TDU 2023 - it’s back !!!

[MichaelB]

After an enforced hiatus, it’s back and about to kick off again, along with the toasty weather !!

The bikes have been dusted off by many residents and the increase in bikes on the many routes are quite obvious !!

Whilst I really enjoyed the Willunga final stage, the new finale up Mt Lofty will be interesting and down to the last lap again.

Looking to see what the loop is like tonight if I get time, or at least this weekend and see if I can find a good vantage point.

Anyone in town for the event ?

https://tourdownunder.com.au/race/stages/mens-stage-5

[warthog1]

Nope
Wish I was. Enjoy!

I was talking to my wife about getting away the other day and she mentioned she misses going to Adelaide.
My daughter has epilepsy and whilst we lived in Alice and Mildura her paediatric neurologist was there. Michael Harbord, he is a gun! We kept him when we moved to Bendigo as he is the best.
We miss going there, it is a great city and I am not a fan of cities.

[MichaelB]

Next time Warty !

For those that will want to watch, it's on 7 TWO (see link - https://tourdownunder.com.au/race/watch ) with highlights on 7 (AT) 12:30pm to 1:30am (huh )

Womens TdU - 15th to 17th Jan
Mens TdU - Prologue 17th Jan, Stage 1 - 5 on 18th to 22nd)

Of course, for Radelaide inhabitants, the 1st 30min are in 7, and then next 2 1/2 hrs are on 7 TWO

Looks like it'll be toasty, with Tue 14th Jan forecast as 36 degrees atm.

[foo on patrol]

I have a mate that is going down for it and rides the course as well before the Stages start. He does all, well most of it here on Bribie and can still ride the hills down there.

Foo

[MichaelB]

Bugger - such great form at Nats !

https://cyclinguptodate.com/cycling/sim ... -infection

[MichaelB]

For a change, it's hot for the start of the TdU - well, for the Women anyway - they had blustery conditions yesterday and high 20's, but today is hotter and more humid at 35 degrees max.
Luckily for the Men, it's actually pretty good temp wise (they just missed out on a run of >30 degree days topping out at 39), with high 20's for the week, and Sat/Sun being 31 degrees.

I did the Mt Lofty climb and 1 of the 25km loops around the hills that the Men will do as the final stage. It' won't be the same as Willunga, but it's a great finale - plenty of twists and turns with about 500m ascent each lap, for a total approaching 2,700m gain for the stage of only 112km !!

Reckon that if MM stays upright, it could be a stage and TdU for him

Hope the Women stay upright and out of trouble, the couple of crashes yesterday looked painful !

[MichaelB]

Good summary here from Inner Ring.

His tip is Bling and Hayter to vie for the top step of the podium

https://inrng.com/2023/01/tour-down-under-2023-preview/

[stevenaaus]

Geez, what a line-up. Rohan, Plapp, Hayter, Bling, Bettiol, Thomas, Caleb. Great to hear Robbie's nous.

[biker jk]

I don't think a prologue was a good idea, especially with the paved sections. Could be some crashes

[stevenaaus]

The spectacle was totally ruined by the rain and a dry weather scorcher by Bettiol


How about Caleb's finishing speed stage 1

[MichaelB]

A few sadly out of the race with injuries :

Harper - collarbone
Gesink - pelvis fracture
Meerhus - concussion

Heal well people !

[stevenaaus]

How good was that! Rohan smashed them.

Looked like the break might get caught, but Yates pulling a few turns probably made the difference.

[MichaelB]

Great ride by the 1st five and crap luck for Matthews and Bettiol.

Froomedog living up to the hype and already 8:30 down .....


Corkscrew will be interesting today, and the descent into Campbelltown is one of my favourite descents now that they resurficed it fully because of the TdU.

Need to get Stuey to do all the other climbs now over the next few years as some of them, the road surface is utter garbage. Please start with Greenhill Rod, then Old Norton Summit, Belair, Humpty Doo, Main Rd to Clarendon will do for a start ...

[stevenaaus]

Caleb will be disappointed not to chalk up a win.. but that long Wilunga rise was too much for him i guess. Great news story about Coquard - a convincing first PRO win in his 10 year career.

Re Bettiol... meh. I gotta say it was awesome seeing him pull up with cramp in the seering Aussie sun - and losing it in the process - chucking a bottle at a camera in frustration. It would have been a shame to see the whole GC decided by his lucky prolog win. I thought Plapp had the form to do better in this race, but it's been a tough one. Shame to see Rohan go out the door with a mechanical. Big show down today.

