8 conclusions from the 2023 Tour Down Under

After two years of pandemic cancellations, the Tour Down Under is once again on firm footing as the opening event of the WorldTour and, for the first time, the Women's WorldTour calendar, too. Australian fans once again could cheer on the nation's sole top-tier team, Jayco AlUla, and watch a new generation of top Australian cyclists on a podium chase. 

There were tears in the eyes on the sidelines as Grace Brown took a stunning come-from-behind overall victory on the final stage of the first WorldTour edition of the event, a race that made her promise clear when she stepped onto a stage podium in 2018 while racing for the domestic squad Holden Racing.

Then there were the roars of delight from the watching crowd as the top two riders in the men's event, Jay Vine and Simon Yates, duked it ahead of the final finish line on top of Mount Lofty. The Tour Down Under was back. 

There were plenty of stories to tell and two more Australian riders who now had a WorldTour GC victory to their name at the end of the nine stages of top-tier racing. Cyclingnews has gathered some of the key takeaways from both the men's and women's racing at the return edition of the Tour Down Under.

Long live the Tour Down Under

The Tour Down Under returned after a two-year COVID-19 pandemic, putting on two great races that kicked off the men’s and women’s WorldTour in style and giving the Australian fans a chance to see the many Australian professionals race at home.

The Tour Down Under organisers deserve praise for their determination to survive the global pandemic and respect for accepting the extra costs and complications of organising a WorldTour and Women’s WorldTour event in the new post-pandemic environment.

The sport as a whole should support the Tour Down Under much more to ensure it flourishes and grows. More of the top teams should be at the women’s race – but more about that later – and the UCI should change the early-season men’s calendar to give the Tour Down Under protected status and so stop lower-level events paying other big-name riders to race elsewhere. The European season shouldn't start on the final week of the Tour Down Under and the cyclo-cross World Cup should be on a different date.

Cycling fans only have a certain amount of time and enthusiasm to watch and read about racing and the women’s and men’s Tour Down Under deserves to have it all for a week in January. (SF)

Women's race - Spratt on song

Amanda Spratt (Trek-Segafredo) may have just missed out on a stage and potential overall win at the Tour Down Under thanks to the flying pursuit of Grace Brown, but after delivering such a powerful performance, it seems inevitable that another opportunity for the Australian to return to her winning ways is just around the corner. Not only has Spratt now had time to rebuild after her Iliac artery endofibrosis surgery, but her shift to a new team after spending her entire career with the Australian GreenEdge outfit seems to have also given her an extra edge. 

Earlier in January the 35-year-old had already shown what a formidable duo she can be in combination with new teammate Brodie Chapman, who flew solo to claim the Australian road race title with Spratt in third. Then, on stage 2 at the Tour Down Under, when Spratt delivered a powerful attack on Mount Lofty no one even came close to being able to follow. Although she was caught just before the line, her results clearly indicate how strong Spratt is this season. 

Spratt's attack on the tough Corkscrew climb again showed that even though everyone knew when it was coming, no one could hold her wheel. Although she was chased down and caught so close to the line, Spratt delivered a victory of sorts. She may not have won the race, but it’s clear she has now won the battle to recover her form after surgery and is once again chasing victory.

Chapman and Spratt will now be a formidable duo to watch at the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race. Even more so in Europe when the two Australian riders are thrown into the mix alongside such powerful competitors as Elisa Longo-Borghini, Lizzie Deignan, Elisa Balsamo and Ellen van Dijk. (SG)

Women's race - The mounting strength of Grace Brown

The first time Grace Brown (FDJ-SUEZ) stepped onto a podium at the Tour Down Under there was elation among her domestic squad Holden Team Gusto Racing. Here she was on going toe to toe with some of the world’s best and it wasn’t long after that her time came to step up to the WorldTour, first with the Australian GreenEdge team. She then won a stage in one of her first races as a professional at the 2019 event but it was Spratt that was the overall contender for the squad, and supported Spratt again in 2020.  

