Cyclingpost.com - Brief Preview: Tour Down Under Stage 3

Brief Preview: Tour Down Under Stage 3

By Michael Holden
Wed, 23 Jan 2008 14:33:15

After two bunch sprints, the third stage of the Tour Down Under is shaping up to be an absorbing day's racing.

It appears as if the TDU's new status as a ProTour event has also seen a change of script to how the race would be run. The first stage 'traditional' breakaway didn't eventuate and the undulating second stage wasn't able to split the field either.

For stage 3, which starts in the southern suburb of Unley and concludes in the coastal town of Victor Harbor, it could well be a case of the sprinters fighting it out once again.

The 139 km stage consists of three phases. After a lengthy neutral zone, the race starts proper from Sturt. Almost immediately the road heads skywards as all and sundry tackle the unclassified climb on the Southern Expressway.

Don't be surprised if breakaways try to form on this deceptive ascent. The next 30 kilometres are predominately downhill until the KOM climb of the day - Sellicks Hill. This sees the terrain change as riders now move inland from the coast onto bumpy roads. The first of the day's two sprints takes place in Mount Compass (66 km), before riders enter the final phase of the stage.

The second sprint occurs in Goolwa (92 km), and excluding a small rise of altitude in Lower Inman Valley, the run into Victor Harbor is pretty straightforward.

With so many riders and different teams making up the top ten in overall classification, another bunch sprint should ensue. The teams of Rabobank, Credit Agricole and Team High Road will all look to share the workload at the pointy end of the peloton as their riders are locked away on the same time.

For those looking to succeed in a breakaway, they may have one ally - the weather. With mild conditions expected and the potential for strong winds, escapees will be hoping the peloton miscalculate the catch and get caught out.

The run to the line is dead flat. Riders will negotiate two 90 degree bends in the final kilometre - the final bend coming with still 700 metres to race, where the bonus seconds for first, second and third are proving more valuable each day.