[Thoglette]

I got to see the last 70 odd km. Exciting finish!

[stevenaaus]

Watching Simon Yates ride... he looks so steady smashing out the climbs. And got up today... good for Jayco to leave with a stage. Those forested Aussie climbs make for attractive, entertaining racing.

But congrats Jay Vine. Covered Yatesy in style. And he must be thrilled to have "sorted out his TT position" with a new team, winning the hotly contested Australian TT nats. Good news for his GT ambitions.

[MichaelB]

Another TdU is done and dusted, and again, close as usual.

The Lofty finishing cct is indeed a tough one, and is actually a great loop to ride. Did the Ride up to Lofty and the cct on Sunday morning. Was a bit too early to stay and watch them come though (would have been a 45min wait) and had things to do, so finished the ride by heading across to Ashton, down Old Norton Summit and then back up Greenhill Road to get 1,500m of elevation gain for the day and then headed home.

The Willunga loop as the final stage was great, but this latest loop was pretty dame good as well.
Interestingly, the climb to Lofty (Tollgate to Summit entrance) has as much climbing as loop did !!

Great final stage and Jay is a deserving winner !

2024 route will hopefully be interesting as well and take in some new loops and climbs

EDIT : Oh, and Froomey finished 117th of 121 finishers, 38:55 off the front ......

[MichaelB]

Here is a pic that I took on the Sun morning heading up to do the Lofty loop.

In the cloud, you can just see the radio masts on top of Lofty. The cloud (or fog as Ligget called it ) cleared, but was really unusual to see in summer ! Pic taken about 1/2 way up to Lofty

[warthog1]

Good ol SA police hard at it protecting the public from the road users who cause so much death and injury.
https://road.cc/content/news/167-cyclis ... der-298889

[MichaelB]

Good ol SA police hard at it protecting the public from the road users who cause so much death and injury.
https://road.cc/content/news/167-cyclis ... der-298889

I’ll be the 1st to agree that there were far too many cyclists being idiots and riding poorly furring the TdU, many whom should have known better.

In this isolated and poorly reported instance, I’d back the SA Police.

[warthog1]

I wasn't there.
Yes people can be less sensible when on holiday and enjoying themselves.
Hard to see cyclists endangering too many others though.
However it would pander to the anticycling elements of the general public.
The number of cars being fined doesn't add up. How many close passes at speed do we expect there were?
A shed load more than the fines that were issued certainly.

[MichaelB]

I wasn't there.
Yes people can be less sensible when on holiday and enjoying themselves.
Hard to see cyclists endangering too many others though.
However it would pander to the anticycling elements of the general public.
The number of cars being fined doesn't add up. How many close passes at speed do we expect there were?
A shed load more than the fines that were issued certainly.

We’ll have to agree to disagree re what happened in real life here.
Yes, more driver can be fined, but the overwhelming bad behaviour was seen from far too many cyclists, such that it was pretty crap.
And that’s from someone who thinks the police here are slack.

[warthog1]

I wasn't there.
Yes people can be less sensible when on holiday and enjoying themselves.
Hard to see cyclists endangering too many others though.
However it would pander to the anticycling elements of the general public.
The number of cars being fined doesn't add up. How many close passes at speed do we expect there were?
A shed load more than the fines that were issued certainly.

We’ll have to agree to disagree re what happened in real life here.
Yes, more driver can be fined, but the overwhelming bad behaviour was seen from far too many cyclists, such that it was pretty crap.
And that’s from someone who thinks the police here are slack.

Fair enough.
Stupid behaviour is disappointing then.

[Thoglette]

Fair enough.
Stupid behaviour is disappointing then.

I want to see some numbers on what the fines were.

After all I could fill the coffers fining Evil Pedestrians sinning against God and Man by crossing the road when the lettle man is red. Won’t Someone think of the… whatever

[g-boaf]

In the wake of Operation Safe Cycling, and the hundreds of cyclists stopped by officers during the Tour Down Under, South Australia Police’s Bob Gray said that the casualty numbers for cyclists in the state underline the need to “share the road safely”.

I always see that particular statement (in bold) and wonder if the majority just think "share safely" means bicycle riders should just "geroff the road".