In which Princhester will probably be talking to himself, but anyway.
So I think the favourites are Greipel, because he won today and won last year, Stuart O’Grady because he is better motivated to win (in his home town) than most, and he has an ability to both sprint and climb to some degree and came second today. If the Willunga Hill stage really does prove hard enough to allow the climbers to gap the sprinters by a good margin, I rate Michael Rogers because he’s always seemed like he should be able to win this sort of event but one thing or another has got in his way. I don’t rate LA not because I doubt his ability but because I don’t think he’ll be trying too hard: it’s never been his way to try to win anything much but the TdF and he’s just here for publicity and to work his way back into the idea of racing again. If he makes a serious attempt to win, who knows?
To the spectator who has probably put McEwan out of the racetoday: I hope someone shoves the broken pieces of your camera up your arse sideways you thick bastard.
Most of the cyclists you listed as potential winners are sprinters. Is the Tour Down Under totally flat or why do they even come in question for the overall victory? I don’t know that much about this race is particular but it takes place at a time when most pros are still building up their pre-season fitness, which also goes for Lance Armstrong who I’m sure has other priorities this year; namely the TdF.
It’s not completely flat but it is flat enough that sprinting ability is required. The event has in the past tended to be won by breakaway specialists with some ability to sprint, like O’Grady. not all my picks are sprinters: Rogers is a climber/TT rider. Theoretically more hills have been added this year.
Is the tour taking place in SA exclusively? I was in Aus for the first time last year and took the snowy mountains highway - thought the climb up to the plateau was made to measure for a stage race. Does the tour ever go through NSW?
So no change to anything very much today except that Greipel is out. There’s still nothing in it. I’m really hoping that Saturday’s Willunga Hill stage is hard enough to allow the more GC’ish guys to solidly gap the sprinters.
My two picks still in there. They were looking very strong today, and were in a break that must have come moderately close to staying away, but no.
