The Tour Down Under clearly has a particular which means for Luke Plapp. Not solely is it his residence nation WorldTour race and a house race for his Jayco-AlUla crew, but it surely’s additionally residence to the terrain that rocketed him to the WorldTour.
In 2021 the Australian rode the Santos Festival of Cycling – the substitute race for the Tour Down Under in the course of the two-year COVID-19 pandemic hiatus – and his win on Willunga Hill alongside nationwide squad teammate and mentor Richie Porte made an enormous mark.
“To have the ability to race with Richie up Willunga, that was the stage that acquired me a WorldTour contract, so hopefully at some point I can observe in his footsteps,” Plapp stated of the two-time Tour Down Under winner and six-time winner of the stage to the highest of Willunga within the WorldTour occasion.
“It’s positively a race that, by the tip of my profession, I wish to have on my palmares and have the ability to win.”
Plapp traces up as a significant contenders this 12 months and having focused his coaching towards the occasion. The particular pre-season work has bene performed to try to make that ‘at some point’ arrive sooner slightly than later.
“I’d find it irresistible for it to be this 12 months. If I might clear up Willunga and Richie will likely be there, it could be a full circle second,” Plapp informed Cyclingnews on the eve of the six-stage occasion, which runs from Tuesday via to Sunday.
“I’m at all times going to focus on Willunga, I actually wish to go effectively there, so we’ll see what comes from. But I’m actually wanting ahead to that.”
The end atop Willunga Hill is at all times an important technique to acquire valuable seconds. Both the time gaps and the ten second time bonus on the prime, will be pivotal within the general battle. We can count on a battle for each second this 12 months, given Willunga comes on stage 5, the final stage the place the general contenders get terrain that fits earlier than Sunday’s last circuit stage round Adelaide.
This 12 months the climbers have an edge, with Willunga being one in every of three phases which have severe potential to open the gaps within the race. In the previous the terrain has meant that bonus seconds have been essential.
“I feel it is one of many hardest programs the Tour Down Under’s in all probability ever seen, which I feel is correct up my alley,” Plapp stated, as he contemplated the race forward whereas surrounded by photos of previous winners within the foyer of race headquarters, the Hilton Hotel.
As effectively because the previous favorite of Willunga Hill there may be the acquainted stage 4 to Victor Harbor, with that terrain proving in 2023 that it has potential to make a distinction for the general contenders.
Stage 3 throws up a brand new problem and probably an important one for the GC riders. The peloton will crest the unfamiliar Knots Hill – a 2.63km climb with a mean gradient of 8%, peaking at 13.4%.
“It’s exhausting, it is actually, actually exhausting. I feel that is going to be essentially the most decisive stage of the race,” stated Plapp.
“I feel the lead into that with the descent that goes via Basket Range into that climb, and that climb, I feel, is tougher than Willunga.”
“I feel you possibly can positively lose the race on that descent and into the climb as effectively so I’m positively anticipating GC to kind of be performed on the market. I feel the the ten riders or so which can be within the end of that stage are those which can be going to be sprinting it out on Willunga for the win, however I feel that is the place the GC will likely be arrange.”
Plapp, who crashed out of the race final 12 months, confirmed clear indicators of kind together with his third elite time trial win on the Australian Road National Championships in addition to within the highway race the place he delivered a gracious transfer to help teammate Luke Durbridge to the win whereas he took second.
That signifies that this 12 months he’ll be foregoing his ordinary inexperienced and gold apparel on the highway however regardless there will likely be no flying underneath the radar at this occasion.
Plapp additionally has different teammates that would make a mark, with Chris Harper suited to the climbs like Plapp and Swiss champion Mauro Schmid has additionally performed effectively on the general previously, ending fifth whereas racing with Soudal-QuickStep.
There will likely be loads of rivals eager to face in the best way of Jayco AlUla’s try and seize the ochre leaders jersey.
The Australian squad final claiming the highest step general in 2019 with Daryl Impey. The South African is now co-sports director for a kind of key rivals, the 2024 winner Stevie Williams (Israel Premier-Tech).
The 2023 winner Jay Vine can be again, this time with new teammate Jhonatan Narváez, then there may be final 12 months’s Willunga winner Oscar Onley (Picnic-Post NL) and Finn Fisher-Black will likely be seeking to make a robust debut together with his new crew Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, in a lot the identical means as his new teammate Sam Welsford did final 12 months.
“Also you possibly can’t neglect the brand new neo-pros that you have not heard of, or it is their first race,” stated Plapp of the occasion which is prime territory for breakthrough riders.
“You solely have to recollect again to Isaac Del Toro final 12 months, who nobody knew who he was, and he took the race by the scruff of the neck” he stated of the UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider who claimed a stage and took third general.
“There’s at all times going to be somebody that pops up.”
Regardless of who that’s “I feel the perfect climber goes to win the Tour Down Under this 12 months,” stated Plapp.
We will quickly discover out if that’s him.