In-form Aussies poised for top Tour Down Under

EARLY season form and ferocious summer heat could combine to deliver an all-Australian podium in the upcoming Tour Down Under.

Cadel Evans and Simon Gerrans climb up Mt Buninyong in the closing stages of the national championships. Pictures: Michael Kl...

EARLY season form and ferocious summer heat could combine to deliver an all-Australian podium in the upcoming Tour Down Under.

Team bosses and riders believe Australian cyclists are in pole position to pull off a rare cleansweep of the podium in the annual Tour in South Australia, which runs from Tuesday to Sunday but kicks off with a criterium curtain-raiser in Adelaide tomorrow night.

And many believe a repeat of last weekend's Australian road championship podium in some order could be on the cards.

Orica GreenEDGE team boss Matt White rates an Australian domination of the World Tour opener as a definite possibility.

White has identified national champion Simon Gerrans, Tour de France winner Cadel Evans and Ritchie Porte as his three picks to stand on the podium at race end.

Young Australian Rohan Denis is another local expected to impress with temperatures tipped to soar above 30C during the racing.

"I wouldn't be surprised at all to see an all-Aussie podium,'' said White who has been frank in stating GreenEDGE's goal of starting 2014 with a win in the only Australian event on the World Tour.

"Gerro (Simon Gerrans) is one of our big guys. He is in great form. We saw that at the nationals.

"And when he is picking targets he is always close to the mark.''

Gerrans, the first Australian to win stages in all three Grand Tours, is a former two-time winner of the Tour Down Under who last weekend defeated Evans and Porte for the Australian road title.

Cadel Evans and Simon Gerrans climb up Mt Buninyong in the closing stages of the national championships. Pictures: Michael Klein

A win in Adelaide next Sunday would see him become the first cyclist to claim three Tour Down Under crowns.

Veteran cyclist Jen Voigt is also backing an Australian to win but said there could be a number of surprises among the European pack.

"We just won't know who until the first stage because we do not know what they have all been doing lately,'' Voigt said.

"The Australians? They have had two months to get over the jet-lag."

The German stalwart, one of the most popular men in the professional peloton, believes his teammate Franck Schleck is one of the European riders who could upset the locals.

"He is as keen as mustard,'' Voigt said. "He is very interested in showing himself at his best.

"Team Sky is here as well and they are also super motivated.''

Other Europeans expected to excel include Team Sky's Geraint Thomas, German Andre Greipel and Jan Bakelants from Belgium.