Tour Down Under 2026 (Men's, Jan. 20-25)

[Tim Cahill]

The prologue pogacar Samuel Watson should’ve been given top billing and gone off last, probably too fiddly for Vin€ and Plapp.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

FIORELLI

 

[Tim Cahill]

The raft of bread rolls and abundant foodstuffs at the rabobank dinner table has helped fiorelli become Miguel Indurain. The Italians had him on water and lettuce this whole time.

 

[Squire]

The raft of bread rolls and abundant foodstuffs at the rabobank dinner table has helped fiorelli become Miguel Indurain. The Italians had him on water and lettuce this whole time.

Gave him a bit more inertia to overcome in the turns, looks like.

 

[Squire]

I can see someone like Zijlaard overtaking Watson. People you wouldn't quite expect are getting pretty close. Seems like it's less windy, which might be playing a role.

 

[Cycling111]

I can see someone like Zijlaard overtaking Watson. People you wouldn't quite expect are getting pretty close. Seems like it's less windy, which might be playing a role.

One of those strange decisions by Ineos that their favorite is the only one who doesn't come out last.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Fiorelli and brennen fastest at the first checkpoint but neither in the top 10. Visma great pacing.

 

[Squire]

Sweeny gained almost 100 positions from split 1 to the finish. The opposite of Visma pacing.

 

[Cycling111]

Fiorelli's best time trial result wasn't even be 50th place. He was in the group with Einer Rubio and those cyclists who lose 1 minute in 10km of time trial.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

The Italian horse (owner) is only just getting started. He will do crazy things this year.

 

[Tim Cahill]

The Italian horse (owner) is only just getting started. He will do crazy things this year.

T1 is the true indicator of condition, Henri-François Renard-Haquin is primed to prove all the doubters wrong this season.

 

[Cycling111]

Watson is very good at prologues; first despite having set out in worse wind conditions.

I expected a better result from Ivo.

The surprises were Fiorelli's first sector and Pithie's third place.

 

[Squire]

Watson is very good at prologues; first despite having set out in worse wind conditions.

While it was clearly a bit less wind later in the day, I'm not sure it made much difference. There wasn't really a clear pattern in the times, and the wind seemed to come from a direction where it kinda evened out. The route seemed to be a nice mix between power and technical ability. Cornering can't have mattered that much, cuz Vine pretty much kept up with Watson's time despite making a bit of a meal of some of the corners. Judging by the splits, all his time was lost on the dead straight first part.

 

[CXXC]

ineos jersey looks really good

I thought that is one viewers will either love or hate, I liked! It's always great to see teams new colours, imagine if a footy team rocked up for the new season in different colours?

Great win for Sam Watson.

 

[Squire]

It's always great to see teams new colours, imagine if a footy team rocked up for the new season in different colours?

No need to imagine.

Comparable to the fan backlash if Picnic did away with the 'Keep Challenging' stripes.

 

[Netserk]

decimals :

#	Rider	Time
1	WATSON Samuel	4.16,9
3	PITHIE Laurence	4.19,6
4	VINE Jay	4.20,92
6	SCHMID Mauro	4.21,39
12	FISHER-BLACK Finn	4.23,67
15	PLAPP Luke	4.24,65
23	NARVÁEZ Jhonatan	4.25,79
41	ZAMBANINI Edoardo	4.28,5
42	KRON Andreas	4.28,85
52	O'CONNOR Ben	4.30,4
54	ROMO Javier	4.30,9
63	SCHIFFER Anton	4.33,24
68	BUITRAGO Santiago	4.33,59
78	YATES Adam	4.35,38
96	STRONG Corbin	4.37,49
98	VAN EETVELT Lennert	4.37,68

 

[Berniece]

decimals :

