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Thursday, January 23, 2025
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2024 Tour de France | 2024 Giro d'Italia
I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice. - Abraham Lincoln
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Current racing:
- January 17 - 26: Tour Down Under
Upcoming racing:
- January 25: Ruta de la Cerámica - Gran Premio Castellón
- January 29 - February 2: Challenge Vuelta a Mallorca
- January 26: Classica Comunitat a Valenciana 1969
- February 2: GP La Marseillaise
Latest completed racing:
- January 3: X20 Trofee Koksijde-Vlaamse Druivenveldrit Cross
- January 1: GP Sven Nys Cross
- December 30: Diegem Cyclocross
- December 26: Gavere Cyclocross
- December 27: Exact Cross Loenhout-Azencross
- December 15: Namur Cyclocross-Citadelcross
- November 17: Flandriencross
- November 3: European Cyclocross Championships
- November 1: X20 Trofee Oudenaarde-Koppenbergcross
We posted the report from stage winner and GC leader Sam Welsford's Team Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe with the results.
Here's the race organizer's report:
Sam Welsford moved a step closer to being crowned the unofficial king of Tanunda after winning back-to-back Santos Tour Down Under stages in the Barossa town on Wednesday.
The Health Partners Stage 2 victory saw Welsford retain the Santos Ochre Leader’s jersey, which he will proudly wear during Thursday’s potential general classification challenging efex Stage 3 from Norwood to Uraidla.
Sam Welsford will start stage three in the orange GC leader's jersey. Sirotti photo
Welsford conquered Tanunda in 2024 to secure his first UCI WorldTour win in his home race but was made to work much harder to claim his fifth stage win of the Santos Tour Down Under after yesterday’s victory at Gumeracha.
The West Australian star looked to be in serious trouble early in the race. He crashed after a touch of wheels about one kilometre from the Health Partners Stage 2 start.
The Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe gun bravely closed out the 128.8km ride with gravel rash across his bottocks and legs and torn knicks before winning a bunch sprint ahead of Arne Marit (Intermarché-Wanty) and Bryan Coquard of Cofidis.
“That was bloody tough out there today, they didn’t make it any easier for me on that (final Menglers Hill) climb,” Welsford said. They (rivals) started launching attacks harder than expected but we had a good chase to get back on. My team worked hard.
“I said to them, ‘Let’s just get to the line and if I'm in front I’m sure I can have a good sprint. The boys did a mega job bringing me back and still did a lead out which is pretty impressive today.”
Welsford’s Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe team was controlling the main peloton at the end of the first lap into Tanunda, unfazed by a three-man breakaway that had a 1 min 42 sec gap.
The main peloton seemingly agreed to slow down with 75.3km before the finish line, in a bid to conserve energy as it appeared the stage was predictably heading towards a bunch sprint finish in Tanunda.
Sensing Welsford was strained following the first kilometre crash and after the last efex King of the Mountain climb, his team pushed hard to ensure the big sprinter was in peak condition for another fast finale.
Welsford made contact with the back of the peloton about 13km from the Tanunda finish line.
After today’s win he holds the Ziptrak sprint jersey too.
ARA Australia’s Fergus Browning keeps the efex King of the Mountain jersey he worked hard for on Tuesday. Browning, 21, sits on 41 KOM points, 36 ahead of teammate Zac Marriage.
Great Britain’s impressive teenager Matthew Brennan (Team Visma-Lease a Bike) held on to the Zwift Young Rider jersey. The 19-year-old sits third in the general classification, just 14 seconds away from Welsford.
Georg Zimmerman (Intermarché-Wanty) claimed the Yamaha Most Competitive title after a superb day where the German wasn’t afraid to continually attack.
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Here’s the report from second-place Arne Marit’s Team Intermarché-Wanty:
This Wednesday 22nd of February, Intermarché-Wanty’s 2025 season is off to a flying start with Arne Marit securing a hard-fought second place on stage two of the Tour Down Under.
Arne Marit sprinted to his second career World Tour podium in Tanunda, only beaten by double stage winner Sam Welsford. The result places Marit, who celebrated his 26th birthday this Monday, second overall in the provisional general classification.
