Refresh
Vine may have been upset to not take the stage win on house soil and in his nationwide TT jersey, however nonetheless the general scenario for him is superb. He is the very best positioned of the pre-race GC contenders, none of whom seem within the high ten, although Mauro Schmid (Jayco-AlUla) has delivered a superb above-expectations end result and is simply a second behind.
And this is the opening set of outcomes, courtesy of FirstCycling
Some preliminary quotes from the winner, when requested who made him essentially the most nervous about his very lengthy spell within the sizzling seat watching rider after rider come house.”There have been various guys, simply as I climbed off the bike Ethan Vernon completed and he was 0.5 seconds behind me, he was a contender. I used to be perhaps not going to make it to the recent seat.”Seeing Vine end behind him “was an enormous sigh of reduction for myself, I am so completely happy to begin the season with a win.””Tomorrow, we’ll go 100% for him [Sam Welsford], he is received right here six occasions within the final two years, so full for him.”
Sam Watson wins the TDU prologue forward of Ethan Vernon
Vine finishes simply over 4 seconds down on Watson that means…
Vine is not going to make it however it’ll be shut.
Vine is trying very intent on inflicting as a lot harm as doable, however is probably a bit wobby on the corners. He is three seconds down on the second checkpoint.
Meantime, the final rider to begin right this moment and one other high Australian identify, Jay Vine, is out on the course…
Plapp finishes eight seconds down, not sufficient for the win right this moment, however undoubtedly placing him truthful and sq. within the GC sport for the remainder of the week
Tim Torn Teutenberg (Lidl-Trek) delivers a superb time, simply 5 seconds again. That’ll be excellent for his probabilities to perhaps snatch the lead within the possible bunch dash tomorrow at Tanunda.
Here is a pic of final yr’s winner Jhonatan Narváez (UAE Staff Emirates-XRG) in motion
Luke Plapp (Jayco-AlUla), additionally a a number of TT Nationwide champion, begins down the ramp.
There are numerous riders at 15 seconds or much less on Watson, the gaps are predictably very minimal on such a brief course the place a tiny error can price a number of placings, given there isn’t any time to get better from errors.
Wonderful trip by Harry Sweeny (EF Schooling-Straightforward Publish), eight seconds again. Might he be a shock contender for GC?
Maikel Zijlaard (Tudor) positioned sixth, provisionally, on the stage.
5 seconds down on Watson. A giant increase for the Briton en path to victory right this moment.
Ooh this can be a good time for Maikel Zijlaard, however will he get it?
Nonetheless the highest three the identical as for a very long time, Watson main Ethan Vernon at 0.59 seconds and with 2.7 seconds on Laurence Pithie.
15 riders left to go
Ivo Oliveira finishes eight seconds down, visibly upset.
Yet one more high contender for right this moment, Maikel Zijlaard (Tudor) has began. Watson can be watching the TV screens very intently…
And one other massive identify for right this moment’s win, Ivo Oliveira (UAE Staff Emirates-XRG), narrowly second behind Watson final yr within the Tour de Romandie prologue, has made his begin.
Rémi Cavagna, thought-about one of many massive TT favourites, heads down the beginning ramp.
One other picture from the prologue. Here is Adam Yates mid-way by way of his TDU debut.
Bleddyn was already second this yr within the elite males’s TT Nationals’ simply over per week in the past, and he is clearly remained on his sport right here.
That was shut. Oliver Bleddyn (Australia Nationwide Staff) provides native followers one thing to cheer for, turns in a superb time simply 4 seconds slower than Watson. For now, he is fourth on the stage.
It isn’t simply the GC battle that counts, both right this moment. The sprinters can be eager to show in some high occasions, given Wednesday’s 120 kilometre stage to Tanunda can be one for the fastmen, and a spell within the chief’s jersey in the event that they’re shut sufficient up on GC, (notably with time bonuses on provide) by no means did anyone any hurt.
Narváez comes house 9 seconds down on Watson, top-of-the-line GC contenders. That confirms he is undoubtedly up for a repeat win Down Underneath – simply as Noemi Rüegg did within the Girls’s TDU just a few days again.