Since then, both riders have changed teams and Brown has firmly shifted from super domestique to leader at FDJ SUEZ. She has unquestionably earned her position with multiple WorldTour wins and the closest of near misses on the overall at the Women's Tour in 2022. She missed victory there by just one second and as frustrating it was, the lesson learned may have just been what won her the Tour Down Under, where she claimed every chance to chase not only strong results but also bonus seconds.

"I think that was wise," said Brown after the final stage and it'd hard not to agree, given in the end Brown won the overall by ten seconds ahead of Spratt. The difference in their bonus seconds tally was exactly the same as that winning margin with Brown earning 16 seconds compared to Spratt's six.

Brown display in the 2023 Tour Down Under showed not only how far her performance and team position have changed in the three years since the last event in 2020, but also just how much her racecraft has evolved. She has added a layer of calculating forethought to her instinctive knack of making the move at the right time, and her careful choice of gearing in the final stage so as to be ready for the final chase after the climb yet another example. The South Australian fans have witnessed firsthand the evolution of Grace Brown from an inexperienced raw talent to the complete package. (SG)

Women's race - More please

It was a big step up this year for the women’s race at the Santos Tour Down Under. After 12 years, the race finally moved up to Women’s WorldTour in 2023 and it was undoubtedly exciting and hard-fought. Two UCI Road World Championships silver medalists - Grace Brown (FDJ SUEZ) and Amanda Spratt (Trek-Segafredo) – and two of the world’s top teams vied for the top step of the final overall podium.

But, as great as it was, it's hard to still not want more – more stages and more Women's WorldTour teams.

The three stages of the Tour were well-crafted and turned up diverse winners, from sprinter Daria Pikulik (Human Powered Health) on stage 1 to the punchy Alex Manly (Jayco AlUla) on stage 2 and Brown on stage 3. However, it felt a little like the compelling GC battle between Brown and Spratt was just starting to take shape when it ended. 

There were only six of the 15 Women’s WorldTour teams in the race - the same number as in 2020 when it last ran as a Pro Series event and there were only eight Women’s WorldTour teams. 

Attendance at all of the WorldTour events is mandatory for men's teams, but there is no such rule for the Women's WorldTour. Even though all the top-tier women's squads were invited, more than half didn't come – understandable perhaps given the travel costs which have risen sharply since the COVID-19 pandemic and the ever-building calendar that stretches the budgets and rosters of Women’s WorldTeams.

Fortunately, that sentiment of wanting more is shared by the race itself which has long pursued growth, but in sustainable steps, and isn't planning to rest on its laurels now that it has made the long worked for move up to the Women's WorldTour. 

"It doesn’t stop here, this is a massive step in making it WorldTour and it's going to continue to grow," said Assistant Race Director Carlee Taylor at the pre-race media conference. "We are all passionate in wanting that to happen and excited for the future." (SG)

Men's race - Jayco Alula’s agonising homecoming

The Jayco Alula team targeted the men’s Tour Down Under with Simon Yates and Michael Matthews, determined to go all-in for their home WorldTour race and seek another overall victory.

They ultimately came up short and were disappointed to finish second overall behind Jay Vine, but ended the week with a stage win by Yates on Mount Lofty, second overall and the blue points jersey thanks to Matthews’ determination to fight back from his disappointment and time loss.

More importantly the Australian team scored a haul of UCI ranking points and started the season on the front foot. Yet, success in Australia has been a calculated risk and could carry a price.

Both Yates and Matthews anticipated their winter training and early-season peak to be at their best in Australia. It will be interesting to see if they can continue to build their form and find another peak in Europe in the spring stage race and, more importantly, the Spring Classics. (SF)

Men's race - A new Aussie generation

Australian cycling appears to be enjoying a successful generational change, with the Tour Down Under providing the perfect showcase. 28 Australian riders started the Tour Down Under, with almost every WorldTour team now also including an Australian

Michael Matthews and Caleb Ewan are now the veterans of the Aussie peloton, with Ben O’Connor, Jai Hindley and, now Jay Vine too, leading the next generation of stage racers with all competitive in the Grand Tours.

