Tour Down Under **SPOILERS**

[rich p]

Sunday sees the start of the first race proper of the new season. Never the most exciting but at least a harbinger of better things to come.
Richie Porte for the win? Cadel's last hurrah?

 

[thom]

Porte to carry off the winnings.
He's been knocking at the door of this sort of thing for a while....

 

[rich p]

Just realised that it starts on the 20th - it's that one day crit thing on the Sunday.
...and it's on Sky not Eurosport - grrrrr!

 

[Berk on a Bike]

Anyone else think Astana are fielding a strong team? Sanchez, Boom, Westra, Cataldo... Surely they can't spoil Cuddles' leaving party?

 

[zimzum42]

Did today's stage happen? Can't find results anywhere!

 

[zophiel]

Hopefully

Anyone else think Astana are fielding a strong team? Sanchez, Boom, Westra, Cataldo... Surely they can't spoil Cuddles' leaving party?

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Did today's stage happen? Can't find results anywhere!

http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/santos-tour-down-under-2015/stage-1/results

 

[themosquitoking]

Really bad highlights package on Sky, i know they didn't edit it but what a mess.

 

[Berk on a Bike]

GCN have a brief highlights package of stage one and presumably the others will follow

 

[Flying_Monkey]

That was a great finish by Bobridge - admittedly, it's the kind of thing that probably won't happen in the bigger races later in the season, but a superb effort for the home favourite nevertheless...

 

[rich p]

I'm not sure how many races Uni-SA will be doing - a bit of a drop in standard for Bobridge.

Lobato takes stage 2 from the doper Impey.

Kittel seems to be following the same strategy as last year by winning the crit and then coasting the rest of the week.

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Kittel seems to be following the same strategy as last year by winning the crit and then coasting the rest of the week.

He'll be strutting around looking buff

 

[rich p]

I'm not sure how many races Uni-SA will be doing - a bit of a drop in standard for Bobridge

p.s. His Wiki entry says that he's riding for a team called Low Cost Forklifts or summink.

 

[Berk on a Bike]

Budget Forklifts are an Oceanic continental team. UniSA-Australia are, I think, the equivalent of a GB team riding the Tour of Britain; it gets some homegrown talent in the race. Steele von Hoff is riding UniSA-Australia too even though he's with NFTO.

 

[rich p]

Budget Forklifts are an Oceanic continental team. UniSA-Australia are, I think, the equivalent of a GB team riding the Tour of Britain; it gets some homegrown talent in the race. Steele von Hoff is riding UniSA-Australia too even though he's with NFTO.

Ah, okay thanks.