The profitable margin on the Tour Down Under has virtually at all times been a matter of seconds however will that be the case in 2025?
A newly designed stage 3 from Norwood to Uraidla might be a game-changer, however riders had been nonetheless battling for bonus seconds on stage 2 in Tanunda.
Georg Zimmermann (Intermarché-Wanty) and Patrick Konrad (Lidl-Trek) went into the breakaway seeking to maximise their GC prospects, launching full-on sprints for the intermediate bonus seconds. Both got here away with 5 seconds in hand earlier than the transfer was caught.
Five seconds won’t seem to be quite a bit, however over the 24 editions of the Tour Down Under, the common hole to second place is 15 seconds, the utmost was 1:13 in 2024. Three occasions – in 2003, 2012 and 2018 the winner was selected a tie-breaker (stage ending positions).
Even 5 seconds may transform decisive within the common classification come Sunday, for the ultimate podium locations but additionally for important high ten placings and the UCI rating factors that include them.
Konrad and Zimmermann at the moment are fourth and fifth total, respectively, with three sprinters: Sam Welsford (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), Arne Marit (Intermarché-Wanty) and Matthew Brennan (Visma-Lease a Bike) anticipated to undergo within the coming hilly phases.
Konrad and Zimmermann may even take the race chief’s ochre jersey on stage 3. This is the Tour Down Under route.
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Konrad informed Cyclingnews he hadn’t essentially deliberate to enter into the breakaway.
“If it had been an enormous combat, I would not go, nevertheless it was fairly straightforward. I went give it a strive for the bonus seconds as a result of, on the finish of the week, it could possibly change quite a bit.”
Zimmermann hoped that the transfer would have had extra of an opportunity, given the three ascents of Menglers Hill, however the pair together with mountains classification chief Fergus Browning (ARA Australian National Team) had been reeled in with 45km to go.
“My private aim could be the go over the past climb within the entrance, then hope for a stronger group to come back from behind,” Zimmerman mentioned on the rostrum after accepting the award for many combative rider.
“But the others did not decide to it. Alone, I did not need to commit, so we went again to the bunch and took it a less difficult method to the end.
“The major aim of as we speak was to sneak some seconds like I did right here final yr,” when his three-second bonus on the identical stage meant the distinction between twelfth and thirteenth total.
“Tomorrow and on Saturday, we are going to see what these 5 seconds are value,” Zimmermann added.
“Tomorrow is a extremely difficult day – there is a technical method to the ultimate climb, and that one is admittedly nasty and steep, and afterwards, there is no time to recuperate. It’s solely up and down for a few kilometres to the end. So tomorrow, I anticipate the primary huge GC motion and a irritating day. So I’m glad I may get just a little benefit as we speak.”