TDU race director Mike Turtur has not given up hope on luring race favorite Richie Porte back to Adelaide
SANTOS Tour Down Under race director Mike Turtur is hoping Australian cycling stars Richie Porte and Daryl Impey will return for the 21st edition of Australia’s greatest race along with international superstar Peter Sagan.
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Santos Tour Down Under race director Mike Turtur hasn’t given up hope that fan favourite Richie Porte may return next year having won the queen stage on Willunga Hill for the past five years.
Earlier this season Porte reportedly said he would not be in Adelaide next January but that was before his season was turned upside down by another crash in the Tour de France. There is also speculation he will change teams and leave BMC for next year.
South African Daryl Impey is a chance to return to defend his title and sprinters Caleb Ewan and Andre Greipel could go head to head with the pair also set to change teams in the off-season.
It’s not known whether three-time reigning world champion Peter Sagan - who won a thrilling stage into Uraidla this year - will come back for the third year in a row.
Turtur said bringing the Corkscrew climb back for a fourth time would make for exciting racing.
“It’s exactly the same finish as previous years, they get to the top 6km from the finish,” Turtur said.
“We’ve seen Geraint Thomas win it the first time, Cadel Evans the second time and Simon Gerrans beat Rohan Dennis by a tyre width in that small group the third time.
“This is the fourth time we’ll use the Corkscrew and I think that’s going to be a really interesting stage because of the final. I just looked at some vision the last time we were up the Corkscrew and there were a lot of people - it’s really popular.”
Turtur also believes with changes to next year’s course he’s still got the balance right between catering for sprinters and climbers.
“If you look at it in real terms it’s three and three - three for the sprinters and three for all-rounders and then the classic being moved back to the original circuit,” he said.
The 21st edition could also be Turtur’s last as race director with his contract due to expire next year and an announcement could be made before January but Turtur has not revealed his plans.
“All in all I’m really happy with it (2019 course), I think it’s come up well, when you design this thing from year to year there are some that you’ve got to go over it and it doesn’t work,” he said.
“But this one flowed, we drove it, scoped it, and it didn’t take long to get it all together.”
reece.homfray@news.com.au
Originally published as TDU race director Mike Turtur has not given up hope on luring race favorite Richie Porte back to Adelaide