"The first two stages should be pretty straight forward and should be settled in bunch sprints," Mitchelton-Scott's head sports director, Matt White, tells Cyclingnews. "That said, the weather will always influence the day at a race like the Tour Down Under. It's basically hot or really hot, but the strength of the wind will determine how stressful a day it will turn out to be.
"Stage 1 is very flat but has many kilometres of open and exposed roads, and that's where the heat and the wind will factor in. We have started in Port Adelaide many a time but never finished there so the run-in and circuits will be new for all. There are several small climbs and descents in the first half of the race, but the break should be quick to go, and expect a rider from the national team from UniSA to be in there for sure."
-
Pan-Am Cyclocross Championships: Eric Brunner wins fourth consecutive title
USA sweeps elite men's podium with Curtis White in second and Andrew Strohmeyer in third -
Patrick Bevin retires despite contract with DSM-Firmenich-PostNL for 2025
Kiwi thanks team for their support 'throughout an extremely tough last two seasons' -
Pan-Am Cyclocross Championships: Sidney McGill edges Isabella Holmgren for elite women's title
USA's Katie Clouse earns bronze in three-rider sprint finish -
Shirin van Anrooij sidelined for six months while recovering from iliac artery endofibrosis surgery
'After some hard months on and off the bike, we finally got to the bottom of what was causing me problems in my left leg' says Lidl-Trek rider, expected to return to road racing in May
