Review: Tour Down Under

Tom-Jelte Slagter, the 23 year old ex speed skater riding for Blanco, won the season-opener UCI WorldTour Tour Down Under. The six stage race was preluded by a 51km closed circuit classic on Sunday 20th January in Adelaide. The next seven days presented the 133 riders competing a chance to test their pre-season training on the flats and medium-mountains.

The Key players
Lotto-Belisol demonstrated a dynamic and improved lead out train, safely depositing their sprinter Andre Greipel at the finish line, to secure three stage wins. Greipel himself, now holds a record 14 stage wins at the TDU and took his 100th professional career victory.

Team Sky Procycling looked to carry their form from 2012 into the new year. With many of their riders, including the infamous duo Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome, at a training camp in Mallorca, and with the loss of their sprinter Mark Cavendish, Edvald Boasson Hagen lead the team down under. Although the Welsh ex-track rider Geraint Thomas had the teams backing in the GC after he took the Ochre jersey on Stage 2.

Team Blanco ProCycling, formerly Rabobank, instigated the main surprise of the tour. Whilst their sprinter, Mark Renshaw, albeit in vain aimed for stage wins, their young main, Slagter took the first professional win of his career on Stage 3 and moved into the Ochre jersey after coming second on Stage 5.

Orica Greenedge, the Australian team, hoped to please the home crowd on the flat sprints with Australian, Matthew Goss and claim the overall GC with fellow Australian, Simon Gerrans, 2012’s winner. Goss however, never hit form and Gerrans was ruled out of GC contention after being separated from the main group, due to a crash on Stage 2. Gerrans then focused on winning Stage 5 up Old Willunga Hill, a climb he finished second on last year.


Stage 1
A traditionally flat day, this years 135km stage from Prospect to Lobethal, featured a lone break from Jordan Kerby, 20. Kerby riding for Australian UniSA, a development squad, took his chance to get his team jersey and his own name on TV riding out front for 100km and taking the King of the Mountains. The gap was bridged by none other than the 41 year old Jens Voigt (Radioshack) who rode with Kerby out front. As predictable on a flat stage, the peloton kept check on the time gap and it all came together for a bunch sprint. Lotto-Belisol dominated the finish, leaving Greipel to freewheel over the line.

Stage 2
Todays stage, a 116.5km stage from Mt Barker to Rostrevor, featured another breakaway rider from Australian UniSA. This time Calvin Watson made up part of a four man breakaway which lasted until just before the start of the climb up Corkscrew road, a 2.4km climb averaging 9.4%. This came just 7km from the finish. A crash at the top split the peloton, with Sky’s Geraint Thomas launching on a solo attack. The Welshman was caught by Javier Moreno (Movistar) and two Radioshack riders, Ben Hermans and George Bennett. Together they held off the scrambling peloton fighting to get back into contention and with 400metres to go, Thomas kicked. A stage win for the Sky rider placed him the leader’s Ochre jersey.

Stage 3
The riders set out from Unley to Stirling, a 139km rolling stage with an uphill finish. On the approach, Greipel faded leaving Goss with a chance of his first win. With 350metres to race, Slagter rode away with confidence managing to hold off Goss and the rainbow jersey rider Phillipe Gilbert who took second and third respectively. Thomas held on for fourth and remained in the leader’s jersey for another day.

Stage 4
Fridays stage rode out of Modbury, heading 126.5km to Tanunda. The stage saw the world champion Gilbert giving the Rainbow jersey some well deserved TV coverage, as he led the break with UniSA’s Damien Howson. The duo held off the charging peloton until 8km from the finish. The race organisation came under some scrutiny as parked cars on the edge of the road caused a crash, taking down many of Orica Greenedge’s riders and hindering Goss’ chance of a stage win. Lotto-Belisol safely delivered their man, ‘The Gorilla’, Greipel  to his 13th win of the TDU and his second of this years race.

Stage 5
The penultimate stage was a repeat of last year’s from McLaren Vale to Old Willunga Hill. Last years winner of the tour, Simon Gerrans finished second on this stage in 2012 and with his GC hopes in tatters, aimed for the stage win today. With 3km left of the 151.5km stage, the action began. The Movistar rider Javier Moreno leapfrogged the three man breakaway and held off the ensuing riders until within 1km from the finish. Gerrans rode past the Movistar man and held off a late attack from Slagter to take the win on ‘Australia Day’. The attack from Slagter placed him in the leader’s jersey, 13 seconds clear of the Moreno.

Stage 6
The final stage of the tour, a flat stage just 90kms long, back in Adelaide on a closed circuit, saw Voigt back out in another breakaway. The Sky riders did all they could to get Thomas four bonus seconds, which saw him take the podium in third. Moreno and Slagter both stayed out of trouble and maintained their position in the overall classification. The excitement came as Renshaw, still aiming for a stage win, surprised Greipel by kicking early. The Aussie man couldn’t hold off the unrelenting power of Greipel who took his third stage win, his 14th in the tour and his 100th in his career. Renshaw held on for second with Boasson Hagen just behind.

Tom-Jelte Slagter with his first stage win and first tour win of his career, finished the 758.5km race in 18hours, 28minutes and 32 seconds, 17 seconds clear of Moreno and 25 seconds clear of Thomas. After the win, Slagter is said to be reassessing his season plan with his next aim being the spring classics.

From breakaways, to sprint finishes, Climbs to crashes, the Tour Down Under had everything we’d expect of a stage race. It didn’t fail to deliver, serving up an unexpected winner and with the first event of the UCI calendar completed, the year certainly looks exciting!