The Tour Down Under Just Got Interesting

[Mellow Velo]

The tour of Oman was televised in that many counties in its first year.. So, erm, I dont really know what Im saying. Tour of Oman is better than the Tour of California?

And besides, the fastest growing race in the world is Montepaschi Strade Bianchi, thats gone from nothing to a semi classic in just a few years

Yes. It's the: "TOC is massive mantra", once again. Of the 8 PT teams, the one which underpin the race won't even be around in 2012.
The MSB is a good shout for the fastest growing race.
San Sebastian has been lost to Eurosport.
However, my pick for the fastest growing race, in terms of picking up new international followings, thanks to advances in media is........................
.............The Giro! (suck it up, Cali)

 

[hughmoore]

Tasmania- it has hills and would be cooler in January.

Its a sprinters based event, they dont want hills, Adelaide is the Cycling capital of the Southern Hemisphere, we have support of State Government, UCI and Lance.


Looking foward to it.


Regards


Hugh

 

[Sasquatch]

Its a sprinters based event, they dont want hills, Adelaide is the Cycling capital of the Southern Hemisphere, we have support of State Government, UCI and Lance.

I wouldn't say that.

I would describe Adelaide being the "****** capital of the Southern Hemisphere."

A hint as to what '******' is, it belongs in the clinic.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

well the stirling stage is a good example of that and i think they could have another stage like that one.



You make some good points but having a finish on top of wilunga is not as easy as it sounds. It is very thick bush at the top of the climb and nothing is really at the top of the climb.

Here is a link of approxiamately the top of the climbs is and it's surroundings.
Wilunga Hill summit

Some of the finishes in races like the Vuelta a Burgos are in absolutely the middle of nowhere. I accept that there's probably not the room for all the finishing stuff at that summit of Willunga Hill, but then there isn't room at the top of the Tourmalet either. What's to stop them from keeping the buses and everything in the town, but moving the finish closer to the hill? I didn't even say they needed a summit finish... just so there isn't that last several flat kilometres that allows them to pull back the break. I mean, you had a break with four riders, two of the elite climbers of the world (Evans and Valverde), somebody who can top 10 GTs, has won some of the toughest short stage races and hilly one-day races in the world (LL Sánchez), a rookie phenomenon who specialises in that kind of terrain (Sagan), and they are pretty much swallowed up because of how much flat territory there is between the climb and the finish.

Same goes for some of the other stages. Sure, they're mostly flat races. But there are some hills in them - otherwise there wouldn't be KOM points. They may not be too extreme, but placing them within the last 15-20km might make late attacks a possibility, have groups going away on those climbs to open the race up a bit. They may be caught and it still go to a sprint... but at least it would be a deviation from being totally formulaic.

I'm not advertising a complete overhaul of the TDU. Like you say, make it too tough and people won't show. I'm advocating keeping the same difficulty but making better use of the terrain they do use to break the field up more and/or make the stages less tedious.

 

[Sasquatch]

There is one easy solution.

Willunga Hill in reverse. That way there is only 3-4km of descent till the finish.

 

[Polyarmour]

Adelaide is a good place for the TDU. The Adelaide Hills is one of the most picturesque parts of the country IMO. Plus the local food and wine are second to none.... worldwide. As a location for spectators and international visitors it is first class... and certainly streets ahead of Geelong.

I take the point made here by a few. While I don't mind a well executed sprint finish, perhaps the tour could be made a little more difficult for the sprinters. It would be good to see them have to earn their stripes and it would keep more interest in the event.

 

[Mambo95]

The thing about complaining about the Tour Down Under being a dull parcours seems a little daft to me.

Most of us, and cycling fans in general, are in Europe, so we're asleep when it's on - so who cares if it's four hours of boredom, we're only watching the highlights. Sprints work well on highlights shows.

The Aussies are glad there's a good race there, and if it was too hard the stars wouldn't turn up (it's January after all). As it is, they've got a sprinter's showdown.

And the Americans/Canadians - not sure of the time zones here, but is it even shown there?

 

[PCutter]

The thing about complaining about the Tour Down Under being a dull parcours seems a little daft to me.

Most of us, and cycling fans in general, are in Europe, so we're asleep when it's on - so who cares if it's four hours of boredom, we're only watching the highlights. Sprints work well on highlights shows.

The Aussies are glad there's a good race there, and if it was too hard the stars wouldn't turn up (it's January after all). As it is, they've got a sprinter's showdown.

And the Americans/Canadians - not sure of the time zones here, but is it even shown there?

Hold on, someone on the forum making a reasoned statement?? Careful Mambo95, you'll be banned by the forum for such outrages.

