TdU 2012: Wilunga Hill "MTF"

[Ferminal]

2012 Santos Tour Down Under Race Routes:

Sunday, 15 January
Down Under Classic – Rymill Park, Adelaide (51km)
Monday, 16 January
Rest Day

Tuesday, 17 January
Stage 1 – Prospect to Clare (149km)
Wednesday, 18 January

Stage 2 – Lobethal to Stirling (148km)
Thursday, 19 January

Colemans Group Stage 3 –Unley to Victor Harbor (134.5km)
Friday, 20 January

Bupa Stage 4 – Norwood to Tanunda (130km)
Saturday, 21 January

Jayco Stage 5 – McLaren Vale to Old Willunga Hill (151.5km)
Sunday, 22 January

Stage 6 Adelaide City Council Street Circuit - Elder Park, Adelaide (51km)

http://www.tourdownunder.com.au/news--and--media/latestnewsreleases/2012-news

Makes it hard for a sprinter to win, but there could still be a few in the top10.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Yes!!!!!! A finish up Wilunga Hill should be great! With the time bonuses for sprinters it certainly should amke things a lot more interesting. The stage to Stirling is a stage earilier this year but otherwise it looks relatively similar to other years.

Starting in Prospect is an interesting idea as it is quite close to the CBD of Adelaide.

 

[Simply The Best]

Should make a good mix in the GC of sprinters, climbers and stage racers, but on the other hand without if the climbers that turn up next year don't push it hard up Old Willunga Hill then we will probably still see a sprinter win but atleast the organizers are throwing something different in this year.

 

[brianf7]

Yes!!!!!! A finish up Wilunga Hill should be great! With the time bonuses for sprinters it certainly should amke things a lot more interesting. The stage to Stirling is a stage earilier this year but otherwise it looks relatively similar to other years.

Starting in Prospect is an interesting idea as it is quite close to the CBD of Adelaide.

Love the idea of a hard finish but old Willunga is only cat 4-3 definatly not Cat 1

It steep and long for enough for January if its 40 deg but Cat1 definatly not.

 

[greenedge]

I'm going ( squeak of excitement ) I don't know which stages i can plan to go to however.

 

[Gloin22]

I think Hagen in good form can win this tour especially with MTF. Very excting though.

 

[Archibald]

it's just an uphill sprint finish
wilunga hill and "mountain" shouldn't really be in the same sentence unless you use the word "not"...

 

[just some guy]

If they add a 20 kmish TT would make for a better all around tour, if as they say getting TT bikes is a pain - Roadbike ITT

 

[TeoSheva]

any profile of this hill?

 

[Archibald]

any profile of this hill?

n

..........

 

[just some guy]

any profile of this hill?

maybe this is better bit hard to see a profile of an old race.

 

[timmers]

I went to the TDU in 2006 and in my view being WorldTour has diminished the event.

In my view it should be a pre-season warm-up for teams that want a holiday in Australia.

It will always be to early for GT favourites no matter what people may wish for.

Have a well-run not to hard event that riders enjoy!

 

[hughmoore]

Its about 3.6km 4% from the corner (where they normally finish) for 400metres, 10% for the next 1.6km then 8% for the last bit.


Hugh

 

[TeoSheva]

so it's ok for Boasson but even for Degenkolb and maybe Goss

 

[LukeSchmid]

Old Willunga Hill is about 3.5km at 6.6 percent.

 

[Kwibus]

so it's ok for Boasson but even for Degenkolb and maybe Goss

And Matthews.

Doesn't matter. The TDU has it's much needed HTF. A hilltop finish yes.
You can't expect too much in January. It's that simple, but it's nice.

 

[theyoungest]

The overall favourites will still be the same. Unless Philippe Gilbert takes the start.

 

[slartiblartfast]

Good move making Old Willunga Hill a "mountain top finish". It isn't a mountain (I remember bracing myself for some purgatory as I rode out from Willunga and then thinking "Is that all?" on getting to the top closely followed by a 12 year old kid who rode up) but it should make the race more than simply a pure sprinters' event. It has been a bit disappointing in years gone by to see some more climbing orientated cyclists making a gap at the top of the climb only to be mown down by the sprinters by the time they got back to Willunga.

Road bike time trial? Could be interesting but Turtur et al would be reluctant to tinker too much with a successful race formula.

 

[buster1]

Very good addition to the TDU. Whilst its not a terribly difficult climb by Pro tour standards it will at least make it more likely that the race is not won by time bonuses but at the same time give the sprinters who are on top form still a chance, if they are good enough.

 

[auscyclefan94]

I thought Wilunga was 3.6km at 7% but anyway.

 

[sportzchick]

Im so happy to have a leg starting in prospect - have had a reliative on mum's side live there since they moved to Aus in the 60's so its like a second home

We will know how to throw a good party!

 

[craig1985]

At least it should be an exciting finish with heap of attacks off the front.

 

[The Hitch]

What happened to the "Australia 2022 World cup" bit in your sig though

 

[hughmoore]

I thought Wilunga was 3.6km at 7% but anyway.

On the way to work in the morning I will take my Garmin 705 and measure it from the corner to the top for a definative answer.


Regards


Hugh

PS: Provided i dont sleep in.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

This is excellent news.

I mean, nobody was expecting any genuine MOUNTAINS per se (look, if you want to go climb in a January race, you'll be in Argentina), but it's something that prevents it from being solely a sprinters' race. The sprinters who will have the most bonus seconds may be less able climbers and have to limit losses, and we may really broaden out the list of contenders who are able to win the race, without totally preventing the sprinters from being major GC contenders, for those who feel like the sprinters, in addition to having by far the most chances to win of anybody, should have some major stage races devoted to them too.

I hope they firm up the Stirling finish, as it was raced well in 2010 but was a dull sprint in 2011. Having a couple of stages that broaden out the list of potential winners certainly improves the race.