Improving the TDU

[craig1985]

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.

Jack Bobridge is looking at moving to the Gold Coast when he is not in Europe and also holdig a one day race a week out from the World's. The route he has planned will involve a lot of climbing and a lot of it is very steep.

 

[auscyclefan94]

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.

I agree with most of your comments but my main problem was saying melbourne had "grey" suburbs all the way through it. From some of your comments indicate you haven't been around melbourne much. I agree that Adelaide is ideal for a bike race if you want to have the same hotel the whole way through.

 

[Galic Ho]

Simple solution. Move it to a real Australian state, that has serious mountains and the largest population. Increase it to 9 days and hit up the Snowy Mountains in NSW and Victoria. Race will then be interesting. Wine country in SA? Has some appeal, but not much. The snowies actually crack a higher altitude than 600m, unlike most of Adelaide and the surrounding areas. Southern NSW and Northern Victoria. Don't worry, there is no snow in summer, so the snowies are the perfect terrain.

 

[BroDeal]

Move it to New Zealand.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Simple solution. Move it to a real Australian state, that has serious mountains and the largest population. Increase it to 9 days and hit up the Snowy Mountains in NSW and Victoria. Race will then be interesting. Wine country in SA? Has some appeal, but not much. The snowies actually crack a higher altitude than 600m, unlike most of Adelaide and the surrounding areas. Southern NSW and Northern Victoria. Don't worry, there is no snow in summer, so the snowies are the perfect terrain.

1 problem with your great plan. The riders. Don't want mountains at that time of the year and don't want transfers.

 

[Garry Allen]

Simple solution. Move it to a real Australian state, that has serious mountains and the largest population. Increase it to 9 days and hit up the Snowy Mountains in NSW and Victoria. Race will then be interesting. Wine country in SA? Has some appeal, but not much. The snowies actually crack a higher altitude than 600m, unlike most of Adelaide and the surrounding areas. Southern NSW and Northern Victoria. Don't worry, there is no snow in summer, so the snowies are the perfect terrain.

Women's tour de snowy. I seem to recall some good climbs in that race. or a race up and down the Great Dividing Range. You could incorporate parts of Grafton-Inverell. Or Coffs Harbour to Armidale. Several climbs up the pimple. A criterium in Centennial Park and another in Hurstville. Climb up Macquarie Pass. Or Brown Mountain. Criterium in the centre of Canberra.But then that race disappeared quite a few years ago.

 

[BroDeal]

1 problem with your great plan. The riders. Don't want mountains at that time of the year and don't want transfers.

That just says what a crock the ProTour is. What is the point of having a race that is not really a race?

 

[Galic Ho]

Sorry it’s not the land its the people that inhabit it. I rest my case.

Honest to god dude, cut it out or someone will kill you. Seriously, did you not learn in your time in Australia that our country is full of macho hot heads? Particularly like the bogan in the picture. People who will beat the nine shades of $H!T out of you for dissing their country. Aussies are a patriotic bunch, so a warning to the less than prudent, watch what you type, because not everyone down under has the presence of mind to conclude you are maladjusted and bitter towards aussies, most likely stemming from your time here.

 

[Galic Ho]

Women's tour de snowy. I seem to recall some good climbs in that race. or a race up and down the Great Dividing Range. You could incorporate parts of Grafton-Inverell. Or Coffs Harbour to Armidale. Several climbs up the pimple. A criterium in Centennial Park and another in Hurstville. Climb up Macquarie Pass. Or Brown Mountain. Criterium in the centre of Canberra.But then that race disappeared quite a few years ago.

I know the pro teams or neo pro teams have raced in NSW before. Came to my home town in 1994 and visited the local schools. Had a crit race through the main street doing laps. Stuart O'Grady even dropped by my primary school. He must have been on the AIS team, cause he was about 21 at the time. Didn't know about the womens event in the snowies.

You make some nice suggestions. Lots of good roads near Inverell and Grafton and also between Armidale and Coffs Harbour. Barren like the Hog suggested? Far from it. Perhaps move it to October after the Worlds and Paris Tours and Lombardia. Like the second and third weeks. October is the best month for sports in Australia. NRL and AFL grand finals at the end of September and beginning of October. Bathurst on the long weekend or weekend after and then the MotoGP at Phillip Island. Stick a week long cycling event (proper race) in NSW and Victoria (maybe even southern QLD) after these and before the Indy/SuperGP up on Surfers. Even one can then wind down the end of the season at Surfers and have some fun there at the races, beaches or casino. Win win scenario. Just have to get the riders interested. Could move it to September and get those who want an easy run in to the worlds but are too lazy to race all the Vuelta. That might attract more riders.

 

[Galic Ho]

Crown Larger??? Bogan wedding beer!

My mate drank that at his wedding. He became a bogan officially that day. His missus is one hundred percent certified pure redneck bogan. Crown Lager is about as interesting as Fosters. Translation, it blows. Much better brews on offer.

 

[craig1985]

Move it to New Zealand.

And we can get Landis to ride by offering him a carton of bourbon.

 

[Galic Ho]

And we can get Landis to ride by offering him a carton of bourbon.

Did Floyd move to Rock Racing? They could do with some exposure. Some good riders on their list too. Invite them.

 

[karlboss]

Its fine as is. Its not a GT or a one day classic. Yes sprinters have the advantage, but sanchez, valverde and evans showed you could possibly win it without being a sprinter. For an early season race without the history for it to be a goal event for anyone that'll do fine. Guys get some early season racing miles. Stages are a little boring, except one, but the finishes aren't bad. Just like so many days of the GTs.

Australia not beautiful? Haven't yet seen an ugly country, so I disagree. Not big on cities so maybe singapore?

Would like to see 3 million go to attracting the best sprinters in the world. Though it was impressive watching greipel, with train or without.

 

[BroDeal]

 

[craig1985]

Haha BroDeal it isn't that bad.

 

[BroDeal]

Haha BroDeal it isn't that bad.

I don't know, dude. One thing that is pretty clear to me is that I am not tough enough to visit Australia. I'll take gangbangers with AKs, angry pot growers, and mountain lions any day over giant spiders.

 

[Galic Ho]

I don't know, dude. One thing that is pretty clear to me is that I am not tough enough to visit Australia. I'll take gangbangers with AKs, angry pot growers, and mountain lions any day over giant spiders.

In the past fortnight I've almost run over two snakes. I've been driving for a decade and have seen one other snake on the road. So they are out in force this summer. Black snake (probably red bellied, poisonous) and a brown snake (maybe a copperhead, but also poisonous). I was in a car, so no problem. I know I hit the black snake, I swerved to hit him. Right near my house. Went back half an hour later and he was gone. Either a super tough snake or someone picked up a souvenir. Also noticed yesterday when fixing my driveway (its dirt and has been washing downhill in the rain we've had the last month) a nice spiderweb on the grass to the side. Shaped like a funnel. Worlds deadliest spider under the web in his/her hole. Truly the land of the creepy crawlies.

 

[Lifeshape]

And we can get Landis to ride by offering him a carton of bourbon.

And they can call it "Bourbon On The Rocks" no pun intended!