Wednesday 21 January 2015 07:06, UK
We take a look at the route for the 2015 season opener as Team Sky chase more Australian success.
After three months without racing, the 2015 UCI WorldTour gets under way in the sunny climes of Australia at the Santos Tour Down Under (January 20-25).
The six-day race has become increasingly hilly in recent years and the 17th edition will once again favour the climbers.
Team Sky have been consistent performers since making their debut at the race in 2010. With at least a top-five finish on each occasion, in addition to five stage wins, a strong squad will be hoping for more of the same.
Richie Porte will be looking to improve on fourth place last season, with former 'TDU' stage winners Chris Sutton and Geraint Thomas also on hand. Luke Rowe and Ian Stannard return to the race while Pete Kennaugh and Salvatore Puccio make their Down Under debuts.
The race is preceded by the People’s Choice Classic - a criterium made up of 30 laps of a 1.7km circuit - on Sunday, January 18.
Stage 1: Tuesday, January 20 – Tanunda to Campbelltown – 132.6km
The race opens up with an undulating first stage that should end in a bunch sprint. The day’s lone climb is the category-two ascent of Checker Hill, but it summits more than 28km from the finish, so any sprinters distanced will have ample opportunity to tag back on in time for the flat and straight finish in Campbelltown, north-east of central Adelaide.
TV coverage: Live on Sky Sports 1 HD between 0130-0330.
Stage 2: Wednesday, January 21 – Unley to Stirling – 150.5km
Day two should once again end in a sprint, albeit one contested by a potentially reduced bunch made up mainly of climbers. The last 3km are largely flat, but the road to that finale rises gradually uphill and if the speed is cranked up, riders could start to get dropped and the punchy climbers will move to the fore.
TV coverage: Live on Sky Sports 1 HD between 0230-0430.
Stage 3: Thursday, January 22 – Norwood to Paracombe – 143.2km
The general classification will get its first shake-up on this uphill stage finish. The day undulates for the opening 130km, before descending down into Paracombe and then back up for what should be a frantic finale in which positioning is vital. The stage’s only King of the Mountain, the 1.2km category-one Torrens Hill Road, tops out with just 400m to go, from which point those riders left at the front of the field will sprint for the line and the bonus points on offer.
TV coverage: Live on Sky Sports 1 HD between 0230-0430.
Stage 4: Friday, January 23 – Glenelg to Mt Barker – 144.5km
A day ending on Mt Barker sounds like a summit finish, but actually stage four is another for the sprinters. The route undulates for the best part of 141km but then the road straightens out and flattens out for a fast 3km dash to the line. The only stumbling block for the fast men could be a small uncategorised climb out of Echunga. If they can’t keep pace here, there are only a handful of kilometres left to the finish so it could be tricky to catch back up.
TV coverage: Live on Sky Sports 1 HD between 0300-0500.
Stage 5: Saturday, January 24 – McLaren Vale to Willunga Hill – 151.5km
The queen stage of this year’s race is also the longest and will have a big, if not decisive, say on who wins the race overall. The crux of the stage is the double ascent of the 3.5km-long, category-one Willunga Hill. The first time up could split the field, but it is on the second visit where the general classification favourites will start attacking each other and the stage is won and lost. Richie Porte won this stage solo last year but couldn’t quite put enough time into leader Gerrans to prise away the ochre jersey.
TV coverage: Live on Sky Sports 1 HD between 0030-0430.
Stage 6: Sunday, January 25 – Adelaide to Adelaide – 90km
With the general classification all but decided, the race ends with a flat criterium in central Adelaide that is almost certain to end in a bunch sprint. It is made up of 20 laps of a 4.5km circuit.
TV coverage: Live on Sky Sports 1 HD between 0230-0500.