#	Rider	Time
1	WATSON Samuel	4.16,9
3	PITHIE Laurence	4.19,6
4	VINE Jay	4.20,92
6	SCHMID Mauro	4.21,39
12	FISHER-BLACK Finn	4.23,67
15	PLAPP Luke	4.24,65
23	NARVÁEZ Jhonatan	4.25,79
41	ZAMBANINI Edoardo	4.28,5
42	KRON Andreas	4.28,85
52	O'CONNOR Ben	4.30,4
54	ROMO Javier	4.30,9
63	SCHIFFER Anton	4.33,24
68	BUITRAGO Santiago	4.33,59
78	YATES Adam	4.35,38
96	STRONG Corbin	4.37,49
98	VAN EETVELT Lennert	4.37,68

Unless they win with boni’s some can already be written off. Pithie was brought to help with the sprint and isn’t going for a GC result

 

[yaco]

While it was clearly a bit less wind later in the day, I'm not sure it made much difference. There wasn't really a clear pattern in the times, and the wind seemed to come from a direction where it kinda evened out. The route seemed to be a nice mix between power and technical ability. Cornering can't have mattered that much, cuz Vine pretty much kept up with Watson's time despite making a bit of a meal of some of the corners. Judging by the splits, all his time was lost on the dead straight first part.

First 30 riders and last 10 riders had favourable conditions. Think the group of Gautherat and Schmid would have just about with better conditions. Thirty minutes after the race there was no wind. Fancy Vernon to grab the ochre jersey tomorrow.

 

[pablohidalgo7]

Unless they win with boni’s some can already be written off. Pithie was brought to help with the sprint and isn’t going for a GC result

I feel that Pithie is one of the cyclists most unfairly rated by the press and fans in terms of his performance last year.
The problem (beyond crashes and punctures at key moments in some classics) is that when he's had the legs, they've wasted him as a domestique. Last year he did incredibly well here for Van Poppel and Welsford, and then he helped FFB a bit. In MSR, he pulled the second group in the flat after the Cipressa for nothing. In the Dauphiné and the Tour, he also had the legs to go for stages and was Lipowitz's bodyguard. He even worked for Van Poppel in Hamburg and Germany. I'm afraid that in this race he'll do a great job again, and people will say he's still nowhere to be seen. If only they'd at least give him proper support in the Cadel Race, but FFB was riding on his own last year.

 

[Berniece]

I feel that Pithie is one of the cyclists most unfairly rated by the press and fans in terms of his performance last year.
The problem (beyond crashes and punctures at key moments in some classics) is that when he's had the legs, they've wasted him as a domestique. Last year he did incredibly well here for Van Poppel and Welsford, and then he helped FFB a bit. In MSR, he pulled the second group in the flat after the Cipressa for nothing. In the Dauphiné and the Tour, he also had the legs to go for stages and was Lipowitz's bodyguard. He even worked for Van Poppel in Hamburg and Germany. I'm afraid that in this race he'll do a great job again, and people will say he's still nowhere to be seen. If only they'd at least give him proper support in the Cadel Race, but FFB was riding on his own last year.

He has no one to ride for during the cobbled classics. He has the opportunity to shine there

 

[pablohidalgo7]

He has no one to ride for during the cobbled classics. He has the opportunity to shine there

Puntcure in E3 when riding for a minor place, covering movements in the GW climbs for Meeus, 11th in RVV, crashed in both DVV in Roubaix when he also had the chance to fight for some sort or result (top 10 at most) after making the early selection of riders. Wasn´t great but not physically as bad as most think based on results.

We will se this year, but I think he will comeback to score results.

 

[Berniece]

Puntcure in E3 when riding for a minor place, covering movements in the GW climbs for Meeus, 11th in RVV, crashed in both DVV in Roubaix when he also had the chance to fight for some sort or result (top 10 at most) after making the early selection of riders. Wasn´t great but not physically as bad as most think based on results.

We will se this year, but I think he will comeback to score results.

I think so too. He has the potential for it, and last year he said that he was pushing better numbers than in 2024. Just a lot of bad luck

 

[Tim Cahill]

The raft of bread rolls and abundant foodstuffs at the rabobank dinner table has helped fiorelli become Miguel Indurain. The Italians had him on water and lettuce this whole time.

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