Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Saturday, January 4, 2020
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2019 Tour de France | 2019 Giro d'Italia
How much more grievous are the consequences of anger than the causes of it. - Marcus Aurelius
Upcoming racing:
- Jan 19-26: Schwalbe Classic & Tour Down Under
- Jan 20-26: La Tropicale Amissa Bongo
- Jan 26 Feb 2: Vuelta a San Juan
- Jan 30-Feb 2: Challenge Illes Balears
- Feb 2: Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race
- Feb 2: GP la Marseillaise
- Feb 22: GP Leuven
Latest completed racing:
- Jan 1: GP Sven Nys
- Dec 29: Superprestige Diegen
- Dec 27: Azencross
- Dec 26: World Cup Heusden-Zolder
- Dec 22: World Cup, Namur
- Dec 15: Vlaamse Druivencross
- Dec 7: IKO Cyclocross-Essen
Santos Tour Down Under start list coming together
The organizer sent me the following two emails:
The following six teams competing at the 2020 Santos Women's Tour Down Under have confirmed their list of riders that will take to the start line later this month.
CANYON SRAM (GER)
•Tiffany CROMWELL (AUS)
•Tanja ERATH (GER)
•Ella HARRIS (NZL)
•Hannah LUDWIG (GER)
•Jessica PRATT (AUS)
•Alexis RYAN (USA)
Ale BTC Ljubljana (ITA)
•Maaike BOOGAARD (NED)
•Tatiana GUDERZO (ITA)
•Anastasiia CHURSINA (SLO)
•Jutatip MANEEPHAN (THA)
•Urska PINTAR (SLO)
•Anna TREVISI (ITA)
FDJ NOUVELLE-AQUITAINE FUTUROSCOPE
•Brodie CHAPMAN (AUS)
•Shara GILLOW (AUS)
•Maelle GROSSETETE (FRA)
•Victorie GUILMAN (FRA)
•Lauren KITCHEN (AUS)
•Jade WIEL (FRA)
TEAM TIBCO-SILICON VALLEY BANK (USA)
•Lauren STEPHENS (USA)
•Shannon MALSEED (AUS)
•Sarah GIGANTE (AUS)
•Jenelle CROOKS (NZL)
•Sharlotte LUCAS (NZL)
•Nina KESSLER (NED)
VANTAGE NEW ZEALAND NATIONAL TEAM (NZL)
•Bryony BOTHA (NZL)
•Racquel SHEATH (NZL)
•Nicole SHIELDS (NZL)
•Rushlee BUCHANAN (NZL)
•Jessie HODGES (NZL)
•Ally WOLLASTON (NZL)
ROXSOLT ATTAQUER (AUS)
•Justine BARROW (AUS)
•Peta Mullens (AUS)
•Emily HERFOSS (AUS)
•Bree WILSON (AUS)
•Emma CHILTON (AUS)
•Madeline WRIGHT (AUS)
And for the men's race:
AG2R LA MONDIALE, Cofidis Solutions Credit and CCC Team have confirmed their squads that will take to the start line of the 2020 Santos Tour Down Under
AG2R LA MONDIALE (FRA)
Romain Bardet, racing for AG2R LA MONDIALE, will line up at the Santos Tour Down Under for the first time in 2020. The 29-year-old climber’s notable achievements include two podium finishes at the Tour de France, second in 2016 and third in 2017, winning individual stages in 2015, 2016 and 2017.
•Romain BARDET (FRA)
•Geoffery BOUCHARD (FRA)
•Clement CHEVRIER (FRA)
•Axel DOMONT (FRA)
•Ben GASTAUER (LUX)
•Andrea VENDRAME (ITA)
•Lawrence WARBASSE (USA)
COFIDIS SOLUTIONS CREDIT (FRA)
Elia Viviani returns to the Santos Tour Down Under in new colours, joining Cofidis Solutions Credit for the 2020 season. Viviani won the opening stage of the 2019 Tour Down Under and took Stage 3 line honours in 2018.
Elia Viviani wins stage one of the 2019 Tour Down Under. Sirotti photo
•Elia VIVIANI (ITA)
•Simone CONSONNI (ITA)
•Nathan HAAS (AUS)
•Mathias LE TURNIER (FRA)
•Marco MATHIS (GER)
•Fabio SABATINI (ITA)
•Kenneth VAN BILSEN (BEL)
CCC TEAM (USA)
Patrick Bevin, who wore the Santos ochre leader’s jersey for four days at the 2019 Tour Down Under and won Stage 2 in a sprint finish, returns as CCC Team’s leader. The 28-year-old New Zealander is chasing victory in his fifth consecutive appearance at the event.
•Patrick BEVIN (NZL)
•Josef CERNY (POL)
•Simon GESCHKE (GER)
•Joseph ROSSKOPF (USA)
•Szymon SANJOK (POL)
•Francisco VENTOSO (ESP)
•Lukasz WISNIOWSKI (POL)
Patrick Bevin motivated for a strong season debut at the Santos Tour Down Under
Bevin's CCC Team sent me this:
January 3, 2019: After winning a stage and wearing the ochre jersey for four days in 2019, Patrick Bevin will return to the Santos Tour Down Under as CCC Team’s leader when racing gets underway on January 21.
Bevin will have the support of an experienced team as he looks to repeat his breakthrough performance of 2019, Sports Director Jackson Stewart said.
“Looking at this year’s race route, a major difference from last year’s edition is the finish in Paracombe on Stage 3. I think we could see the explosive climbers gain some valuable time and bonus seconds for the General Classification, as in the past. I expect the GC teams will take control of the race earlier with that deciding stage coming halfway through the race,” Stewart explained.
“We are bringing a strong and motivated roster to support Patrick Bevin, who showed what he is capable of in 2019. We started the season at the Tour Down Under better than many expected I think, and naturally we want to win a stage this year after last year’s success. But, it’s a new year and a new race. We have the motivation and confidence from last year’s performance but, we expect a strong field and won’t be lining up as the favorites.”
A surprise victory on stage two in 2019 saw Bevin outsprint the likes of Peter Sagan and Caleb Ewan and net the first WorldTour win of the New Zealander’s career.
Patrick Bevin wins stage two of the 2019 Tour Down Under. Sirotti photo
Bevin returns with unfinished business after a nasty crash on stage five all but ended his chances of defending the ochre jersey on the final day of racing.
“I’m really looking forward to getting the 2020 season underway at the Santos Tour Down Under. It was nice to win a stage last year, lead the race for the best part of the week, and come away with the points jersey. But, being so close to the overall win is always going to be a tough memory for me. I take confidence knowing I was close and I can be close again,” Bevin said.
“I think we’re in for a harder Tour Down Under this year but I really like the course. I’m happy that they have brought the Stirling finish back as I like that stage, it’s a really hard one. Overall, I think it will be a tougher race and the battle for bonus seconds will be on from stage one but they will be harder to come by.”
CCC Team will arrive in Adelaide on January 5 for a two-week training camp to acclimatize to the Australian summer conditions.
Santos Tour Down Under (21-26 January)
Rider roster: Patrick Bevin (NZ), Josef Černý (CZE), Simon Geschke (GER), Szymon Sajnok (POL), Joey Rosskopf (USA), Francisco Ventoso (ESP), Łukasz Wišniowski (POL).
Sports Director: Jackson Stewart (USA)
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