The Tour Down Under Just Got Interesting

[pmtg99]

The only thing that will make the tdu entertaining is some decent uphill finishes. Top of Willunga Hill finish would be interesting...

 

[Eric8-A]

I'm just excited to see Greipel beat Cavendish in a sprint.

Farrar, I doubt will win a stage. If McEwen races, Robbie has a better chance of winning a stage than Tyler. I like Tyler but he dissapoints when he gets beaten when he is said to be one of the best sprinters in the world. Stage 4 of Tour of Oman this year was the one that ****ed me off most.

 

[Kwibus]

Mountains might be a bit tough near Adelaide, but dirt roads could be arranged without too much hassle.

However, any dirt roads at that time of year are likely to be so dusty the peloton would just be one rolling brown cloud

Sounds good to me!

I thought the same, so big disappointment!

The TDU has got to be the most exciting boring race of the year though. Had it been any other place on the calander I wouldn't care about it at all, but I'm really looking forward for it at the moment. Approximately 2 months left!

Same here. I'm really looking forward to this race, but if it wasn't the first cycling in months I probably wouldn't care that much.

 

[Kwibus]

I thought the same, so big disappointment!

The TDU has got to be the most exciting boring race of the year though. Had it been any other place on the calander I wouldn't care about it at all, but I'm really looking forward for it at the moment. Approximately 2 months left!

Same here. I'm really looking forward to this race, but if it wasn't the first cycling in months I probably wouldn't care that much.

 

[abbaskip]

That HTC team will have a bloody quick and strong lead out train...

Grabsch and Pate doing the hard yards, then Eisel, Roulston, Goss, Renshaw, Cavendish....

 

[auscyclefan94]

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.

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.

So there aren't allowed to be any sprinters races? Silly attitude...I guess we should change every sprinters stage into a mountain stage in a GT but it is "exciting".

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

Buller and then mt baw baw!

For anyone who wants to look at mt baw baw more, take a loot at these links
http://www.sydneycyclist.com/profiles/blogs/mt-baw-baw-hardest-hill-in

Last 5.7 km's average 12.3% - Australia's only Hors Catogorie climb.

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.

It is a sprinters race. Sprinters deserve there race and the riders don't want it to hard so you knockers of the tour down under can get lost because the race is what it is and the riders don't want it too hard. The wilunga stage was very exciting stage this year so I would hardly call it an excuse. The people also love this race and if you saw the crowds, they were amazing. Wilunga Hill (yes it is only 3.5km) this year was very reminscent of the tdf mtn stages with tonnes of passionate cycling fans and people running in their underwear alongside the riders.

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!

We'll see...pretty sure tutur said it is likely they will be there.

 

[Sasquatch]

Hill (yes it is only 3.5km) this year was very reminscent of the tdf mtn stages with tonnes of passionate cycling fans and people running in their underwear alongside the riders.

LOL

You are joking aren't you?

I was there. I was there the year before. I was there the year before that. The crowds are nowhere near a TDF stage.

 

[Dettol]

:lol at the TdF comparisons

 

[Mellow Velo]

:lol at the TdF comparisons

There is one: Both have eight sprint stages in a row!

 

[Kwibus]

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.

No!

Hey sprinters deserve their stages allthough I don't find those stages very entertaining. Imo a stage race should be more versatile then the TdU is now. I could be very very wrong since I've seen anything of the TdU

 

[auscyclefan94]

LOL

You are joking aren't you?

I was there. I was there the year before. I was there the year before that. The crowds are nowhere near a TDF stage.

Re-read what i said and i think you may then realise what I was saying.

I will give you a hint
http://www.yourdictionary.com/reminiscent

 

[theyoungest]

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

Graeme Brown will probably be there, no? It's only convenient for Rabo to have two Aussies, now they only have to convince 6 more riders to make the trip. Oh wait, they have Luis Leon now, he'll probably volunteer as well.

