With Christmas now officially over, there’s not a lot left for us all to look forward to this winter – well, unless you’re a cycling fan that is. The new year marks the return of the action-packed World Tour cycling season, the pro peloton descending upon Australia to kick off what promises to be an exciting 2019.
Here’s a quick update on all the action from the Tour Down Under that you may have missed…
A dream debut for the Trek-Segafredo women’s team
This year saw a hugely strengthened field at the Women’s Santos Tour Down Under with some of the peloton’s top names lining up for the grand season-opener. Nevertheless, it was the young Italian outsider, Letizia Paternoster, who sprinted to an emphatic win on the opening stage, taking the leader’s ochre jersey for herself and her nascent Trek-Segafredo team.
Trek’s ladies didn’t stop there. On stage three they were up at the business end once again, Ruth Winder scoring a second place on a stage that saw the peloton completely shatter in the final few kilometres. To cap off an incredibly successful race debut for the new team, Paternoster flew home in second place on the final sprint stage, narrowly beaten by the sprinting queen herself, Chloe Hosking.
Not only did the new Trek team garner a lot of attention for the results they scored in Australia, but they also caught a lot of eyes with their gorgeous kit and flashy Trek bikes. Paternoster piloted her Trek Madone to absolute perfection on stage one, before Winder employed the super-lightweight Emonda to skip up the tough uphill finish on stage three.
It was the home favourite, Amanda Spratt, who eventually took the overall title with Trek’s Ruth Winder scoring an impressive top 10 result to kick off her 2019 season.
Specialized’s sprinters off to a flying start
In the ongoing men’s race, the action has been focussed around the sprinters and boy are there a lot of them at this race. Quick Step’s Elia Viviani took the first stage aboard his super slick S-Works Venge, threading what looked like an impossible line through the hectic sprinting melee. He took the stage by several bike lengths, asserting both his and the Venge’s dominance in fast-paced sprint finishes.
Stage two followed a similar script, concluding in a mass bunch sprint. However, it was Patrick Bevin of the new CCC team that reaped the rewards, galloping ahead in a surprise finish to an otherwise predictable stage. The Kiwi beat the likes of Ewan, Sagan and Viviani, snatching the ochre jersey from the shoulders of the Italian in the process. Bevin and the rest of the CCC team have been riding the multi-versatile Giant TCR Advanced, a bike that is just at home in the sprints as it is on the climbs.
Billed as one of the most important GC days of this race, not many expected the sprinters to reach the finish of stage three in the front group. There was one who did, however – Peter Sagan. The former world champion burst from the pack aboard his custom S-Works Venge, quickly overtaking the defending Down Under champion, Daryl Impey, to clinch an incredible stage victory, his first of the 2019 season.
The race now looks to the Adelaide Hills where the GC riders take over. Stage four saw the peloton strung out on a fast and furious lumpy stage, finally disintegrating on the iconic Corkscrew climb only a handful of kilometres from the finish. After the sketchy gorge road descent, it was defending champ, Daryl Impey, who raised his arms, narrowly beating Patrick Bevin who keeps the leader’s jersey. With what looks like a sprint stage tomorrow, he may well cling on to the race lead until the final stage.
The home riders are out in force and it looks like it’s shaping up to be a fierce battle for the overall with Richie Porte of Trek-Segafredo a firm favourite. We’ll also be looking out for Jay McCarthy of Bora-Hansgrohe who has kept his powder dry thus far. Having lost time on stage four, an overall victory looks unlikely, but he thrives when the road goes up so we’re expecting fireworks. Both McCarthy’s Tarmac and Porte’s Emonda are superlight bikes, but which will skip up Willunga Hill the quickest? And can they keep the defending champion at bay?
Now that the World Tour has officially returned, be sure to keep an eye on our news page to keep up to date with all the racing action. Why not take a look at our brand-new 2019 collection of bikes while you wait for the next update from Down Under?
