The Tour Down Under has provided some wonderful moments for Australian cycling fans throughout its history.
These included:
• Stuart O’Grady winning the first and third editions of his home town race;
• The Armstrong circus in 2009;
• A rainbow clad Cadel Evans, Alejandro Valverde and Luis Leon Sanchez on Willunga in 2010;
• Simon Gerrans and Valverde on the same slopes two years later;
• The immense power of Andre Greipel demolishing all comers in the sprints and forcing Race Director Mike Turtur to change the profile of the entire race.
But few will stand the test of time as well as Stage 3, 2014.
I wrote yesterday that if Cadel Evans wanted to win the TDU this year then he had to make a move on the Corkscrew. But as hard as I tried, I couldn’t convince myself that he could put the time needed into Simon Gerrans to claim the Ochre jersey. And a lot of people agreed.
The question as to who would be the ultimate strong man on Corkscrew, was a conundrum. Gerrans, Porte or Evans? Or of course, would it be someone else?
In the end it was no contest, Australia’s “grand old man of cycling” was on a different planet, just as he’s been for so much of his remarkable career.
Cadel may struggle to express himself in words, but does it really matter when you can ride like that?
You could sense BMC had it right from the moment they began the descent of Kangaroo Creek dam, a series of sweeping left and right bends, where speeds would hit 100kmh.
As Simon Gerrans himself said on the start line, “positioning is key” and so it proved as both BMC and Sky had riders to support Evans and Porte on the approach to Corkscrew Rd and beginning of the climb.
This meant neither had to fight for position once they attacked the climb. The duo both soon had clear air over Gerrans.
The race leader quickly found his groove though and close to half way up the climb, Gerrans was in clear third, albeit losing time to Evans and Porte.
But you could hear a collective intake of breath when on the steepest part of the climb Cadel suddenly gapped Porte, and then changed into the big chain ring as the gradient eased in the final 700metres.
Watching the race we ran a stopwatch over Cadel’s climb.
Give or take a few seconds we recorded a time of around 6:30 (24.5kmh) for the 2.5km ascent that averages 9% but through the difficult bit ranges from 14-19%.
Robert Gesink is officially recorded at 6:58 (20.2kmh) and Cadel put around 25 seconds into him, which gives all of us some perspective on our relative abilities.
The beauty and challenge of the Corkscrew isn’t just the climb but the descent that follows. As we saw last year when several riders misjudged the difficulty of the first few corners, one mistake can be costly.
But Cadel’s past as world champion mountain bike rider served him beautifully. As did his meticulous preparation.
We learned during the day that the BMC team had ridden the Corkscrew descent seven times during training.
At one stage, Evans increased his 15 second advantage at the summit to 25 seconds, but the 11-strong chase group brought it back to the status quo by the finish in Campbelltown.
Talking to himself as he grimaced through the final few hundred metres, Evans gave a typically modest salute as he crossed the line to secure a win for the ages.
His lead of just 12 seconds seems scant reward for his effort today, but it’s more than most people expected. A few so-called experts tipped Evans to win the stage but felt that Gerrans would still be in the Ochre Leader’s jersey.
Now the question is, will Cadel be beaten?
Sure Cadel can be beaten but I don’t think he will be, even though Gerrans says Orica-GreenEDGE will “throw everything at him, that’s for sure.”
In some ways what we saw on the Corkscrew yesterday was a little “Col du Galibier moment”. You know you’ve seen something special, one of those defining, decisive rides.
Sure, there might be still three stages to race but in reality only one, matters for GC.
Today will be a virtual day off for GC men as a break will get away and the sprinters get their chance to shine in Victor Harbor. The break should also have enough riders to take care of the intermediate time bonuses.
Sunday is also a largely ceremonial day, as again the sprinters get to play.
That just leaves Saturday and the two climbs of Willunga Hill.
Cadel should go into that stage with his precious 12 second lead. It’s just a case of marking every move Gerrans makes. Even if Gerrans wins on Saturday, as long as Evans finishes second or third, he’ll have a comfortable enough lead to take into the final day.
Not that anyone should be thinking that far ahead.
Bones506
Roar Guru
Agree to disagree. He is definitely in the top tier of competitors.
Kathleen Casey
Guest
Fully agree!
Omega10
Roar Rookie
I assume you are referring to my comment about Gerran's abillity when you refer to gross understatement. My opinion of Gerran's is as relevant as anyone else's. I stand by it. He is a very good professional rider but below the top tier of competitors in ability. You can throw Milan to San Remo and stage wins and yellow jerseys at me but there are guys with less ability than Gerrans who have done the same. It's merely an observation and opinion of 40 years experience watching cycling. Gerrans is great but the constant padding of his reputation does him no favours.
