The Tour Down Under is the perfect curtain-raiser for the men’s World Tour season.
Gone are the days, however, when six days racing around Adelaide were treated as almost a holiday for the sport’s elite. As the 2024 event showed, this is a race full of challenges. It’s a race that can give your season an early boost, or dampen hopes, where new stars can emerge and storylines begin to be written for the year ahead.
This year’s race included several stand-out moments; like Isaac del Toro’s (UAE Team Emirates) perfectly timed attack on stage two, Sam Welsford’s (Bora-Hansgrohe) sprinting masterpiece and the measured, unshakeable performance of Stephen Williams (Israel – Premier Tech) to take the overall crown.
Besides, these were the lesser-seen elements that make the Tour Down Under what it is; like wheelies on Willunga, quirky murals and the picturesque Adelaide landscape as the backdrop.
Tour Down Under Stage 1
George Bennett chats with his new Sports Director Sam Bewley on his first day in an Israel-Premier Tech jersey
Nick Schultz of Israel-Premier Tech leads the bunch as they roll through the vineyards near Tanunda, where stage one started and finished.
The peloton cruise past a row of palm trees.
Team Visma – Lease a Bike lead the peloton down a fast descent.
Latvia’s Emils Liepns (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL) feeling the heat on the first day of racing.
The salt marks on Stefan de Bod’s skinsuit looked like they were part of EF Education-Easypost’s new jersey design.
Tour Down Under Stage 2
Stage one winner and overnight leader Sam Welsford (Bora-Hansgrohe) looking confident as he prepares for the second day of racing.
The riders went climbing in the Adelaide hills on stage two.
The lone figure of Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty) cuts through another Adelaide vineyard wearing the white jersey as the best young rider.
The peloton swings round a looping left-hand bend, led by the Australian national team.
Young Australian Luke Burns (Australian National Team) in the breakaway. He secured vital points in the battle for the King of the Mountains jersey.
Young…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at CyclingNews RSS Feed…