The Tour Down Under Just Got Interesting

[Ferminal]

What a complete yawnfest.
Libertine Seguros's worst nightmare!
Wake me up in February.

Hang on, didn't you see the Vuelta is getting announced in January?

I would have preferred some uphill finishes or something, but as Jamsque said, if you're going to put on a sprintfest you may as well have the best. I don't think we will blame HTC for over-controlling this one.

 

[Matthijs]

Given that the Giro has essentially abolished the bunch sprint next year, you could make a strong case that with that sort of line up, bizarrely, the TdU will be the second most important stage race of the year for the sprinters!

Certainly whoever puts everyone else away will have bragging rights until Milan San Remo. The downside of having an absolutely top notch field of sprinters is that no break away will have a chance at all with that number of teams looking for a bunch finish.

What about Tour of Qatar (nearer to Europe, preparation for the real season vs. the holiday tour down under)?
Tireno-Adriatico (yes, usually 3-4 sprintstages and the preparation for MSR)
and many many weeklong races with at least 3 springstages which are at least on the same leve with TdU
or maybe you've heard of Vuelta espana (the 3rd GT, or would you argue TDU is a GT like ToC )

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I don't think we will blame HTC for over-controlling this one.

Nope, we'll have 3 teams over-controlling it instead, making it 3 times more likely that the race will be utterly pointless for all but the last 200m.

That's not mathematically possible, since 300% is not possible when talking probabilities.

 

[Martin318is]

The sprints will be great though, arguably the best sprinters around will be going at it.

Can't say the top sprinters in the world are there if Graeme Brown is missing (at least according to Brown)

 

[Sasquatch]

1. Cavendish
2. Farrar
3. Greipel

That will be the top 3 everyday.

 

[The Hitch]

You know you are the worst pt race when the announcement that 3 boring sprinters will contest several boring sprint stages, suddenly makes the race interesting.

Sorry ozzies

Still looking forward to watching it though.

That is the 5 minutes of fast forwarding past the preceeding 80km and watching the 10 second Cav stage win sprint.

Better than nothing though. I guess

 

[Dettol]

I hate how this is called the Tour Down Under and they hold in the most lackluster and boring place in Australia.

Some other state governemnt should steal it.

 

[The Hitch]

1. Cavendish
2. Farrar
3. Greipel

That will be the top 3 everyday.

I guess that would be interesting in so far as Cav is probably the only one of the lot who will not be able to hold his 1 minute bonus lead on Willunga hill.

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

this going to be so awesome! the rivalry between cav and griepel will intensify and I will be there for some of the days!!!! Come on sbs show it live!!!!!!

IT'S GOING TO BE A SHOWDOWN!!!!!!

Yes, I can't wait. And it's not that far away. The best thing yet since Australian-rules football.

 

[M Sport]

1. Cavendish
2. Farrar
3. Greipel

That will be the top 3 everyday.

They might mix it up a little and finish ...

1. Cavendish
2. Greipel
3. Farrar



I think the best we can hope for is some shoulder rubbing between gripper and douche.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

You know you are the worst pt race when the announcement that 3 boring sprinters will contest several boring sprint stages, suddenly makes the race interesting.

indeed.

blah, sprinting just isn't entertaining racing. The TDU is by far the most boring PT race.

If anything, cav's inclusion makes things less interesting. yawn.

well indeed that will make for interesting racing.

yeahh.... the last 200m maybe.

When I saw what the comment was, I thought "interesting? Foxtrot Oscar"

May as well save us all three or four hours of our lives and hold 5 200m time trials and the Willunga Hill stage.

Guess I'll just wait for the Tour Med and the Volta ao Algarve for cycling, rather than parades, to happen.

this.

 

[M Sport]

I hate how this is called the Tour Down Under and they hold in the most lackluster and boring place in Australia.

Some other state governemnt should steal it.

Like someone else said, Victoria will eventually.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

we melbourne folk always get what we want
lets send them up bulla, should be a fun season opener

 

[royalpig180]

Given that the Giro has essentially abolished the bunch sprint next year, you could make a strong case that with that sort of line up, bizarrely, the TdU will be the second most important stage race of the year for the sprinters!

Certainly whoever puts everyone else away will have bragging rights until Milan San Remo. The downside of having an absolutely top notch field of sprinters is that no break away will have a chance at all with that number of teams looking for a bunch finish.

You are familiar with the phenomenon known as the Vuelta a Espana, yes? (And the ToC of course... )

 

[Dettol]

NSW lacks proper government and roads to hold this event so yeah I see this going to Victoria.

 

[scribe]

When I saw that title I thought they found some mountains or some dirt roads stage :/

Yeah. 4 hours of racing just to see who can sprint the final 300m the fastest = real excitement.

 

[scribe]

1. Cavendish
2. Farrar
3. Greipel

That will be the top 3 everyday.

I say we just award them the medals (or whatever) now and skip over to March.

 

[hughmoore]

You are familiar with the phenomenon known as the Vuelta a Espana, yes? (And the ToC of course... )

Isnt that the warmdown after TDF.



Hugh

 

[BroDeal]

At least having the top sprinters has a lot more sporting value than paying some old fossil to show up and collect a paycheck.

Even so what an incredibly poor way to attempt to expand the global reach of the sport. The TDU and the ToC, the patented and guaranteed cures for insomnia.

 

[veganrob]

A meaningless race with riders only pretending they want to be there. Boring.

 

[Roland Rat]

Think Greipel will struggle at OPL - their lead-out is unlikely to be anything near the quality of HTC's, and even at HTC he would often lose wheels and fail to win. He certainly hasn't got (eg) Mcewen's nouse to fend for himself.

Cav's probably only going as he wants to hand Greipel a lesson early on and destroy his confidence for the rest of the season.

 

[Sasquatch]

I guess that would be interesting in so far as Cav is probably the only one of the lot who will not be able to hold his 1 minute bonus lead on Willunga hill.

Willunga hill is a poor excuse for a hill in a cycling race.

Even if Cav is not in his peak, he should still get up there and preserve his lead. He will have the team riding tempo for him.

 

[Sasquatch]

Like someone else said, Victoria will eventually.

we melbourne folk always get what we want
lets send them up bulla, should be a fun season opener

Bloody oath we will. I will work on a plan on how we can steal it. First we need Turtur to resign as president of the Oceanina Cycling Federation so he has no say in the matter.

Prepare a brilliant race route, get teams opinions on it, present it to the Victorian Government. Get their financial backing, get them to search for sponsors, get sponsors lined up and present it to the UCI.

It can be done if someone is commited enough to do it. We have more options and better terrain in a 100km radius from the city of Melbourne than Adelaide does in their whole entire crappy state.

Victoria > South Australia

Nah forget Bulla. Baw Baw is where it's at.

 

[Sasquatch]

Why are people automatically thinking McEwen will be riding?

Turtur has always snubbed Australian cycling. For him to care about Australian cycling + give Pegasus a wildcard is like trying to get a pig to fly!

 

[Polyarmour]

So it's a bit of a sprinter's tour. So what? There are plenty of tours around for the mountain climbers. You know, those tours that you don't win unless you weigh 63kgs. That can get a bit boring too.