Jayco AlUla’s future is now assured at least for the next three years, offering a home, a platform and a career path for a number of Australian riders. How important is that? Ask anyone in Italian cycling as Italy has been without a WorldTour team for five years.

The 22-year-old Luke Plapp is one of the latest team pursuit talents to successfully transfer his power and skills to road racing and his force of character and talent will surely help him emerge at Ineos Grenadiers. Other names to watch include Kaden Groves who has moved to Alpecin-Deceuninck to have more sprint opportunities and Jensen Plowright is following in his path after developing via the Groupama-FDJ Under 23 team.

Groupama-FDJ fielded two talented Australians for the Tour Down Under in Michael Storer and leadout man Miles Scotson, who was one of seven development riders to step up to the Groupama-FDJ WorldTour team.

The Australian presence in the European peloton is broader and deeper than ever before. The future of Australian cycling seems assured. (SF)

Men's race - Australia's next Grand Tour winner?

Jay Vine was far from an unknown upon entering the Tour Down Under. His two Vuelta a España stage victories made sure of that. But as soon as he clocked up a time trial victory at the Australian National Championships it was like the light bulb was turned on – the nation may have just spotted another Grand Tour contender among its ranks. Then cue the Tour Down Under victory and many more were convinced.

Vine may have been quick to point out the the Tour Down Under wasn't exactly an "accurate representation of Grand Tour form" but there is no doubt his victory has brightened the spotlight, and not just because he took the overall win but also because of the way he did it. Calm, well calculated moves, with not so much as a hint of a misstep even though he was freshly ensconced in a new team and a new role.

If this is Vine in settling in mode and still, as he said at both the National Championships and in South Australia, building towards goals later this year – namely the Giro d’Italia – it’s frightening to think just how formidable he will be at his peak.

Former Australian professional racer and the new race director of the Tour Down Under for one was impressed enough by what he saw from the lead car to predict that what we had just seen in South Australia was the first WorldTour stage race victory of a rider we would one day see swapping the ochre leaders jersey of the Tour Down under for either the maglia rosa, maillot jaune or maillot rojo.

“I’m happy to go on record and say I think Jay Vine will win a Grand Tour,” O’Grady told reporters. (SG)

The Australian summer of cycling continues with the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race

The Tour down Under is over but the Australian summer of cycling continues next weekend with the women’s and then men’s racing at Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race.

As Australian schools prepare to reopen and the evenings draw shorter. The one-day races will bring down the curtain on a month that began with the new year Bay Crits, the Australian national championships and the Tour Down Under.

Most of the Tour Down Under peloton will travel from Adelaide to Geelong, south of Melbourne for the one-day WorldTour race.

Climbers like Vine and Yates dominated at the men’s racing at the Tour Down Under but the 176 km men’s race suits the puncheurs and sprinters who can handle the climbs of Challambra Crescent during the finishing circuits.    

The race has produced some interesting winners in recent years and gives the likes of Matthews, Caleb Ewan and other Classics riders a chance to make-up for their disappointment of the Tour Down Under and end their trip to Australia on a high.

Vine and Yates will transform from leaders to domestiques, paying back their teammates for their hard work in Adelaide. Vine wants to help Marc Hirschi, while Yates will ride for Matthews. In the women’s peloton however, it’s perhaps an opportunity for Grace Brown to double up as she’s the type of rider who could easily succeed if it is one of those years that comes down to a small group or if there is an opportunity to fly solo. Jayco AlUla’s Alex Manly and Ruby Roseman-Gannon will, however be trying to turn the tide in their favour while Trek Segafredo’s Brodie Chapman and Amanda Spratt will again prove a powerful duo to overcome. (SF)