TDU to remain a race for all-rounders and not a flat out sprint

CALEB Ewan had just won his second stage of the Tour Down Under on Sunday afternoon when he was asked which of the world’s best sprinters would he would want to face in Adelaide next year.

Australian rider Caleb Ewan of team Orica-GreenEdge celebrates winning stage six of the Tour Down Under in Adelaide, Sunday, Jan. 24, 2016. (AAP Image/Dan Peled) NO ARCHIVING, EDITORIAL USE ONLY

CALEB Ewan had just won his second stage of the Tour Down Under on Sunday afternoon when he was asked which of the world’s best sprinters would he would want to face in Adelaide next year.

His answer of course, was all of them.

But it’s wishful thinking because after 18 years the race has carved niche as a genuine all-rounder’s paradise.

“It would be nice if they were all here but the way the race is going it’s a bit too hard,” Ewan said.

“We saw only two sprint stages so at the moment it’s not really worthwhile for some of the bigger sprinters to come out here.

“Maybe next year or years to come they should have a few more sprint stages, and even the sprint stages like Victor Harbor (last week) they put a hill right near the end and made it that bit harder.”

Gone are the days when sprinter Andre Greipel would fly out from Germany, win three stages and wear the ochre jersey from start to finish like he did in 2010.

The race was becoming far too predictable and even Greipel’s biggest fans would admit that a situation like that hardly kept spectators on the edge of their seat.

It might have been a week-long battle of the world’s fastest men but it was hardly a race like it is now.

Since 2012 when race director Mike Turtur began prising stages away from the sprinters and putting them in favour of those who can climb, the event has been given a completely different profile.

By finishing stages on top of Old Willunga and Torrens Hill and forcing riders to navigate the Corkscrew, it’s meant that if you can’t climb then you can’t win the tour.

But equally if you can’t sprint you can’t win the tour either because bonus seconds have a big say in the general classification.

Richie Porte has won on top of Old Willunga Hill for the past three years only to finish 4th, 2nd and 2nd overall.

So it has taken a rider like Simon Gerrans, Tom Slagter or Rohan Dennis who can do both to claim every ochre jersey since 2012.

And despite calls for the TDU to revert to its old ways in a bid to lure back the likes of Greipel, Kittel or Mark Cavendish, Turtur said it won’t be happening.

“We certainly won’t go back to a sprinter’s race because we want to retain that evenness for all riders,” Turtur said.

“Generally talking to everyone it’s (course) well received.

“The big surprise to me (last week) was the day into Victor Harbor, I really did think it would be a sprinter’s day but obviously that late climb sorted a few out.

“Having talked to riders and the team managers, they believe the balance is OK and provides that opportunity and also the terrain and distances are ideally suited for this time of year.”

But it begs the question if a flat race would attract the Greipel’s and Cavendish’s of the peloton, would a longer and hillier race lure Chris Froome, Vincenzo Nibali and Nairo Quintana?

The answer is no because generally speaking guys like that who want to win the Tour de France in July aren’t anywhere near ready for a race like that in the third week of January.

“We can have races 150-200km no problem, but you won’t get the same result,” Turtur said.

“The spectacle is to have races around the 130-150km mark over our terrain is exactly what they want for this time of year.”

The guys who are trying to win the TDU are genuine all-rounders like Gerrans who want to go back to Europe and hit the ground running in the Spring Classics or Giro d’Italia.

After a year off in 2014, Corkscrew Road was back on the route this year where riders hit speeds of 100km/h on the way down.

Turtur maintains it is safe - pointing to not a single crash on the descent last week - and he says it’s here to stay.

“We’ll put it in again in future editions,” Turtur said.

“I spoke to Richie Porte and others about the final and they say from Chain of Ponds to the left-hand climb sort of makes the race because it’s a tactical decision that has to be made by teams to set up the big climber for the foot of the Corkscrew.

“We had several little crashes (elsewhere) but the good thing about that stage is the descent down Montacute - which is a safe descent (with) good roads and good corners - there were no crashes.

“The crashes we have had on the descent of Montacute before have been caused by young guys who maybe got a little bit over-excited and hit the brakes or overcooked a corner.”

The TDU might not be made for sprinters anymore but whatever the course the riders aren’t slowing down and the race is far more exciting.

[e-mail]

Originally published as TDU to remain a race for all-rounders and not a flat out sprint