porte looks to keep tour down under trophy
Last Updated : GMT 05:17:37
Emiratesvoice, emirates voice
Emiratesvoice, emirates voice
Last Updated : GMT 05:17:37
Emiratesvoice, emirates voice

in Aussie hands

Porte looks to keep Tour Down Under trophy

Emiratesvoice, emirates voice

Emiratesvoice, emirates voice Porte looks to keep Tour Down Under trophy

Richie Porte
Adelaide - Emiratesvoice

Australia's Richie Porte will head into this week's Tour Down Under in South Australia as the clear favourite to win the UCI season-opening event for the second consecutive year.

Porte stormed to a 48-second win over Colombian rider Estevan Chavez in the 2017 edition to claim his maiden victory in the race, the fourth year in a row that an Australian won the title.

The race, which this year celebrates its 20th anniversary, takes place in the south of the country on the streets of Adelaide and through the surrounding countryside.

It begins on Tuesday with a 145-kilometre stage from Port Adelaide to the Barossa Valley wine-growing town of Lyndoch, and finishes on Sunday with a street race through inner city Adelaide.

The race will once again feature its iconic penultimate stage which has two climbs up Willunga Hill, where tens of thousands of fans line the road in scenes reminiscent of the Tour De France mountain stages.

This stage is also where the race is often decided, as it was in 2017 when Porte left all the other riders in his wake to open an insurmountable lead.

However, the Tasmanian downplayed his chances this year.

"I would love to win another Willunga," he said. "For me personally, it would be a great way to start the season, and try to win this race again."

Porte will be supported in the race by a strong BMC Racing team that includes 2015 winner Rohan Dennis and four-time champion Simon Gerrans, who has moved over to the US-based team from Australian outfit Michelton-Scott (formerly Orica GreenEDGE).

The Australian riders are always heavily favoured in the Tour Down Under as they are coming off their national titles, whereas the international riders have not raced since October.

Porte's main rivals for the general classification are likely to be fellow Australians Dennis, Jay McCarthy (Bora-Hansgrohe), and Nathan Haas (Katusha-Alpecin).

McCarthy finished third behind Porte and Chavez last year, while Haas was fourth.

The international challenge will be headed by Dutchman Tom-Jelte Slagter, the 2013 champion who now rides for African team Dimension Data, Portugal's Rui Costa (UAE Emirates) and Spanish brothers Ion and Gorka Izagirre (Bahrain Merida).

World champion Peter Sagan, who won the warm-up race on Sunday ahead of Greipel and Ewen, could also feature, however, the Slovakian said he is in Adelaide to support his Bora-Hansgrohe team-mate McCarthy.

The race for the sprint title could prove equally as interesting as the general classification, with 16-time stage winner Andre Greipel (Lotto Soudal) expected to battle it out with rising Australian star Caleb Ewen (Michelton-Scott), Italian Elia Viviani (Quick-Step Floors) and Ireland's Sam Bennett (Bora-Hansgrohe).

GMT 08:04 2018 Tuesday ,23 January

Smith rejects ball-tampering suggestions

GMT 07:36 2018 Monday ,22 January

Kane strikes but Spurs drop points

GMT 07:29 2018 Monday ,22 January

Golf: Garcia stamps class in Singapore

GMT 07:08 2018 Monday ,22 January

Napoli edge Atalanta to extend Serie A lead

GMT 09:31 2018 Sunday ,21 January

Impey steals surprise Tour Down

GMT 05:33 2018 Saturday ,20 January

Kyrgios topples idol Tsonga in electric clash

GMT 05:31 2018 Saturday ,20 January

calls for greater Slam prize money

GMT 07:43 2018 Friday ,19 January

to host WTA Finals until 2028
Emiratesvoice, emirates voice
Emiratesvoice, emirates voice

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

porte looks to keep tour down under trophy porte looks to keep tour down under trophy

 



Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

porte looks to keep tour down under trophy porte looks to keep tour down under trophy

 



GMT 10:31 2014 Tuesday ,23 December

Mirages of failure: Lebanon cannot wait

GMT 06:15 2018 Tuesday ,23 January

Volkswagen clinches record sales

GMT 05:04 2024 Tuesday ,06 February

Skincare PR Performance Full Year 2017

GMT 10:08 2018 Wednesday ,24 January

Microsoft to open 4 data centres

GMT 19:57 2018 Tuesday ,23 January

Farm-fresh from Kerala to the UAE, in just one day

GMT 10:18 2018 Thursday ,30 August

Iran incapable of closing Hormuz, Bab Al Mandeb

GMT 13:06 2016 Wednesday ,19 October

As All Blacks soar, scandal-hit NZ rugby reels

GMT 10:32 2017 Thursday ,26 January

Yemen rebels mount resistance in key port city

GMT 12:18 2011 Thursday ,01 December

Angler snares 20st stingray

GMT 14:00 2013 Friday ,07 June

Does practice make perfect?

GMT 05:12 2017 Sunday ,01 January

Jordanian King invites Palestinian

GMT 15:06 2012 Thursday ,26 January

Big names have spiced up the 24 Hours of Daytona

GMT 21:15 2013 Sunday ,15 September

Pop greats kick off Rock in Rio music fest

GMT 23:41 2016 Tuesday ,10 May

Taipei metro killer executed

GMT 15:46 2012 Wednesday ,15 February

Mustafa Shabaan prepares for a fourth wife
Emiratesvoice, emirates voice
 
 Emirates Voice Facebook,emirates voice facebook  Emirates Voice Twitter,emirates voice twitter Emirates Voice Rss,emirates voice rss  Emirates Voice Youtube,emirates voice youtube  Emirates Voice Youtube,emirates voice youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

emiratesvoieen emiratesvoiceen emiratesvoiceen emiratesvoiceen
emiratesvoice emiratesvoice emiratesvoice
emiratesvoice
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
emiratesvoice, Emiratesvoice, Emiratesvoice