Tour Down Under 2016: Your armchair guide to the great race

CYCLING writer Reece Homfray tells you everything you need to know about Adelaide’s great cycling race, the Tour Down Under in his armchair guide. Not that you should stay in your armchair ...

• All the TDU action and colour

• Get the official TDU program in Saturday’s Advertiser

CYCLING writer Reece Homfray tells you everything you need to know about Adelaide’s great cycling race, the Tour Down Under in his armchair guide.

Not that you should stay in your armchair while the action is going on ...

After all, South Australia has embraced the race since it was first staged in 1999 — and won by hometown hero Stuart O’Grady.

The event became the first event outside Europe to be included in the prestigious UCI WorldTour.

THE STAGES

PEOPLE’S CHOICE CLASSIC

Sunday, January 17

Adelaide East End, 51km

One for the fast guys and while it has no bearing on the TDU itself, it’s the first chance teams and riders have to steal the show on the WorldTour. If form is anything to go by, Orica-GreenEDGE young gun Caleb Ewan will be the man to beat.

STAGE 1

Tuesday, January 19

Prospect to Lyndoch, 130.8km

The first stage opens with a day for the sprinters, and the winner will be rewarded with the Ochre Jersey. Expect an early breakaway to be caught because the sprinters’ teams will be doing everything to make sure the race comes back together — unlike last year when the breakaway held on as UniSA’s Jack Bobridge won the opening stage. The finish into Lyndoch will see the peloton take a tight left hand turn before they race for honours in the main street.

STAGE 2

Wednesday, January 20

Unley to Stirling, 132km

A mainstay of the TDU route, the stage to Stirling has produced plenty of surprises over the years. The run to Stirling itself is fairly straightforward but that’s when the party begins. Riders must do five laps of an undulating loop around the town in the Adelaide Hills. If a breakaway is given too much of a gap, it can hold on like Will Clarke did for UniSA in 2012. Michael Matthews is a previous stage winner in Stirling (2011) and the uphill finish suits punchy sprinters such as Caleb Ewan or Simon Gerrans.

STAGE 3

Thursday, January 21

Glenelg to Campbelltown, 139km

Aside from Willunga, of course, this should be the most decisive stage of the race. Corkscrew Road is back after a year off and the last time it was included in the TDU (2014) Cadel Evans produced a daring solo attack to the finish. The climb up Corkscrew is one thing but the frighteningly fast descent is another. Riders will be jostling for a spot going into the climb to avoid any pile-ups, then positioning going into the sweeping right hand turn to the finish will be crucial. Look for Geraint Thomas, Simon Gerrans and Richie Porte to light it up.

STAGE 4

Friday, January 22

Norwood to Victor Harbor, 138km

The famous Norton Summit makes its long-awaited debut in the TDU but don’t expect it to decide the race. The climb greets riders early on Stage 4, which doubles as the Bupa Challenge Tour route. The beachside finish in Victor Habor is pancake flat so another day for the sprinters before they’re fighting for their lives on Willunga 24 hours later.

STAGE 5

Saturday, January 23

McLaren Vale to Old Willunga Hill, 151km

The longest and hardest stage of the tour culminates with the climb up Old Willunga Hill twice. Last year Rohan Dennis became the first rider to successfully defend the ochre jersey on the race’s penultimate stage since Mike Turtur decreed it would finish on top of the climb. Richie Porte will be going for a three-peat of stage wins but he’ll have to shake off the likes of Simon Gerrans, Tiago Machado, Cameron Meyer and Simon Clarke.

STAGE 6

Sunday, January 24

Adelaide CBD, 90km

The final stage is typically a showcase of the riders without changing the general classification. A final chance for the sprinters to take something from the week, last year it was Wouter Wippert who saluted on King William Rd. But whoever leads the race at the start of the day will almost certainly be on top of the podium by the end of it.

10 BURNING QUESTIONS

1. How good is the Dennis/Porte combination at BMC?

Rohan Dennis and Richie Porte finished 1-2 in last year’s race as rivals. Now they return as teammates to lead a beefed-up BMC squad. If they work together up Old Willunga Hill it’s hard to see anyone going past them on the queen stage.

2. How hungry is Simon Gerrans?

Even at the age of 35 there’s no reason to doubt Simon Gerrans’ hunger after his 2015 season was ruined by injury. Having missed last year’s race after a mountain bike crash, Gerrans returns as one of the favourites as he searches for his fourth TDU crown.