 

[armstrong4ever]

Good startlist? Wait till you see the startlist of ToC. It will be outstanding and much better than this.

 

[Offtheback]

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.

+1 I like the big boys too. They can push it up hills as well as they skinny ones.

Why do I have to buy XXL cycling gear when I'm only XL for regular clothes? I resent cycling being considered by the populous as a sport for whippets.

 

[Anonymous]

I think interesting might be a bit optimistic. How many of the riders will actually be taking the race seriously, will Cav bother to contest it or just enjoy the sun. The aussie guys who have been racing over the winter should have the form.

I hope it turns out to be a good battle, but I am not going to get too excited about it.

 

[Kvinto]

Startlist don't mean that much. In the end, for the most of riders, races like TDU and California are only preparation (first - for spring, second - for Tour). But I like Down Under, It's the special race in PT calendar. First of all it's the start of the season and you're really waiting for this event, but also because this is sprinters stage race. I like it: bonifications, surviving at the Wilunga Hill, the first demonstration of strength before spring classics, we saw there Peter Sagan for the first time... and no matter that only last kms of stages are really interesting to watch.
If Allan Davis will be there I think he's the first favourite.

 

[Tuarts]

+1 I like the big boys too. They can push it up hills as well as they skinny ones.

Why do I have to buy XXL cycling gear when I'm only XL for regular clothes? I resent cycling being considered by the populous as a sport for whippets.

Its not just me \o/

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

I'm fine with the notion that 'sprinters deserve their races as well'. Just don't claim it is gonna be entertaining.. cause it wont.

I love cycling, but I'm not excited for this just because this is the first race back. I'd rather be at work and make some money then watch this bore.
I'll see all the fireworks in the 10 second replay on the news anyway.

 

[Four Winds]

Cav has said in the past that he'd like to go to the TDU and be lead-out man for Renshaw.

But I guess with Greipel (and to a lesser extent Farrar) there that's not likely. HTC seem fairly keen on retaining the title with the team they've assembled, but it would be nice to see Renshaw and Goss get a chance to go for home wins.

 

[alexcta]

These are the riders of the HTC for the Tour Down Under:
Mark Cavendish,Bernhard Eisel, Bert Grabsch, Matt Goss, Hayden Roulston, Mark Renshaw y Danny Pate.
http://www.biciciclismo.com/cas/site/noticias-ficha.asp?id=32643

 

[simo1733]

Good startlist? Wait till you see the startlist of ToC. It will be outstanding and much better than this.

At least the riders will be on form at the TOC the Tdu is just a training race for most of the riders.The TOC could do well if it didn't go up against the Giro.

 

[Archibald]

I love cycling, but I'm not excited for this just because this is the first race back. I'd rather be at work and make some money then watch this bore.

love your work more??

there's an old saying "your worst day [insert pastime here] will always be better than your best day at work"

i'll take a nice day out in the sun involving some kind of riding over work anytime...


as for all the victorians in this thread behaving like Stafford n Waldo, it's funny how you all rubbish the event yet still want it... tossers

most pertinant comment in this thread is simply that there's no need to have paid a certain geriatric to appear now that there will be some real riders participating...

 

[lucybears]

will Cav bother to contest it or just enjoy the sun.

he might, according to
http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news...-prizes-for-cavendish-at-tour-down-under.html

 

[jonjungel]

Races made for sprinters are fine, as long as the sprinters are made to work for their wins. That means either some hills or some crosswinds.

I think the Willunga stage last year was quite good from the last ascent to the finish. One other stage had some hills near the end, but not enough to split the field. All other stages had no content until the sprint.

 

[Cobblestoned]

Yessss, good news.

Sprinter showdown in January

Would like to see Cav leading out Goss or Renshaw. Giving back.
But I think this won't happen when Cav smells Greipel.

Farrar vs Greipel vs Cav vs Davis vs this Australian that is only fit in Australia vs perhaps Ciolek with a working leadout (no Milram damp-squib-leadout)