 

[Dettol]

But the thing is it's really not for the European fans. Actually I don't who what it's for. Anyway places like Victoria, NSW aren't berefit of plains. A decent stage race with a few hilly\classic like stages (not mountainous) and a few sprinting stages could be easily done.

 

[hughmoore]

There is one easy solution.

Willunga Hill in reverse. That way there is only 3-4km of descent till the finish.

Why not leave the Willunga Hill Stage as is, given this years result.

From Steephill

"Luis Leon Sanchez jumps the winning break with 1k to go"

Stage 5 Results:
1 SANCHEZ Luis Leon Caisse d'Epargne 148 km in 3.29'39" (42,356km/h)
2 ROBERTS Luke Milram @ 2 sec
3 VALVERDE Alejandro Caisse d'Epargne @ 4 sec
4 EVANS Cadel BMC Racing
5 SAGAN Peter Liquigas - Doimo @ 6 sec
6 FOTHEN Markus Milram
7 ROSSELER Sabastien Radio Shack
8 MEYER Cameron Garmin-Transitions
9 HENDERSON Greg Sky @ 9 sec
10 SABATINI Fabio Liquigas
...
17 GREIPEL Andre HTC-Columbia @ 9 sec

This year they went up Willunga twice which created the breakaway and the win to Sanchez.

It was a great stage and most cycling fans enjoyed it.

Regards


Hugh

 

[auscyclefan94]

The thing about complaining about the Tour Down Under being a dull parcours seems a little daft to me.

Most of us, and cycling fans in general, are in Europe, so we're asleep when it's on - so who cares if it's four hours of boredom, we're only watching the highlights. Sprints work well on highlights shows.

The Aussies are glad there's a good race there, and if it was too hard the stars wouldn't turn up (it's January after all). As it is, they've got a sprinter's showdown.

And the Americans/Canadians - not sure of the time zones here, but is it even shown there?

I agree though I think what ferminal said about having some more undulating finishes is a good idea. You also have to take into consideration of how hot it is in South Australia during January. Similar temperatures to the 1st week of the tour of spain this year.

Adelaide is a good place for the TDU. The Adelaide Hills is one of the most picturesque parts of the country IMO. Plus the local food and wine are second to none.... worldwide. As a location for spectators and international visitors it is first class... and certainly streets ahead of Geelong.

I take the point made here by a few. While I don't mind a well executed sprint finish, perhaps the tour could be made a little more difficult for the sprinters. It would be good to see them have to earn their stripes and it would keep more interest in the event.

I think a stage like stirling and/or a stage that has a short sharp hill right before the finish would be cool.

 

[abbaskip]

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

I posted this a page before you??

It's a bloody strong flat race team...And fast.

 

[Ferminal]

Why not leave the Willunga Hill Stage as is, given this years result.

From Steephill

"Luis Leon Sanchez jumps the winning break with 1k to go"

Stage 5 Results:
1 SANCHEZ Luis Leon Caisse d'Epargne 148 km in 3.29'39" (42,356km/h)
2 ROBERTS Luke Milram @ 2 sec
3 VALVERDE Alejandro Caisse d'Epargne @ 4 sec
4 EVANS Cadel BMC Racing
5 SAGAN Peter Liquigas - Doimo @ 6 sec
6 FOTHEN Markus Milram
7 ROSSELER Sabastien Radio Shack
8 MEYER Cameron Garmin-Transitions
9 HENDERSON Greg Sky @ 9 sec
10 SABATINI Fabio Liquigas
...
17 GREIPEL Andre HTC-Columbia @ 9 sec

This year they went up Willunga twice which created the breakaway and the win to Sanchez.

It was a great stage and most cycling fans enjoyed it.

Regards


Hugh

Because when is the next time you are going to find 3 of the top15 cyclists in the world together off the front in the TdU? (+ one of the strongest riders in the first 3 months of the year)? Next year will not even feature 4 riders of this caliber in that kind of form.

Of course, if some money was spent more wisely, they could probably get 5 or 6 of the top10 here, but they prefer wasting it on things not to do with racing.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Why not leave the Willunga Hill Stage as is, given this years result.

From Steephill

"Luis Leon Sanchez jumps the winning break with 1k to go"

Stage 5 Results:
1 SANCHEZ Luis Leon Caisse d'Epargne 148 km in 3.29'39" (42,356km/h)
2 ROBERTS Luke Milram @ 2 sec
3 VALVERDE Alejandro Caisse d'Epargne @ 4 sec
4 EVANS Cadel BMC Racing
5 SAGAN Peter Liquigas - Doimo @ 6 sec
6 FOTHEN Markus Milram
7 ROSSELER Sabastien Radio Shack
8 MEYER Cameron Garmin-Transitions
9 HENDERSON Greg Sky @ 9 sec
10 SABATINI Fabio Liquigas
...
17 GREIPEL Andre HTC-Columbia @ 9 sec

This year they went up Willunga twice which created the breakaway and the win to Sanchez.