Arne Marit looks across to Sam Welsford, the only rider who beat him in stage two. Sirotti photo
The stage consisted of three laps around Tanunda, featuring the challenging Menglers Hill (2.8km at 6.6%). Early in the race, Georg Zimmermannlaunched an attack with two other riders, earning valuable bonus seconds in the intermediate sprints and currently sits fifth overall. His efforts were recognized with the combativity award.
Stage three from Norwood to Uraidla presents a more explosive profile, with a double ascension of Pound Reserve (2.7km at 7.7%) in the final race hour.
“After missing out on a good result in the first sprint of the season on my birthday yesterday, I’m thrilled with second place today. Things got tough on the third time up Menglers Hill - I got dropped with the other sprinters, but we managed to chase back and to rejoin the peloton with 10 kilometer to go without spending too much energy. I felt fresher than the previous day and my teammates Dion Smith and Dries De Pooter delivered a perfect lead out. This World Tour podium boosts my confidence, I’m eager for the next opportunity.”
Arne Marit
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Here's the Tour Down Under report from Team Picnic-PostNL:
Another sprint opportunity presented itself at Tour Down Under for the second day of racing, but with Menglers Hill coming in the final 30 kilometres, there was always the chance for attacks. Team Picnic PostNL rode brilliantly throughout the day to keep each other safe and on the climb Oscar Onley and Bjoern Koerdt followed the moves, while the rest of the team stuck together around sprint finisher Tobias Lund Andresen.
The peloton closely bunched together. Sirotti photo
Coming into the finale the team bided their time before bringing Lund Andresen and dropping him off on race leader Sam Welsford’s wheel ahead of the last kilometre. In a prime position to open his sprint, Lund Andresen looked set to contest for the win with the team but unfortunately he got squeezed as he opened up his effort, ultimately crossing the line for fifth place.
Team Picnic PostNL coach Matt Winston said: “I think we did a good ride today. The guys showed some nice teamwork; they really looked after and fought for each other throughout the stage. After the climb they came back together in a good way and coming into the sprint we had good commitment and communication. Tobi was coming off of Sam’s [Welsford] wheel and was looking to launch his sprint but got impeded a little bit there and in the end it was fifth place. We got something out of it but had hoped for more.”
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Team Groupama-FDJ had this to say about the second stage:
Wearing the blue jersey of the points classification, by proxy, Matt Walls couldn’t repeat his performance of day 1 (3rd) on Wednesday. In Tanunda, after 128 kilometres, another sprint did conclude the second stage of the Tour Down Under. However, the Briton and his lead-out man Lewis Askey were unable to find their way to the front in the last hectometres, and the sprinter had to settle for tenth place on the line. Thursday, the GC riders will be expected in Uraidla.
Except for the last day in the streets of Adelaide, the peloton of the Tour Down Under tackled the shortest stage of the race on Wednesday. Just one hundred and twenty-eight kilometres were to be covered around Tanunda, but the climb of Menglers Hills (2.8 km at 6.6%), featuring three times on the course, including with just twenty-three kilometres to go, was supposed to spice up the day’s menu. Supposedly.
In fact, the day turned out to be calmer than expected, first with a three-man breakaway including Fergus Browning, Patrick Konrad, and Georg Zimmermann, which the peloton serenely controlled. “It was a traditional scenario,” said Jussi Veikkanen. “We expected a bit more racing given the course and the wind, but that didn’t happen.” The break was also reeled in quite early, forty-five kilometres from the finish, while the tension was increasing as the final time up Menglers Hills approached.
Stage two gets underway.
But there again, the battle didn’t last long, for a very simple reason. “There was quite a strong headwind on the last climb, which calmed everyone down,” explained Jussi. “A few teams wanted to make it hard, the leader Sam Welsford was dropped and ended up in a small group, but it all came back together afterwards. The climb didn’t do that much damage, and I think a lot of riders were also saving themselves for tomorrow.” Lewis Askey and Rémy Rochas proved attentive on the climb, while Quentin Pacher had to make an intense chase after a mechanical problem on the way back to Tanunda. “It was close,” said Jussi. “The commissaires had already blocked the cars because Welsford was dropped, and Quentin ended up with the leader and his teammates after changing bikes. He came back but it was a close call.” As for the Australian, he took advantage of his return to the peloton to take part in the sprint… and win it.