3. A changing of the guard?

For the first time in a long time this year, the TDU does not have a bona fide pure sprinter of the ilk of Andre Greipel, Marcel Kittel or Mark Cavendish. Instead the battle at the front of the flat finishes will feature rising star Caleb Ewan, Wouter Wippert, Leigh Howard and Ben Swift fighting for the sprinter’s jersey.

4. Who will be the international surprise packet?

In 2013 Dutchman Tom Slagter was a shock winner of the TDU, two years ago Italian Diego Ulissi was third behind Simon Gerrans and Cadel Evans. This year experts are pointing to Colombian Jarlinson Pantano, who was ninth in the TDU last year and rides for IAM Cycling.

Steele Von Hoff wins Stage 4 of the 2015 TDU. Can he repeat his heroics this year? l Picture: Sarah Reed

5. Which rider from UniSA will impress?

The wildcard team is truly that this year. Steele von Hoff won a stage last year and returns but cycling fans might not have heard a lot about the likes of Lucas Hamilton, Chris Hamilton, Neil van der Ploeg, Sean Lake, Pat Lane and Pat Shaw.

6. Can Cameron Meyer still be a winner?

It’s five years since Meyer won the Tour Down Under as a 23-year-old riding with Garmin. But things never really worked out for him at Orica-GreenEDGE. Now with a fresh-start at Dimension Data he was second in last week’s national championship in a sign he is back.

7. Can Sky win its first TDU?

Only three riders from outside of Australia have won the Tour Down Under in the past decade but Sky has two options in Geraint Thomas and Sergio Henao this year. Richie Porte was second last year but has now joined BMC.

8. Can OGE target stage wins and the overall?

The big question for Orica-GreenEDGE this week is how does it target individual stage wins and the overall jersey at the same time? Simon Gerrans will look for early stage wins and time bonuses going into Willunga Hill but if Caleb Ewan is anywhere near the front at the finish he’s fast enough to finish the job himself.

9. Does the race need a second uphill finish?

With the climb to Paracombe out and the climb/descent on Corkscrew Rd back in, the tour takes a different shape this year. Rohan Dennis won the race at Paracombe on Stage 3 last year but this time the Ochre Jersey won’t be decided until Old Willunga Hill on Saturday.

10. Is Simon Clarke a TDU smoky?

Simon Clarke made the move from Orica-GreenEDGE to Cannondale in the off-season and he has the goods to win this week if he’s ready and able. Clarke can climb so should get up Willunga and he can win punchy sprints like Stirling and Campbelltown so don’t discount.

BETTING:

$4.50 Simon Gerrans (OGE)

$5.50 Richie Porte, Rohan Dennis (BMC)

$11 Diego Ulissi (Lampre)

$15 Ruben Fernandez (Movistar); Geraint Thomas (Sky)

$17 Jarlinson Pantano (IAM)

$19 Sergio Henao (Sky)

$21 Rein Taaramae (Katusha); Domenico Pozzovivo (Ag2R).

TV:

The last 2.5 hours of every stage to be shown live on Channel Nine or GEM, and Stages 5 and 6 to be shown live in their entirety.

FOLLOW THE ACTION:

Follow our reporters on Twitter @Val61 and @reecehomfray, advertiser.com.au and in The Advertiser daily.

GET THE INSIDE WORD:

Read defending champion Rohan Dennis’ exclusive daily column in The Advertiser.

Stuart O'Grady on his way to winning the first Tour Down Under.

TDU HONOUR BOARD

1999Stuart O’Grady(AUS) Crédit Agricole

2000 Gilles Maignan (FRA) AG2R Prévoyance

2001 Stuart O’Grady(AUS) Crédit Agricole

2002Michael Rogers (AUS) Australian Institute of Sport

2003 Mikel Astarloza (ESP) AG2R Prévoyance

2004Patrick Jonker (AUS) UniSA-Australia

2005 Luis León Sánchez (ESP) Liberty Seguros — Würth

2006Simon Gerrans (AUS) AG2R Prévoyance

2007 Martin Elmiger (SUI) AG2R Prévoyance

2008 André Greipel (GER) Team High Road

2009Allan Davis (AUS) Quick-Step

2010 André Greipel (GER) Team HTC — Columbia

2011Cameron Meyer (AUS) Garmin — Cervélo

2012Simon Gerrans (AUS) GreenEDGE

2013 Tom-Jelte Slagter (NED) Blanco Pro Cycling

2014 Simon Gerrans (AUS) Orica — GreenEDGE

2015Rohan Dennis (AUS) BMC Racing Team

Find your copy of the official Tour Down Under program in The Advertiser on Saturday