Defending champion Jhonatan Narváez (UAE Staff Emiratex-XRG) rolls down the beginning ramp. Second in 2024 as nicely, his time right this moment can be essential long-term.
And now Swiss Nationwide TT Champ Mauro Schmid has moved into fourth on the stage, 4 seconds down on Watson.
Value noting that Erik Nordsæter Resell (Uno-X Mobility) has snuck into the highest 5 of the stage, in fourth spot, six seconds down on Watson, and pushing Fisher-Black all the way down to fifth and early finest time Leonard all the way down to sixth.
These contenders are largely for the stage win, in fact – with the likel exceptions of Plapp and Vine, the GC winner again in 2023 – however in a race received and misplaced by seconds general, numerous the curiosity lies in how the GC contenders fare on right this moment’s brief effort, too.
Maikel Zijlaard, by the way, was the winner of the Tour de Romandie prologue in 2024, the identical stage that Watson received again within the day, so might nicely be a severe menace. That stage was solely 2.28 kilometres lengthy, so an analogous size to Adelaide right this moment.
Key begin occasions to return
A number of the massive names to return and their start-times:Rémi Cavagna (Groupama-FDJ United): 19.49Ivo Oliveira (UAE Staff Emirates-XRG): 19.59Maikel Zijlaard (Tudor): 20.02Luke Plapp (Jayco-AlUla): 20.14Jay Vine (UAE Staff Emirates-XRG): 20.19
A shot of Watson right here within the sizzling seat, taken by CN’s Simone Guiliani
No adjustments now within the provisional rankings for the very best a part of an hour, with Watson nonetheless within the lead forward of Vernon.
Speaking of Finn Fisher-Black, we now have an enormous interview with him courtesy of colleague James Moultrie proper right here:’They’re simply regular guys’ – Finn Fisher-Black provides distinctive perception into biking superstars Evenepoel and Pogačar and the impact they will have on a complete staff
One other big-name contender, Adam Yates (UAE Staff Emirates-XRG), driving his first ever TDU, finishes 18 seconds again on compatriot Watson.
And Ben O’Connor (Jayco-AlUla), massive native star and probably a GC favorite, rides house 13 seconds down on Sam Watson (Ineos Grenadiers).
Time for one more picture: this is Finn Fisher-Black, at present fourth on provisional occasions right this moment, out on the course.
Value noting that Ivo Oliveira (UAE Staff Emirates-XRG) the rider that ran him the closest in Romandie, shedding by simply O.28 seconds, can also be racing within the TDU. And he is but to begin…
If – and it is nonetheless an enormous if, given so many riders are but to return – Sam Watson will get the win, then it will not be his first prologue victory within the World Tour. One among Watson’s 5 wins thus far was the Tour de Romandie prologue final yr, over a really comparable distance of three.44 kilometres.
Climate replace
The provisional high 5 – Sam Watson leads
4. Finn Fisher-Black (Purple Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) at 6 sec
5. Michael Leonard (EF Schooling-Straightforward Publish) at 7 sec
But extra studying materials must you want it: colleague Matilda Value has written the Cyclingnews’ breakdown of who the large GC contenders will doubtless be on this yr’s Santos Tour Down Underneath. Here is the hyperlink:Dwelling riders amongst favourites in open GC discipline – Analysing the Tour Down Underneath contenders
And let’s not overlook, racing has already been occurring already, not simply the Nationals. The Girls’s Tour Down Underneath completed lower than 48 hours in the past. You’ll be able to learn our full report right here:Girls’s Tour Down Underneath: Noemi Rüegg outsprints UAE Staff ADQ rivals to win stage 3 and declare general for second yr in a row
And this is a picture of Sam Watson throughout his trip to the provisional high spot general: will or not it’s sufficient to take the primary lead of the race?
