While the cyclocross season is still in full swing, after two corona years we can speak of a normal cycling season again. That means: starting in Australia, with the WorldTour course Tour Down Under. And In de Leiderstrui wants to tell you all about that! The Tour Down Under has developed over the past two decades into a fixture in the WorldTour. Although the competition is very early on the annual calendar, many European top athletes like to travel to Australia. The conditions – both organizational and meteorological – are therefore very good.

Start Tour Down Under

Completely against the tradition of the last editions, the Tour Down Under starts with a prologue in Adelaide. This will be 5.5 kilometers long, but it is a relatively unusual one: the riders have to complete the prologue on their regular bicycle, as it was an impossible task to get all those time trial bicycles from Europe to Australia. The organization of the Tour Down Under has converted the absence of recent years into a new kind of course. Where you could previously set the clock right that the round contained a few sprint stages and the classic ride to Willunga Hill, a much heavier route has been chosen for 2023. One for the punchers, which undoubtedly includes the characteristics of local hero Michael Matthews.

Competition

The competition seems to come mainly from INEOS Grenadiers, which has traveled to Australia with a very strong team. Ethan Hayter is then the man who has to compete against Matthews, although it also seems plausible that versatile drivers such as Australian champion Luke Plapp and Magnus Sheffield can benefit from this. Bookmakers believe a free bet offer for Luke Plapp is the best option at the moment. Geraint Thomas seems to be there mainly as a helper, especially since he is recovering from an infection.