Editor
The first WorldTour cycling event of the year begins today, with Stage 1 of the 2016 Tour Down Under. Can defending champion Rohan Dennis (BMC) become the first man in the race’s history to claim back-to-back titles? Join The Roar for all the action from 12:30pm (AEDT).
Today’s stage is 130.8 kilometres from Prospect to Lyndoch, and while it looks likely to be decided by a bunch sprint, with the mercury set to tickle 38 degrees Celsius, it’s anything but an easy day in the saddle.
The day begins with the first King of the Mountains points on offer around 12 kilometres in, before heading toward the scenic Barossa, and finishing with three circuits around Lyndoch.
As mentioned, it’s a day for the sprinters, with Australia’s hottest young talent Caleb Ewan (Orica-GreenEDGE) at short odds to claim the day – no real surprise given his blistering form to start 2016, taking out Sunday’s People’s Choice Classic in Adelaide, as well as the National Criterium Championships and overall at the Bay Classic Series on the back of three stage wins.
Ewan’s biggest threat probably comes in the form of Italian Giacomo Nizzolo (Trek–Segafredo), although Ewan’s directeur sportif, Matthew White, has suggested Nizzolo’s countryman Matteo Pelucchi (IAM) is the man his team will be watching.
Join The Roar for Stage 1 of the Tour Down Under, and be sure to leave your comments below as the stage progresses.