Vine has not too long ago claimed the Australian Nationwide TT title for a second time in his profession, and even when the course is – as he mentioned earlier right this moment – one for the monitor specialists than pure street time triallers, curiosity can be very excessive in what he can obtain. You’ll be able to examine his victory in Perth, on the opposite facet of Australia, right here:
Jay Vine reclaims elite males’s time trial title on the Australian Street Nationwide Championships
Riders are off at minute intervals all the best way to final starter Jay Vine (UAE Staff Emirates-XRG) at 20:19 native time.
Again to the current, there are two checkpoints within the course, at km 1 and km2, previous to the end at km 3.6.
Luke Durbridge (Jayco-AlUla) finishes. A protracted, very long time in the past in a rustic far, far-off, ‘Turbo Durbo’ received a really comparable brief opening prologue within the Critérium du Dauphiné, beating no much less a time trial star than Bradley Wiggins. For these seeking to mud down the historical past books, this is our report:Durbridge wins Criterium du Dauphine prologue in Grenoble
And that in flip is superceded by Sam Watson (Ineos Grenadiers) with a quickest time of 4:16.9. Simply a few seconds sooner, however it places the Briton into the recent seat.
That was an excellent begin to the yr for Leonard in his first ever race with new staff EF, however he is already been overhauled by New Zealand’s Laurence Pithie (Purple Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) with a time of 4:19, practically 5 seconds sooner.
And as if by magic, they seem. Quickest time at present for Michael Leonard of 4:24. He is bought a hefty (by 3.2 kilometre prologue requirements) benefit of two.3 kilometres on Marco Brenner (Tudor).
No clear indication but of occasions, however we’ll deliver them as quickly as we have got one thing vaguely official.
Extra background from Simone Giuliani on the bottom concerning the environment on the market in Adelaide: “Crowds are beginning to pack the roadside across the begin space with riders sheltering from the solar underneath marquees earlier than they line up, carrying ice vests given it’s nonetheless heat regardless of the late begin. Although with it being only a hop skip and leap from the village and their accomodation they don’t have to fret about setting out too far upfront.”
Gogl powers house, the primary rider throughout the road. However a time trialing specialist like Canadian TT champion Michael Leonard (EF Schooling-EasyPost) is on the market on the course, and he is prone to set an excellent time, too.
And Gogl is off, the Tour Down Underneath is formally underway.
Critically, it is principally flat.
As for the course, this is what the riders can count on: some technical bits, mainly and a few bits to get an excellent flip of velocity on:”The prologue begins close to the Tour village with a straight stretch down Wakefield Avenue earlier than a proper flip into East terrace after 1.1km after which one other left, proper after which left hand flip in fast succession earlier than a pointy left and two hairpin turns earlier than riders can full the run by way of to the end line at Victoria Park.”
For those who’re questioning, the final time there was a prologue within the Tour Down Underneath was again in 2023, additionally in Adelaide. That was nearly twice the size although, 5.5 kilometres, with the win going to Italy’s Alberto Bettiol. You’ll be able to learn the CN report about that right here.Alberto Bettiol wins a moist prologue on the Tour Down Underneath
First rider down the beginning ramp in Adelaide can be Austria’s Michael Gogl (Alpecin-Premier Tech)
“The winds ought to ease by way of the night with the present gust velocity of 26 knots anticipated to drop to round 18 knots by the point Jay Vine, the final rider out, is heading to the road.”
Present climate circumstances are, based on CN’s reporter on the bottom Simone Giuliani, as follows: “It could be stretching into the night in Adelaide however the solar nonetheless has a sting in it and the temperature is sitting round 30 levels Celsius. At present there are additionally gusty bursts of wind blowing throughout the course.”
That mentioned, that is the primary day of racing within the 2026 elite males’s WorldTour, so anticipation is excessive as the lads’s season will get underway.
The course is simply 3.6 kilometres lengthy, that means that is very a lot a brief, quick effort which is able to produce a primary chief, however long run it’s going to doubtless have little impact on GC.
Hi there and welcome to the reside protection of the prologue of the Santos Tour Down Underneath in Adelaide
You will need to verify your public show identify earlier than commenting
Please logout after which login once more, you’ll then be prompted to enter your show identify.
Logout
