The 2024 Tour de France will see the variety of Australians on the beginning line halved from final 12 months’s bumper crop however overlook any notion that this implies the nation will fade into the background on the greatest race on the calendar.
Among the many six Australian riders on the Tour, there may be loads of potential for them to be extremely seen at essential junctures, each within the mountains, on the flat and in between. A quantity are coming into the race in essential help roles although many issues can occur over 21 days so it is not out of the query that these roles may evolve.
Final 12 months’s notable highlights from Australian riders had been a spectacular stage 5 victory from Jai Hindley in Laruns, which additionally put the Pink Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe rider into the sought-after yellow jersey for the day and whereas Ben O’Connor’s general tilt on the Tour didn’t go to plan, he nonetheless made it to the rostrum in third on stage 10 and 19. So far as the sprinters had been involved, Caleb Ewan had a 3rd and second on stage 3 and 4.
This 12 months the Aussie contingent is unusually with no pure sprinter – Ewan lacking the race for the primary time since 2019 – although Michael Matthews is again on the beginning line once more in 2024 after being absent in 2023. He’s a robust contender for the diminished group efforts and be careful if he makes it into the break, a stage successful tactic in 2022.
The Tour de France will quickly roll out from Florence, so allow us to take a more in-depth take a look at every of the Australians on the beginning checklist.
- Age: 28
- Tour de France report: Stage win, day in yellow and seventh general in 2023
- Position: Climbing help
Jai Hindley final 12 months entered the Tour de France because the GC chief for Bora-Hansgrohe and the 2022 Giro d’Italia winner made a fast stand up the general rankings, carrying yellow after his stage 5 victory within the Pyrenees. His subsequent sickness and a crash didn’t assist his trigger, however he nonetheless held on for seventh general.
It was definitely a consequence that was sufficient to stoke future podium hopes however that’s a dream that will have to attend for an additional 12 months for the Western Australian. With the signing of 2020 runner-up Primož Roglič to the staff there was impulsively one other within the ranks with a transparent declare on management. Meaning, if all goes to plan Hindley and teammate Aleksandr Vlasov can be offering the essential help within the ultimate phases of these days within the mountains.
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Nonetheless, they might additionally finally be further playing cards to play as a lot can occur in 21 days.
Jack Haig (Bahrain Victorious)
- Age: 30
- Tour de France report: Accomplished in 2023, 2021 and DNF in 2022, 2021
- Position: Climbing help, stage alternatives
Like Hindley, Jack Haig as soon as had his eye on the Tour de France general however will now head into the race in a climbing help function, with Santiago Buitrago main the Bahrain Victorious squad. It will likely be the fourth Tour de France and third in a row for the rider initially from Bendigo, with 2021 and 2022 each ending with DNFs after unavoidable crashes however the streak bought damaged in 2023, together with his late entry in a help function. Nonetheless there may be additionally potential for extra from the rider who instructed Cyclingnews earlier this 12 months that amongst his objectives is to get a stage win at a Grand Tour.
The announcement of the staff outlined that Haig, in addition to being in a help function, would get his personal alternatives by way of the race. He hasn’t had the strongest of seasons however was displaying indicators of bettering type together with his ninth place on stage 6 of the Critérium du Dauphiné, which completed atop Le Collet d’Allevard. There may be each probability the rider who completed third general at La Vuelta a España in 2021 may make a mark on the Tour.
- Age: 33
- Tour de France report: Seven participations with 4 stage victories and inexperienced factors jersey in 2017
- Position: Stage alternatives
The Australian rider on the Australian staff supplied loads of pleasure when he final raced on the Tour de France in 2022, twice taking the runner-up slot on punchy ending sprints earlier than claiming victory from the break on stage 14. It was Matthews’ fourth victory on the race however his first since 2017, a 12 months the place he additionally claimed the inexperienced factors jersey.
The rider who as soon as known as Canberra dwelling will definitely be searching for a repeat journey to the highest step of the rostrum in 2024, having snatched an early season win on the 1.1 race Ruta de la Cerámica-Gran Premio Castellón however then coming painstakingly shut at Milan San Remo, with a good second.
Indicators that his rebuild towards extra of the season’s massive objectives was buzzing alongside had been evident on the Tour de Suisse the place he got here second on stage 2. The Tour de France and Olympic Video games are the place he’s actually going to be hoping it steps up a notch.
- Age: 29
- Tour de France report: sixteenth general in 2023
- Position: Climbing help
Jayco-AlUla could have stage-winning objectives with Mathews and Dutch sprinter Dylan Groenewegen however in addition they have general hopes, and that is the place Chris Harper is available in.
He is an important help rider for Simon Yates. Harper additionally made his debut on the French Grand Tour in 2023 in the identical function, and contemplating Yates completed fourth general it was clearly a robust pairing. Harper, too completed sixteenth general whereas within the help function and appears to have stepped his GC sport up a notch in current instances and he delivered sixth general on the Volta a sixth general on the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya in March.
His final two stage races, the Tour of the Alps and Critérium du Dauphiné, have been minimize quick by crashes so he could also be just a little shorter on racing than he anticipated to be coming into the Tour de France however at the very least has had the time to get better and line up in Florence.
- Age: 33
- Tour de France report: 9 begins
- Position: Help
The ultimate of the three Jayco-AlUla riders is Luke Durbridge, with the skilled hand taking up his tenth Tour. The Western Australian is a robust driving pressure and whereas it is not going he’ll be chasing stage victories for himself that doesn’t imply he gained’t be clearly seen on the entrance – it’s simply that it’s more likely to be earlier within the day as he chases down breaks or positions his teammates coming into essential factors of the race. He can be a invaluable participant for each the dash staff and GC effort as he does his half to manage breaks and to make sure the climbers make it to the bottom of the ascents within the optimum spot. Slipping right into a break can be not out of the query.
- Age: 25
- Tour de France report: Debut
- Position: Dash lead-out
The one Australian making his debut on the Tour de France this 12 months is Jarrad Drizners, with the South Australian the one rider from outdoors Belgium on the Lotto Dstny squad for the Grand Tour.
The ProTeam can be focussed on the newly-minted Belgian champion, Arnaud De Lie, with the 22-year-old lining as much as lead the dash cost for the staff on the Tour for the primary time. Drizners, together with Cedric Beullens, are there for the lead-out because the staff builds the expertise of its homegrown contender to switch Ewan, who has now shifted to Jayco AlUla.
We additionally deliberate so as to add within the riders from New Zealand to look out for, however alas none are on the Tour de France begin checklist this 12 months. Nonetheless, there may be certain to be an opportunity to observe contenders from the nation in a GrandTour quickly as there’s a wholesome crop of significantly robust prospects from the nation for the Giro d’Italia Ladies and the Tour de France Femmes.
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