Tour Down Under 2018: Stage 1 preview
January 17, Port Adelaide - Lyndoch, 145km
Mitchelton-Scott DS Matt White says:
"You look at the main characteristics of the stage to the Barossa and it is the heat and the wind which affect the tactics, but it usually ends in a bunch sprint. Last year they had to shorten the stage by a lap because the heat was in the mid 40s. It will be the first showcase for the sprinters on an official road stage.
"I was there in 1999 when the Tour Down Under was in Port Adelaide for the first Tour Down Under. There are a lot of open and exposed areas around Port Adelaide and on the roads toward the Barossa, so it will be interesting to see how the wind is blowing and how stressful a day it will be.
"The only real surprise would come from strong Northerly winds, but I expect the main guys to be there and a sprinter to win the stage. [Caleb] Ewan would definitely be one of the favourites."
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Latest on Cyclingnews
-
UCI Gravel World Series – Tim Wellens and Lorena Wiebes go on attack to win Marly Gravel
UAE Team Emirates-XRG and SD Worx-Protime riders take out wins ahead of Joris Nieuwenhuis and Quinty Ton -
'It will be a long recovery' - Mikel Landa released from hospital to begin healing from fractured vertebra sustained in Giro d'Italia crash
'I would like to thank everybody for the messages of support and the love that I have received' says Soudal-QuickStep rider -
'Others called it quits, I carried on' – Paul Double on the resilient road from 'getting head kicked in' as a U23 to a Giro d'Italia debut at 28
British rider comes 'full circle' from days cutting teeth as a young racer in Italy to his first start at a Grand Tour -
A new Campagnolo groupset, three new helmets and a horde of time trial tech: All the Giro d'Italia tech from the Grande Partenza
All the tech we've found at the opening weekend of the Giro d'Italia 2025, including more photos of the 2025 Campagnolo Super Record Wireless groupset