2010 12th Tour Down Under

7-Dec-2009

Being the first Pro Tour event of the season - and being scheduled for so early in the year - means that all the teams struggle to get their acts together in time for the deadlines of this Tour. Some struggle more than others. And this, the 12th year of the TDU, is no exception.
We again have the race organisers chasing the team managers for rider news - to boost media and spectator interest - before the teams have got their line-ups (and fitness assessments) finalised or their own admin systems fully in place.
The Team RadioShack web site was still just a holding page when I checked just a day ago but the TDU organisers have already announced the team line-up as - Lance Armstrong , Daryl Impey (RSA), Jason McCartney (USA), Yaroslav Popovych (UKR), Sebastien Rosseler (BEL), Gert Steegmans (BEL) andTomas Vaitkus (LTU).
Of course some riders will have planned ahead and could well be taking advantage of the Adelaide weather already - especially those with high expectations of competing. But others may be a little surprised to learn that they are due to be racing in 30c + weather on the other side of the world in around 5 weeks time.
Certainly that must have been the feeling for Ben Swift when he appeared on today’s Team Sky line-up of - Christopher Sutton (AUS), Christopher Froome, Russell Downing, Benjamin Swift, Davide Vigan (ITA), Mathew Hayman (AUS) and Gregory Henderson (NZL). Not just because this was an unexpected event in his season - but because he is not signed up to Team Sky!
He is, the experts tell us, still with Katusha for 2010. And so far Katusha are planning to send - Alexander Pliuschin (MDA), Pavel Brutt (RUS), Denis Galimzyanov (RUS), Joan Horrach (SPA), Sergey Klimov (RUS), Stijn Vandenbergh (BEL) plus, of course, Robbie McEwen who is already training in Oz and hoping to regain top form in 2010.
Team Sky’s David Brailsford quickly issued an apology but I (we) did not hear who the replacement rider is going to be.
So after this slip-up - and the general lack of team info - it is clear that some team managers need to switch to “organising mode” pretty quickly. Stop gaps like press releases can fill the void but are no substitute for a coherent, well communicated plan. Some highly ranked riders have a genuinely professional approach and have already set-out their 2010 race schedules in public. Once the TDU is out of the way the pro calendar starts to pick-up momentum. And winning those critical races has always needed lots of careful planning.
Rant over - now let’s get the festivities over so we can start watching some racing.

Dateline: 22-Jan-2010
Andre Greipel is starting to make things look easy - with a third stage victory out of four starts. And since he lost no time on his rivals in the stage he missed out on winning, he remains on course for a repeat overall victory. With just two more stages to contest the bookies will not be accepting bets on his final victory. And the other sprinters will be starting to get worried not just for the rest of this week but for the rest of the season.

Dateline: 24-Jan-2010
Credit: Pete Kemp link
<<Russell Downing (Team Sky) leads Tomas Vaitkus (Team Radioshack) and an Astana rider on the final stage.

2010 56th Tour of Andalucia : Ruta Ciclista del Sol

20-Dec-2009

The modern race started in 1955 (there was one edition some 30 years before). It has been very much an early-season event but has often attracted the big names - Freire, Dekker, Zabel, Gorospe and, earlier, Maertens and Altig. But 2010 will be different in that one stage is outside Spain - in Gibraltar (see later changes).
Something that would have been unthinkable not long ago. Then Spain was pressuring Britain - and the Gibraltarians - over control of the tiny outpost; ignoring Britain having a permanent land grant and the fact that Spain would not consider ceding its own outposts in North Africa. However relationships have now calmed to the point where a tour stage is acceptable to both sides - or so it seems.
Race Outline
Sunday 21-Feb Jaen – Alto De Las Allanadas (La Guardia de Jaén)
Monday 22-Feb Otura – Cordoba
Tuesday 23-Feb Marbella – Benahavis
Wednesday 24-Feb Gibraltar (Time Trial)
Thursday 25-Feb Torrox – Antequera
No teams lists as yet but Team Sky, Milram, Omega Pharma-Lotto, Vacansoleil, Rabobank and Saxo Bank are all expected to ride. More details of the race and the Gibraltar stage in particular when released.

Dateline: 22-Jan-2010
There is a gradual drip-drip of information about the teams riding this year - but no firm start list as yet. According to the Team Sky web site Bradley Wiggins will be riding. However the event organiser’s press release does not include him in the roster. Various reports predict that Mark Cavendish will lead the HTC-Columbia team. And the Gibraltar time trial is now thought to be a short distance test (5km) going from sea-level in the town to the top of “The Rock”.

