Plenty of water has passed under the bridge for Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) since he claimed that Tour Down Under crown in 2023, including a ‘life-changing’ crash, but there is no question of his place on the favourites list, not given how powerful his recovery to date has been.
The Australian returned from that horrific Itzulia Basque Country crash in April last year to finish the season with a win a time trial stage at Vuelta a Burgos, the mountains classification at La Vuelta a España and a mixed team time trial gold medal at the Road World Championships. What's more, he has just started the Australian summer racing with a close-run second place in the race against the clock at the National Championships. Vine, however, was still understandably circumspect when asked what, for him, constitutes a good Tour Down Under this year
“I'm less than 12 months out from a life-changing crash, so I'm just taking every race in my stride, really looking forward to enjoying my time here,” he said in the pre-race media conference on Monday. ”It's already been a really, really nice summer in Australia but this is January – this will be six days of a 70-odd race day calendar. So to not blow everything in the first six days. That'd be good.”
Vine said he was in a similar position to when he last came to the race but was also quick to point out that his team’s chances didn’t rest entirely on his shoulders in the race which will run over six stages from Tuesday. Vine, who delivered the ochre leader’s jersey in his very first race with the new squad in 2023, is this year the one welcoming in a new teammate at the Tour Down Under, Jhonatan Narváez, who last year made his mark while racing with Ineos Grenadiers at the event.
“You know, Johnny came second last year so we've got two options,” said Vine. “So even if I muck it up, we've got someone else that can … step up.”
The rider that fits in the category of ‘fast sprinter guy’ is a welcome pairing for Vine, who relishes the challenge the combination presents to his rivals.
“I think it suits exactly what my style of racing is to have him on the team. I mean, they have a unique situation that I have a guy that is a threat on GC that people aren't going to want to ride within the wheel and who can be there in the select group as well. I don't think it's going to be very easy for other teams to attack us.” Vine told Cyclingnews earlier on Monday. “I'm really excited to have him race alongside me.”
The terrain last year, however, was perhaps one that more obviously played into the strengths of Narváez with bonus time a crucial factor in the GC battle and a fast turn of speed of course being a handy tool to help sweep those up.
This year the set-up appears to lean more toward the climbers who’ll get their first taste of uphill at little more than 10km into the racing with the Kangaroo Creek Reservoir, Paracombe KOM though stage 1 is ultimately expected to be for the sprinters. The GC days are expected to really kick off on stage 3, when Knots HIll will make its debut, and the final chance for a serious reshuffle is expected to come on stage 5, which finishes on top of Willunga Hill.
“I definitely think better than last year,” Vine told Cyclingnews when asked whether this year’s race route suited him. “Last year's course wasn't the hardest – I mean, if I had my way, we'd be doing Paracombe, Corkscrew, Knots Hill, Willunga and Lofty and there'd be no sprinters stages… and maybe a prologue up Norton Summit as well,” quipped Vine.
Though even if this year’s course doesn’t quite match up to this dream scenario, after 2023 Vine is setting off into this edition with good memories and a chance to make even more.
