
Maybe finishing the willunga stage on top of the climb rather than a long decent to the finish......letting the sprinters teams work back to peloton.......

Sprinters would hardly lose any time with a short time trial like that.

 

[Runitout]

Have you ever been to melbourne? Saying that it has grey suburbs is insulting. melbourne/victoria does have more than just winery after winery. Adelaide really is a backwater part of Australia. You could still hold a good bike race in Melbourne!

Mate, give it a rest.

Melbourne is a **** place for a bike race. We have no hills until the Dandenongs (okay, good for one stage), and then the Gisborne/Macedon area (good for another). After that, you're scratching your **** trying to find out something to look at that isn't dead flat. You can't race up Donna Buang every single day.

Ever wondered why the World Champs had to go to Geelong? 'Cos Melbourne doesn't have the topography for a decent one day race, let alone a stage race.

Don't feel insulted just because badboyberty is criticising Melbourne and you love the place. Regardless of what Adelaide's merits are (and I think the topography there isn't too flash either, and have said as much before) Melbourne is a far far worse place to put on a bike race.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Mate, give it a rest.

Melbourne is a **** place for a bike race. We have no hills until the Dandenongs (okay, good for one stage), and then the Gisborne/Macedon area (good for another). After that, you're scratching your **** trying to find out something to look at that isn't dead flat. You can't race up Donna Buang every single day.

Ever wondered why the World Champs had to go to Geelong? 'Cos Melbourne doesn't have the topography for a decent one day race, let alone a stage race.

Don't feel insulted just because badboyberty is criticising Melbourne and you love the place. Regardless of what Adelaide's merits are (and I think the topography there isn't too flash either, and have said as much before) Melbourne is a far far worse place to put on a bike race.

I never said that. I said that saying melb is full of grey suburbs is a load of ****! I understand you would have to go out to the dandenongs (because I ride up their) or gippsland or even the wimmera to find some descent landscape. Even so Donna Buang, the dandenongs and the Gibsorne/macedon areas have longer climbs (compared to wilunga) and couldn't be used either.

 

[swuzzlebubble]

TDU should look to add more days such that the event runs Saturday to following Sunday - ie 9 days. To maximise attendance and exposure.
Probably means a mid-week rest day.
And certainly not making the event tougher in terms of climbing.
If stage 3 this year could be used for two days it might help spread the results a bit.
Perhaps an ITT one lap of the stage 6 course on same day of that stage using same bikes would work?

 

[WonderLance]

Have you ever been to melbourne? Saying that it has grey suburbs is insulting. melbourne/victoria does have more than just winery after winery. Adelaide really is a backwater part of Australia. You could still hold a good bike race in Melbourne!

I know you like Melbourne cos its great for buying the latest fashon and pink mobile phones. Its just about the best place to buy all the stuff a teenage girl needs, I bet you got to go to the Twilight premier. You probably also get to see some B grade stars from you favorite reality tv shows or Pop Idol.

But if you really want to look at a map you will see that Melbourne is at the arse end of Australia.

Melbourne may be great for a Teen girl but I woldnt race there, mostly because you would probably be there stalking any pro cyclists trying to touch their chamois and then sniffing your fingers.

If you want to impove the tdu move it to april and to Europe.

 

[WonderLance]

I never said that. I said that saying melb is full of grey suburbs is a load of ****! I understand you would have to go out to the dandenongs (because I ride up their) or gippsland or even the wimmera to find some descent landscape. Even so Donna Buang, the dandenongs and the Gibsorne/macedon areas have longer climbs (compared to wilunga) and couldn't be used either.

please see my comments re: chamois sniffing. It rides up their bits but thats why you love it.

 

[Buninyong Bunny]

Have you ever been to melbourne? Saying that it has grey suburbs is insulting. melbourne/victoria does have more than just winery after winery. Adelaide really is a backwater part of Australia. You could still hold a good bike race in Melbourne!

