Stage 1 TDU 2012: the ‘how to lose weight’ stage By Simon Cadzow

“This is not the End. Not even the Beginning of the End. But it is perhaps the End of the Beginning”

“Where I come from you head north it gets colder”

Gert (Team Director Garmin-Barracuda)

“My car is struggling in this wind”

Simon Cadzow (yes that’s the writer but It’s true, I drove part of the course before they started and my car is built like Matt Lloyd)

Entrée

Prospect: The place we start. As a noun it means the possibility or likelihood of some future event occurring...an event like maybe a leader’s jersey?

Geraint Thomas (SKY-Pro-cycling) is happier and even leaner this year than last. Last year he had come here from snow, training on the turbo in his garage. This year, an Olympic year in his hometown, the weather has been better: 

“5˚ and sleet: much better. I’ve been on the road, able to do something this winter”. 

Today however is hot, 37˚ now and going up, and riding straight into a head wind (see above). I ask him who will be on the front for SKY Pro-cycling. He points over his shoulder at a very vague looking Danny Pate, “Him”. I think to myself the former HTC machine is about to lose some weight, not that he needs to.

The riders finish signing on with GreenEDGE getting the treatment from the crowd and the media, this is, after all, history in the making. They then sit inside their cramped team vans or outside under their new team van alfresco-campervan-style veranda on an esky or whatever is at hand. Luxury: The life of a pro-cyclist.

Time to line up: Eddy Merckx is announced to the big crowd, typical of the Santos TDU, the countdown begins (even the teams support staff count-down out loud) and as usual in cycling everyone rides off pretty slowly in a ‘never-have-so-many-done-so-little-with-so-much’ mood: Robbie’s not actually on his bike when the gun goes. 

Still that’s how starts should be, and that Garmin-Barracuda rider who ran into the media guy, he looks ok. 

Main Course

The course takes the riders 149km north from Prospect to the Claire Valley. Along the way there are 2 intermediate sprints and 1 KOM point. A look at the weather: winds 30-40kmph coming from the North, NW and NE with temp at 38˚ and because of the weather drinks are allowed earlier than usual by the race organisers. Nice.

A break gets away with 4 guys getting TV time (Eduard Vorganov (RUS) - Katusha Team, Martin Kohler (SUI) - BMC Racing Team, Marcello Pavarin (ITA) - Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team and Rohan Dennis (AUS - SA) - UniSA Australia) 11:50 ahead of the peloton but to quote Jens Voight (Radioshack-Nissan) and his crystal ball, “The break has no chance of succeeding today. It’s going to be a bunch sprint. 100%”

At 51km in they’re running 32 minute behind schedule. Did I mention the wind? The gap is still 11 minutes: chasing is going to hurt, but for that matter, staying ahead is probably hurting even more.

Sprint 1 Kapunda (74.7km) Martin Kohler (SUI) - BMC Racing Team Rohan Dennis (AUS - SA) - UniSA Australia Marcello Pavarin (ITA) - Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team Eduard Vorganov (RUS) - Katusha Team was relegated to 4th.

That’s halfway and it’s taken 2 ½ hours to get there: good news: the temp has dropped to 36˚: hmmm cool change? Apparently right now it’s 43˚ at the finish line in Claire, can anyone confirm that?

KOM Taylor’s Run (84.2km) Marcello Pavarin (ITA) - Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team Martin Kohler (SUI) - BMC Racing Team Eduard Vorganov (RUS) - Katusha Team.

Latest time check to the break is now 8 minutes. Finish line has cooled to 32˚ and will soon be ready for dessert.

Sprint 2 Riverton (104.5km) Martin Kohler (SUI) - BMC Racing Team Eduard Vorganov (RUS) - Katusha Team Rohan Dennis (AUS - SA) - UniSA Australia

It takes time but with 20km to race the gap has dropped to 2 minutes, one S O’Grady on the front for an hour. 

 Dessert 

Today is a sprinters finish. 600m straight run. We pick it up at 136km done (Race radio has been dropping in and out all day) and the bunch is all together.....now read on... (Insert Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwyn)

“Rohan Dennis, the young man from UniSA Australia: attacks!!! He goes from the bunch again! I love this boy from Adelaide!!! He’s been off the front all day into a head wind and he goes again”. “And yes Phil remember” (Insert Paul Sherwyn’s voice here) “he is a time trial champion. He knows how to hurt”... (Back to Phil) “There’s 13km to go Paul, can the local boy hang on?”...At 137km (back to Phil now) “Now this is a real shame Paul, but it’s what we’ve come to expect. The peloton are hungry now”. (Back to Paul) “Yes the dream is over, the young guy from SA is caught and back in the fold. Still he’s put his name on the race today. This one’s going down to the teams of the sprinters.” 

145km/5km to go all together... 

146km/4km to go all together...

147km/2km to go all together...

 148km/1km to go... CRASH!!!! “There’s a crash inside 1000m, there’s been a crash, rider’s are down, GreenEDGE right in the middle. This is a disaster for the Aussie squad!! Paul It is carnage out there!”.... “Phil, its 30 rider’s worth but remember inside the final 3km everyone receives the same time”...” Well the peloton is torn and bleeding but still going at the front!” (Imagine the volume of voice increasing and the pitch rising)

148.6km/0.2km to go... “And here come the sprinters!! It’s Greipel! The big man from Germany: But here comes Petacchi! Greipel! Petacchi! Greipel!! You know I think Andre got it Paul but that one’s going to a photo...” 

After 4 hours and 33 minutes and 40 seconds stage 1 is done and dusted, the second longest time taken for a stage since 2000. 32.7kmph. All 133 riders made it home but at least 3 riders are off for pre-cautionary x-rays to the RAH and one 70 year old lady is off to Claire hospital. Check out twitter. There’s bound to be plenty.

So TDU 2012 leaders after stage 1: 

Overall: Andre Greipel (GER) Lotto-Belisol on being held up and losing positions because of the crash and then still going on to win “I think I was lucky to win today” (Really? How to demoralise your opponents)

Sprints: Andre Greipel (GER) Lotto-Belisol  

KOM: Marcello Pavarin (ITA) - Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team

Young gun: Rohan Dennis (AUS - SA) - UniSA Australia on after dropping to 20kmph “If you look very, very, closely there’s actually a section where the wind is so strong we’re riding backwards”

Most Aggressive: Eduard Vorganov (RUS) - Katusha Team

Teams: SKY-Pro-cycling 

Comment of the Day

It’s a tie firstly Simon Gerrans when asked by someone “How hot was it out there today?” “Well that’s a stupid question to start with...” And finally to return to Geraint looking at the heat and wind, “Are you getting paid enough for this?” After a small laugh, a very serious, very level and above all very believable response comes: “We do it because we love it”.  

Images thanks to Dane Lojek