It was a great stage and most cycling fans enjoyed it.

Regards


Hugh

Luís León Sánchez finished the TDU in less time than André Greipel. He did not win.

You had a four-man break featuring 3 of the world's best cyclists and a rookie phenomenon, and despite all of that they were dragged back - easily - to gaining only just enough to still hold on, and enable bonus seconds gained in bunch sprints to be the only decisive GC factor. Comfortably. Moving the finish a bit closer to the climb would have made it more of a question mark, could Sánchez (or one of the others) gain enough time to beat Greipel for the GC? As it was there was too much flat territory and it was clear from a ways out when HTC were on the front that Greipel was under no GC threat.

And that was a pretty dramatic break, a special attack with 3 of the world's best cyclists in it. In previous years, the Willunga stage has been won by Allan Davis and André Greipel. An extra circuit adding another climb of the hill has been beneficial, but it's still too easy for the sprinters to hold on to the time they gain in the bonus seconds for there to be any real tension.

 

[lucybears]

Rabobank team for Santos Tour Down Under:
Michael Matthews, Graeme Brown, Tom Leezer, Jos Van Emden, Laurens Ten Dam, Pieter Weening, Coen Vermeltfoort

 

[BroDeal]

Hold on, someone on the forum making a reasoned statement?? Careful Mambo95, you'll be banned by the forum for such outrages.

Don't worry. Get him going on about Armstrong and he'll be less rational than the Mad Hatter after downing two bottles of Jack and smoking a bowl through the caterpiilar's hookah.

 

[Mambo95]

Don't worry. Get him going on about Armstrong and he'll be less rational than the Mad Hatter after downing two bottles of Jack and smoking a bowl through the caterpiilar's hookah.

I'm largely indifferent to and bored of the Armstrong debate and tend to stay well clear of it.

 

[Anonymous]

Whenever i see the word interesting I always think of this bloke.

Is the tour down under as interesting as him?

 

[hughmoore]

Because when is the next time you are going to find 3 of the top15 cyclists in the world together off the front in the TdU? (+ one of the strongest riders in the first 3 months of the year)? Next year will not even feature 4 riders of this caliber in that kind of form.

Of course, if some money was spent more wisely, they could probably get 5 or 6 of the top10 here, but they prefer wasting it on things not to do with racing.

Its a sprinters event!

There are six stages, last year two were won by non sprinters, this year probably five of the six stages will be won by sprinters.

This is assuming Sanchez cant repeat with the likes of Schelck & Co

This year we have all the major sprinters except Pettachi attending. When is the next time all the top sprinters will be competing in a stage race.

Why would Mike Turtur change it, the event is not broken and getting better every year.

Who else should we be spending money on to attend? Cancellara and Hushovd? Contador cant make it. Who else?


Regards


Hugh

 

[clipperton]

Adelaide is the Cycling capital of the Southern Hemisphere...

by what measure? put it this way; lance tweets he's going for a ride in adelaide and 10,000 turn up. down beach road in melbourne we just call that "saturday".

 

[Ferminal]

Its a sprinters event!

There are six stages, last year two were won by non sprinters, this year probably five of the six stages will be won by sprinters.

This is assuming Sanchez cant repeat with the likes of Schelck & Co

This year we have all the major sprinters except Pettachi attending. When is the next time all the top sprinters will be competing in a stage race.

Why would Mike Turtur change it, the event is not broken and getting better every year.

Who else should we be spending money on to attend? Cancellara and Hushovd? Contador cant make it. Who else?


Regards


Hugh

You realise I was replying to the post which said the Willunga Stage breaks the field up perfectly, given this year's result (where 4 of the best in the world won by 5s)?

The same stage will be nothing unless you get a similar situation of super riders in good form. How many of these type of riders will be showing up? I think only Luis Leon is a guarantee.

 

[The Hitch]

I think only Luis Leon is a guarantee.

Is he?
..........

Rabobank team for Santos Tour Down Under:
Michael Matthews, Graeme Brown, Tom Leezer, Jos Van Emden, Laurens Ten Dam, Pieter Weening, Coen Vermeltfoort

 

[theyoungest]

Is he?

No prob, Graeme Brown will fill his boots effortlessly. The Willunga Hill attack is his specialty.

 

[Ferminal]

Is he?
..........

Oh my bad Didn't even check anything, just assumed given that he's a former winner who has done it basically every year since.

I actually read lucybears' post beforehand too

 

[auscyclefan94]

interesting article about mike tutur with his reply to michael Drapac's comments.

http://www.sbs.com.au/cyclingcentral/news/18546/Feature:-TDU-boss-bites-back/