As a Melbourian, I can say that we already have a good muilt-day race in Victoria. The Herald Sun Tour goes over more interesting terrain at a better time of year than the TDU, and it normally results in more interesting racing. Even this years pancake flat version with one dominant team produced good stuff to watch. So I wouldn't worry too much about the TDU. We may even find that the Herald Sun Tour is a long term beneficary of the World Champs. At the very least it should be a good race to end the season, even if most of the pros don't race it

 

[hughmoore]

TDU should look to add more days such that the event runs Saturday to following Sunday - ie 9 days. To maximise attendance and exposure.
Probably means a mid-week rest day.
And certainly not making the event tougher in terms of climbing.
If stage 3 this year could be used for two days it might help spread the results a bit.
Perhaps an ITT one lap of the stage 6 course on same day of that stage using same bikes would work?

IIRC 6 days is max length allowed.

 

[Spare Tyre]

Mate, give it a rest.

Melbourne is a **** place for a bike race. We have no hills until the Dandenongs (okay, good for one stage), and then the Gisborne/Macedon area (good for another). After that, you're scratching your **** trying to find out something to look at that isn't dead flat. You can't race up Donna Buang every single day.

...

Don't feel insulted just because badboyberty is criticising Melbourne and you love the place. Regardless of what Adelaide's merits are (and I think the topography there isn't too flash either, and have said as much before) Melbourne is a far far worse place to put on a bike race.

There's also Kinglake and West Gippsland, isn't there? Overall I agree. It's too hard to get out to the interesting terrain.

ACF94, I reckon badboyberty is just having a bit of fun sticking it up Melbourne.

And I agree with Buninyong Bunny - the Jayco Herald Sun Tour is a good multi-stage race which can make the most of the Victorian countryside. It just can't be run in the same format as the TDU. I'm not sure about the October timeslot, though. It's about the worst time of year, weather-wise.

 

[badboyberty]

Have you ever been to melbourne? Saying that it has grey suburbs is insulting. melbourne/victoria does have more than just winery after winery. Adelaide really is a backwater part of Australia. You could still hold a good bike race in Melbourne!

I think if you ride or drive forty minutes to an hour from Melbourne' CBD in almost any direction you'll find yourself in suburbia, and I don't think I've ever been to Melbourne for more than a day when it hasn't rained or been overcast. So I'm not going to retract my statement. (Technically you can hold a good bike race in Melbourne, but we are talking about a stage race here, not an alley-cat.) And if by backwater you mean, capital city with easiest access to stunning white beaches I guess you're right about Adelaide.

I know this hurts your local pride, but although Melbourne might be the best place in Australia to buy some tight jeans or a bowl of Morrocan chick-pea soup (yes, I have been to Melbourne recently), it's not the best place to hold a bike race. Beach Road is not a great place to ride a bike, and the Otways, Gippsland and Daylseford are all a long way away from Melbourne's CBD (I have ridden the Great Ocean Rd, yes it's nice, but no, it's definitely not "just out of Melbourne".) ACF94, local pride is a good thing, but I've spent extended periods of time, and ridden a bike, in Brisbane, Melboure, Sydney, Canberra and Adelaide and I will say that hosting a race in the same format as the TdU wouldn't work in the east coast capitals primarily because of their unconstrained suburban sprawl. It could work in Canberra, but with barely any decent coffee, food or wine, and a population with too many disgruntled public servants, it's bad enough they've got a MTB World Cup round.

I think the Herald Sun Tour in it's current calender slot could easily become the final real stage race of the International circuit, but still remain open to teams like Drapac and Fly-V. And I also think that someone in QLD or Victoria should orgainse a Southern one day "semi-classic" to be held in February (1.HC or ProTour). But I don't think Melbourne stealing the TdU, or the locking out of local teams from the Herald Sun Tour (part of becoming a ProTour event is no invites for Continental Teams) are forward steps.

 

[thehog]

My god. The Australian animals are feeding on each other! Point in case. Base.