UCI WORLD TOUR: TOUR DOWN UNDER
PROLOGUE AND STAGE 1
Road racing has returned for the 2023 season to beautiful Australia. The Tour Down Under (TDU) has been absent from the Pro Tour schedule since the beginning of the pandemic, and it’s return this year promises to satiate the appetite of hungry race fans across the globe.
The prologue was a short, blistering effort through the streets of Adelaide. With a finish along a river bike path, it was a serene scene that contrasted with the sharp suffering of the riders tackling the 5.5 km course. For much of the day, rain would turn the race course into an ice rink, with riders slipping and sliding one after another.
The most carnage took place on the final corner before the finishing stretch on the riverside bike path. The Corner of Doom, as it has been dubbed by YouTuber, All Cycling, laid waste five consecutive riders in a row at one point, as the sky let loose a torrential rain.
Alberto Bettiol of squad EF Education-Easypost was able to take advantage of dry conditions due to an earlier start time and post a scorching ride through the streets. Despite a strong challenge from INEOS Grenadiers rider Magnus Sheffield, a promising twenty year old talent, Bettiol’s time of 6:19 would remain tops in the field. The Italian would thus don the first orange leader’s jersey of the race.
STAGE 1
The first action between the sprinters would come on this 150 km out and back stage in the Barossa region of South Australia. This stage featured exciting intermediate sprints that had riders like local favorite, Michael Matthews, battling for precious time bonuses on offer. The run up to these sprints was hotly contested in the peloton and as such, a nasty crash split the peloton with about 56 km to go, shortly before the second sprint point.
The crash would lead to a controversy, as Quickstep-Soudal rider, James Knox, would be disqualified after drafting convoy cars in order to get back to the peloton. Knox and other riders were highly critical of the disqualification ruling, claiming that the decision will discourage future riders involved in crashes from staying behind to undergo a proper concussion evaluation.
Nearing 20 km left on the day an AG2R Citreon rider would touch wheels, go down, and bring three Jumbo-Visma riders to the deck with him.
With 10 km to go, the sprinters teams began revving up their respective lead out trains and the speeds in the tightly packed bunch were reaching 90 kmh as the peloton raced toward the finish. There was a number of close calls in the last few kilometers, and as the peloton flashed underneath the 1 km to go flag, the lead out men were going full gas. Another crash in the final 500 meters split the peloton in two, while at the front Michael Matthews appeared to be getting a perfect tow to the finish. Yet, Phil Bauhaus, of Bahrain Victorious, would explode out of the group and hold a wicked fast sprint all the way to the line. Bauhaus, the German powerhouse, would spoil the Aussie’s day, with Caleb Ewan and Michael Matthews taking second and third respectively.
Overall Classification After Stage 1:
- Alberto Bettiol = Leader
- Michael Matthews +6 seconds
- Magnus Sheffield +8 seconds