On the Rivet

...a look at who's riding fast this week

Crikey!

Critter crossing

The world tour gets under way down under as the first big points of the season are up for grabs. The teams are set and bikes are tuned lets hit the road.  No shortage of Wiskota riders at the Tour Down Under, some are even calling this the race's strongest startlist ever.  Let's check it out, Wiskota!

They should climb this

They have managed to make this race kind of fun with the inclusion of punchy climbs, the exclusion of a TT and some tough roads before the sprint finishes.  One of my favorite stages is back again this year.  The long drag up to the finish line in Stirling has made for some good racing.  Will the climbers go fast enough to drop all sprinters like in 2014?  Will a few fast men make it up the hill with enough juice left for the sprint, like last year? Or could this be the launching pad for the overall winner like in 2013?  Another cool stage is stage 3 with the corckscrew climb coming in the last 10 k of the race.  Ripp it up this just long enough climb, descend to the end and out sprint the hand full of riders who could follow.  At least that's what Geraint Thomas did in 2013.   

Epic Massive?

So, some twists and turns, mostly group finishes, how do we determine the winner of this thing?  Willunga! This is the closest thing they've got to a mountain here so lets climb it twice.  The winner here is almost always the overall winner.  The climbers will give it there best here.   

How to watch

6 bucks at Franklin Nicollet Liquors
Oh, the memories

The race is on Universal HD this year (not Universal Sports) and Willunga is Saturday.  With a little tape delay I'll turn that into some prime time action.  This race is actually right in the middle of the best wine region in Australia, so yeah, go ahead and pop a bottle from the Barossa valley.  Of course, they know a thing or two about beer in Australia, mostly drinking it.  I spose a Foster's Oil Can  could be festive.  As for food, a little Vegemite never killed anyone, but I'll stick to Outback.  A blooming onion with extra didgeridoo sauce please. 

Predictions

Obligatory Opera House Photo

Who are the favorites here?  There are a couple of ways to look at it.  Plenty of fast finishes with time bonuses.  Will one sprinter dominate?  None of the top guys are here so look to the like's of Nizzolo, Wippert, Lobato maybe even Ewan to take a stage or two.  Climby fast finishes like Stirling and Corkscrew could give a punchier rider a chance for overall, look to Gerrans (who has done it 3 times already), Ullisi, G, Bennet. maybe even Arredondo.  Willunga remains for the real climbers, Porte, Dennis, Henao, Pozzo, maybe even Hesjedal.  Tons of dark horses as its early in the season and the race has a kind of open format.  Look to Fernadez, Ladies Love cool Sanch, Machado, and Meyer for GC and Reinen, Boom and dare I say TyTy Farrar in the sprints.  Super sneaky pick: Moreno Moser on Corkscrew.

How it could happen: Its summer down under and most Aussies are busy throwing another shrimp on the barbie, but instead Rory "King of Chillcoot" Sutherland has been climbing Corkscrew and Willunga everyday.  We'll drop him on Willunga they say, but he's not going so easily.  Those bonus seconds pay off and Movistar takes a surprise win. 

How it might happen:  Its summer down under and the billabong has nearly dried up, but that won't stop Diego Ullisi from waltzing matilda right up corkscrew hill.  We'll drop him on Willunga they say, but he took bonus seconds in Stirling as well, and after the dust settles Ullisi holds on by the slimmest of margins giving Dynamic an early season lead.  

How it will happen:  Its summer down under and the blokes are looking for sheelas to have a root, but team BMC is ready to go off like a frog in a sock.  We'll drop them on Willunga they say, and the likes of Henao and Pozzovivo are like a shag on a rock.  Porte and Dennis look fit as a Mallee bull while Geraint looks like he's going to chunder.  BMC goes 1,2, they're stoked and Bob the neo-pro slams some neck oil.  Translation  

WISKOTA!