Omega10
Roar Rookie
I stand by what I said. It doesn't have to be taken as an insult. Man for man he is not in Evans' class and has achieved most of what he has through guile and guts. The Tour DownUnder for most of it's existence has been a beefed up training race that Gerrans has turned up to super fit. It suits his style and at the moment it is a very important race for his team so he races to win, unlike many who make the trip from Europe. His wins at San Remo was a victory of guile not strength and his Tour wins have been the same. The difference between being a very good professional rider and a Tour de France was starkly illustrated on Corkscrew Hill.
Marcus Halberstram
Guest
totally
tomness
Guest
I have to agree with Scuba. Whilst I think Gerrans is a fantastic rider and I love watching him ride and win big races, I cannot say he is the best all round rider in the world. A comment like that ignores the palmares of riders like Gilbert, Boonen, Cancellara. Cavendish and of course Cadel. They have all won stages at grand tours, won world and/or national championships, worn the yellow jersey, won shorter stage races and aside from Cadel have won a monument (but of course he has won the tour de france). However it is certainly exciting to be able to watch Gerrans and Cadel, both in form, duke it out for our own tour down under. Great stuff.
James Kennett
Guest
Very well said. I think he frustrates the Journos because he doesn't give sound bites, but when he talks they are words worth hearing.
James Kennett
Guest
Live on Gem in Adelaide. Not sure about Vic.
Bones506
Roar Guru
Fair point on Cav - though Sprinters are supposed to win stages. I still think Gerrans is the best all round rider in the world.
Scuba
Guest
Mark Cavendish has won stages in each of the 3 grand tours, worn the leader's jersey in the Vuelta and the Giro, won Milan San Remo, has been national and world champion on the road. Don't think many would think of the Manx Missile as an "all round rider". That is not to denigrate Gerrans' achievements - he has been a brilliant ambassador for the sport (particularly in Australia) for a long period. I just think it's going too far to describe him as the best "all round rider".
Bones506
Roar Guru
Not sure how it is an overstatement - the only other rider who has the all round package is Sagan and he doesn't have the runs on the board yet. As Justin Notes - Yellow Jersey wearer, stage winner in all 3 Grand Tours, won a 1 day classic, two time national road champion and two time TDU winner.
Scuba
Guest
Not sure responding to a gross understatement of Gerrans' ability with a gross overstatement is going to resolve the matter any time soon.
Bones506
Roar Guru
I think your grossly underestimate Gerrans talents - he is the best all round rider in the world. Bike racing is all about opportunity and exploitation on the road. I expect Evans to hold onto the leaders jersey but Gerrans and OGE will push very hard for intermediate sprints if there is the opportunity to gain bonus seconds and heavily contest the bunch kick.
Justin Curran
Roar Rookie
Gerrans, but a talented opportunist? Don't you think that is a tad unfair? Stage wins in all three grand tours, two time winner of TDU, Milan san remo, yellow jersey wearer at the Tour de France. Not bad for a talented opportunist.
Omega10
Roar Rookie
It certainly hasn't knocked the strut out of Greenedge given some of the nonsense coming out of their camp. Evans has always been in a class of his own when the current generation of Australian cyclists are compared. Gerrans, for all his success is but a talented opportunist. Greenedge have promised to throw everything at Cadel from here but the fact he rode part of the climb in the big chain ring while everyone else pedalled cotton reels suggests Simon and his boys may need a tow rope on Willunga Hill just to stay in contention.
Bones506
Roar Guru
http://wwos.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=8785996
Gremlins
Guest
Would someone please point me in the direction of a telecast of the TDU? Please? It's too far to walk from Gippsland to watch it live. If I can watch (and I do) the TDF, the Giro and the Dauphine, so why can't I watch my own Tour?
TK
Guest
I don't agree that Evans struggles to express himself in words, I find him one of the most interesting sportspeople around. He never speaks in cliches, and takes the time to think about his answers, rather than rushing out the same old predictable lines we hear from footballers and cricketers. He speaks as if he's having a conversation, not addressing the cameras in some manufactured persona.
Tricky Dicky
Guest
I think the dynamic for today and Sunday will change now - breakaways will be hard-fought as Gerrans may want to try for the intermediate sprints. BMC need their fastest guy (Zabel?) to counter any effort by Gerrans to take seconds. The risk for BMC is that it is forseeable that Gerrans (and perhaps Ulissi) will come around Evans at the top of Willunga. Although that would get some seconds back, it won't likely be enough. That also probably means no sprint for Goss or Matthews today or Sunday as it will be all for Gerrans to jag a place at the finish among the sprinters. Love the tactics: one of the best features of bike racing is you need both brains and legs....
Bones506
Roar Guru
Willunga Hill has usually provided the fireworks but the Screw was the place to be this TDU.