Mention Australian success at Grand Tours and most people’s thoughts turn to Cadel Evans’ triumph at the 2011 Tour de France.
A few of the older among us may hark back to the days when Phil Anderson became the first Aussie to take a spin in the maillot jaune, while others still will be able to rattle off the names of various stage winners.
But while the 2011 Tour was a momentous occasion for cycling in this country, the 2010 Giro d’Italia takes some beating if you are looking at overall race performance.
In fact, it remains the pinnacle of Australian participation at Grand Tour level, and will probably remain so for many years to come.
14 Australian riders appeared on the start list, which was quite remarkable considering there was not yet an Australian team on the scene to significantly boost numbers. This year, 10 Aussies will begin day one in Belfast, half of which belong to Orica-GreenEDGE.
The 14 riders of 2010 were spread across 10 teams and their influence on the race was impossible to ignore. Some of the more enthusiastic among us might even have called it a domination!
Cadel Evans provided the race with its most memorable moment when he slipped and slid his way to victory in atrocious conditions in the stage from Carrara to Montalcino. With torrential rain turning the Strade Bianche to mud, Evans fought a truly epic battle against Alexandre Vinokourov and Damiano Cunego to claim one of his five podium places for the race.
The future Tour winner would go onto finish fifth overall and claim the points classification, but he was only part of the story.
Controversial climber Matthew Lloyd soloed to victory over the Bedizzano after leaving his breakaway companion behind with 11 kilometres to go and Matthew Goss sprinted to glory over Filippo Pozzato and Tyler Farrar on one of the flat stages.
The three stage wins came in the space of four days, an effort that eclipses Orica-GreenEDGE’s two stage wins in two days at last year’s Tour. Lloyd’s victory helped him claim the mountains classification, while Goss visited the podium on another two occasions.
The 2010 Giro will also be remembered for the discovery of Richie Porte. The Tasmanian was an unknown neo-pro until he managed to get into a large breakaway that was foolishly given too much leeway by the peloton. The break finished more than 12 minutes ahead of the group led by race leader Vinokourov, resulting in Porte becoming the unlikely recipient of the coveted pink jersey.
He would hold the jersey for three more days before finishing seventh overall and claiming the best young rider classification.
In summary, this is how the Giro class of 2010 performed:
Of the 14 riders who lined up at the 2010 Giro, only Evans (BMC), Adam Hansen (Lotto Belisol) and Chris Sutton (Sky) will line-up this year. They will be joined by the Orica-GreenEDGE contingent of Luke Durbridge, Michael Hepburn, Brett Lancaster, Michael Matthews and Cameron Meyer as well as David Tanner (Belkin) and Nathan Haas (Garmin Sharp).
It is a handy group of riders and stage wins beckon, but will they be good enough (and get the opportunities) to challenge the achievements of the 2010 group?
Evans has every chance to at least equal his 2010 performance. There is still some fight left in the old dog and the inclusion of some decent individual time trial kilometres should see him peg back time lost in the mountains to the likes of Joaquim Rodriguez and Nairo Quintana.
Yes, his time trial form has been patchy of late, but Cuddles is a determined character and fuelled with the knowledge that this may well be his last Grand Tour, he’ll leave nothing out on the road.
While stage wins might be beyond the ageing star, consistent riding should see him matching, if not bettering, his fifth overall of 2010.
Michael Matthews appears to be Australia’s best chance at claiming a stage. The young sprinter brought home two victories from last year’s Vuelta a Espana and will like his chances here. He faces stiff opposition from Marcel Kittel, but the depth of sprinters falls away after that and one mistake from the German sensation will see the likes of Matthews or Frenchman Nacer Bouhanni strike.
I predict he will cover Goss’s achievements of 2010.
Luke Durbridge and Michael Hepburn will be thereabouts in the time trials and may threaten the podium, while Cameron Meyer and Nathan Haas are the wild cards, capable of almost anything given the right situations. Haas in particular is a versatile rider who, if given his chance, can conquer almost any terrain.
Adam Hansen, that diesel engine from Belkin, is lining up for his umpteenth Grand Tour in a row. It has been said that this year he can ride his own race, taking opportunities as they come along, and it is just reward for one of the hardest working men in the pro peloton.
These riders are the ones most likely to bring success and glory to Australia at this year’s Giro and while they may equal or even surpass the 2010 tally of three stage wins, I doubt they have the firepower to walk away with three of the classifications jerseys as well.
It will be fun watching them try though.
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