TDU - 72 hours to go to Stage 1......What’s happening

Santos Tour Down Under Adelaide 2011

72 hours to go to Stage 1......What’s happening

By Simon Cadzow

“If I get one more question about Andre Greipel this will be my last race.”

                                                                        Mark Cavendish Santos Tour Down Under 2011

Blunt. Thank God his racing isn’t. Although truth be told I’m fully supportive of Cav’s comment. He and Andre haven’t even raced against each other so to state there is a rivalry at this year’s Tour Down Under is just absurd!

That said he’s here to race.

...So are a lot of other people; a lot of very, very good people.

One look at the start lists for the teams assembled tells quite a story.

The veterans: Stuey, Alby, Brownie, Eisel, Rogers, Gerrans, Robbie, some guy called Lance, and the list goes on and on.

The new guys on the block: Cav, Renshaw, Goss – and these guys are all on the same team, Bobridge, Farrar, Meyer, Parker, Roe, and Matthews and yep the list goes on and on.

Teams began rolling in over a week ago. Everyone coming from different parts of the world, different temperatures, different conditions ranging from -6 degrees in Belgium for the HTC mechanics to Lance’s 25% incline climbs(OMG my car won’t make it up that) in Hawaii.

They’re all here for the first race on the UCI Pro Tour calendar. And everyone wants to do something.

“We’ve never had sprinters before on our teams so this is a real thing for us. Obviously we want to win a stage.”             Lance Armstrong Radioshack Domestique

“Teams objectives are simple: win stages and go for the overall” Mark Cavendish HTC Sprinter

“UCI points are the focus. I don’t think anyone else thinks of that but this is so important for so many reasons. One is simply to ensure that we get the team car into the right position in the convoy for the year ahead.”            Mike Sayers BMC manager

Teams have sent strong riders to the Tour Down Under. There are no less than 10 teams with top sprinters capable of winning stages.

“I’d love to win again at the Tour Down Under,” said Simon Gerrans of a very impressive Team Sky, “But it’s so much harder now. Teams are preparing earlier, sending strong units of guys. The season starts now and everyone is gunning for it.”

Everyone is saying it. Just like in years before, it’s a sprinters race.

2011 sees the best sprinters in the world all here and yes, Cav’s presence seals it.

The lead out trains are on the roads practising and everyone is looking forward to the business of racing.

Twitter rides are bringing things even closer to the public courtesy of you-know-who. And Adelaide is the place for things to happen. You can walk out onto the street and someone will ride past.

Lance sums it up.

“Why here? Well the race is safe. The weather is great. The organisation is fantastic. You’re in one hotel. Riders are respected.” Notice he didn’t mention that it’s the first Pro Tour race for the year....”Races in Europe with great cycling history are disappearing and here things are thriving. That says a lot.”

Riders want to be here...and they are. Get ready. 72 hours to go. And by the way, Cav says the girls here are friendly.