Dateline: 23-Jan-2010
It now seems that the “Gibraltar” stage will be held around 100km away! Or at least that’s what it seems from today’s check on the official website. Why the stage has been changed is not explained - but the one line entry has been simply changed to Malaga.

Dateline: 28-Jan-2010
Further checking indicates that the race organisers may have created the story about a Gibraltar stage just to get some extra race publicity. And it certainly seemed unusual that the stage was never part of Gibraltar’s “What’s On” list - despite being an “historic event” as announced to the media by the organisers back in December (see cyclingnews.com). My guess is that the TT stage was always going to be held in Malaga and the rest was just a publicity stunt.

Dateline: 14-Feb-2010
The information trickle has reached the team list - but this shows just 11 international and 2 domestic teams; well behind the 23 teams booked for just down the coast in Portugal. One possible reason is the schedule. Starting on the Sunday means that it overlaps with both the Tour of the Algarve and the 2-day Tour du Haut Var. Also another 2.1 ranked race - the Tour of Sardinia - starts on the Tuesday. Even so Oscar Freire is - the organisers say - expected to start with race number 1. Hopefully Team Sky can put up a good show.

2010 36th Tour of the Algarve : Volta ao Algarve

14-Feb-2010

With 18 international teams plus 5 domestic squads this year’s event seems well on the way to being a success - despite the region’s economic difficulties. The race follows the established format and routes - so making it ideal for a “flying visit” via Faro airport and making use of the, largely empty, resort hotels. No definitive start list is available as yet but there are sure to be some big names riding - where’s that cheap flight deal?
17-Feb Faro-Albufeira
18-Feb Vila do Bispo-Lagos
19-Feb Castro Marim-Loule
20-Feb Vila Real de Santo Antonio-Tavira
21-Feb Lagoa-Portimao

2010 De Panne 3-Days : Driedaagse De Panne

14-Feb-2010

Tuesday 30-Mar Middelkerke - Oudenaarde
Wednesday 31-Mar Zottegem - Koksijde (St Idesbald)
Thursday 1-Apr De Panne Circuit + De Panne - Koksijde Time Trial
The race route provides plenty of quality racing for the British fan and it’s just across the Channel. Last year Mark Cavendish took two stages with Pozzato and Wiggins taking the other two - so a quality field is expected again this year. Can Mark add to his tally of four in just two years? I think so!

Dateline: 5-Mar-2010
I spoke too soon - Columbia-HTC are not down to ride this year (so far) so no chances for Cavendish to add to his victories. And since the provisional field does not include Sky either then Wiggins will not be amongst the time trial contenders. Being ranked 2.HC it should have more support - but only four Pro-Tour teams are listed amongst the 14 teams named so far.
Typical - my trip to Gibraltar missed out on the Tour of Andulusia stage and now my trip to De Panne finds a reduced field! I will probably see more racing by staying at home with Eurosport..
Dateline: 11-Mar-2010
Good news - the latest version of the team list now has 22 names with 10 from the Pro-Tour; including Columbia and Garmin
Dateline: 25-Mar-2010
The start list is now out and Mark Cavendish is not shown - so no chance to test his speed against Tom Boonen this time around. With 22 teams of 8 riders it will be a big field - but the only British interest will be with David Millar and Adam Blythe. And even though the An Post - Sean Kelly team is here the only Irish riders are Mark Cassidy and Paidi O’Brien. Tyler Farrar, Danny Pate and Jackson Stewart are the US representatives.

2010 Tirreno-Adriatico

5-Mar-2010

For those of us not able to make it in person Eurosport will be covering the race in full. With 22 teams down to start there should be some competitive stages. And the terrible weather in Europe in February shows no sign of returning - as yet.
Dateline: 11-Mar-2010
Bad news - my weather predictions were useless as snow returns to Italy and the riders face cold, wet conditions on greasy roads damaged by the winter weather.

2010 Dunkerque 4 Day

11-Mar-2010

This year’s stages do not include a time trial -
Wed 5-May Dunkerque-Bray Dunes 144km
Thu 6-May Coulogne-Auby 196km
Fri 7-May Menin-Ypres 192km
Sat 8-May Merville-Cassel 181km
Sun 9-May Ardres-Dunkerque 180km
And it looks like Friday’s stage will be the most interesting - with circuits that include 3 climbs of the Kemmelberg!

Any comments? Feedback at www.Tour-Racing.Org.UK (when I get it working correctly)