Well positioned by Clément Davy, Lewis Askey and Matt Walls were however unable to make their effort in the last kilometre, and the English sprinter couldn’t find his way through and really fight for the top positions. “Some riders slowed down in front of Matt, he got boxed in and couldn’t do his sprint,” Jussi commented. “He had some regrets at the finish. It’s a shame but that’s part of cycling. Lewis and Matt had a good chat at the finish, they were on the same page, so it’s a good thing. Let’s move forward!” Before another potential sprint, they will have to face the punchy finish towards Uraidla on Thursday, where a 2,700-metre climb averaging almost 8% will come just six kilometres from the finish. “The third and fifth stages are the hardest,” Jussi recalled. “We can’t win the Tour Down Under tomorrow, but we can lose it. We’ll need to be up there.”
Here's the report from Best Young Rider Matthew Brennan's Team Visma | Lease a Bike:
Matthew Brennan could not sprint for victory in the second stage of the Santos Tour Down Under. The young Brit, who sprinted to a podium place in the first stage, fell short of a good classification in the final. Sam Welsford again proved the strongest in the sprint.
Matthew Brennan will start stage three in white. Sirotti photo
With Brennan leading the young riders classification but without Dylan van Baarle, the yellow-and-black formation started the second stage of the Santos Tour Down Under. Soon, three riders took the lead. The riders created a lead of up to three minutes but were caught by the chasing peloton before the final climb of Menglers Hill.
On the final climb of the day, the pace picked up, and several riders had to let the peloton go. Nevertheless, a large group remained, including a strong Brennan and Tijmen Graat. In the hectic final kilometers, Brennan was well positioned by his teammates, but the young Brit was ultimately unable to sprint for the victory. Brennan does retain the lead in the young riders classification.
“It was a hectic final”, Brennan looks back. “On the final climb, we did a great job as a team, but unfortunately, I couldn't finish it in the finale. There are still a few stages where there are opportunities, and I'm looking forward to tomorrow's stage. It's a tough stage, and I'm curious to see how far I can get there.”
Sport director Addy Engels shares the young British rider's opinion. “We did very well as a team on the final climb. Unfortunately, we didn't manage to drop the pure sprinters, and in the end, it became a bunch sprint with all the top sprinters together. Brennan was still in a good position for a long time, but in the end, couldn't sprint for the win.”
Tomorrow, with the queen stage, another challenge awaits for the young formation of Team Visma | Lease a Bike. “I expect other teams to get involved in the race tomorrow. We will, of course, do our best to support Tom Gloag as best we can", Engels concluded his story.
And here's the Tour Down Under stage two report from Team Soudal Quick-Step:
Tanunda, the small town located some 60 kilometers from Adelaide, welcomed the peloton for the fourth consecutive time at the Tour Down Under, with a 128.8km hilly loop that didn’t bring any significant changes to the rankings.
A crash right in the middle of the bunch just seconds after the start saw several riders hit the ground, including James Knox, but fortunately the Brit was soon back up and able to continue the race. Moments after those involved in the pile-up returned, three men jumped away and established a breakaway whose 2:20 maximum advantage allowed them to stay off the front until the last 44 kilometers of the day.
The day's three-man break with Georg Zimmermann, Patrick Konrad & Fergus Browning.
Menglers Hill (2.8km, 6.7%) was the main difficulty of the day, featuring three times on the course, but despite the accelerations that came near the top last time up, the peloton remained as one. More attacks followed on the descent, as several riders tried opening a gap before the teams got themselves organised, but nothing could prevent another bunch sprint in Tanunda, where Sam Welsford (Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe) took the victory.
For the second day in a row, Andrea Raccagni was the first Soudal Quick-Step rider home. After a solid job of his teammates in the closing kilometers of the stage, the 20-year-old neo-pro came close to his first top ten finish in the World Tour, concluding the stage in 12th place, a result that helped him move up to 17th on the overall standings.
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