The 2024 Tour de France will see the variety of Australians on the beginning line halved from final yr’s bumper crop however overlook any notion that this implies the nation will fade into the background on the largest race on the calendar.
Among the many six Australian riders on the Tour, there’s 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 getting 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 might evolve.
Final yr’s notable highlights from Australian riders have been a spectacular stage 5 victory from Jai Hindley in Laruns, which additionally put the Crimson 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 have been involved, Caleb Ewan had a 3rd and second on stage 3 and 4.
This yr the Aussie contingent is unusually and not using a 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 decreased group efforts and be careful if he makes it into the break, a stage profitable tactic in 2022.
The Tour de France will quickly roll out from Florence, so allow us to take a better have a look at every of the Australians on the beginning listing.
- Age: 28
- Tour de France file: Stage win, day in yellow and seventh general in 2023
- Position: Climbing help
Jai Hindley final yr entered the Tour de France because the GC chief for Bora-Hansgrohe and the 2022 Giro d’Italia winner made a rapid stand up the general rankings, sporting 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 which will have to attend for one more yr for the Western Australian. With the signing of 2020 runner-up Primož Roglič to the workforce there was unexpectedly one other within the ranks with a transparent declare on management. Meaning, if all goes to plan Hindley and teammate Aleksandr Vlasov will likely be offering the essential help within the remaining phases of these days within the mountains.
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Nonetheless, they may additionally finally be further playing cards to play as lots can occur in 21 days.
Jack Haig (Bahrain Victorious)
- Age: 30
- Tour de France file: 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 position, with Santiago Buitrago main the Bahrain Victorious squad. Will probably 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 received damaged in 2023, together with his late entry in a help position. Nevertheless there’s additionally potential for extra from the rider who instructed Cyclingnews earlier this yr that amongst his objectives is to get a stage win at a Grand Tour.
The announcement of the workforce outlined that Haig, in addition to being in a help position, would get his personal alternatives by the race. He hasn’t had the strongest of seasons however was displaying indicators of enhancing kind together with his ninth place on stage 6 of the Critérium du Dauphiné, which completed atop Le Collet d’Allevard. There may be each likelihood the rider who completed third general at La Vuelta a España in 2021 might make a mark on the Tour.
- Age: 33
- Tour de France file: Seven participations with 4 stage victories and inexperienced factors jersey in 2017
- Position: Stage alternatives
The Australian rider on the Australian workforce 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 yr the place he additionally claimed the inexperienced factors jersey.
The rider who as soon as known as Canberra house will definitely be in search of 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 decent second.
Indicators that his rebuild towards extra of the season’s massive objectives was buzzing alongside have 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 file: sixteenth general in 2023
- Position: Climbing help
Jayco-AlUla could have stage-winning objectives with Mathews and Dutch sprinter Dylan Groenewegen however additionally they have general hopes, and that is the place Chris Harper is available in.
He is a vital help rider for Simon Yates. Harper additionally made his debut on the French Grand Tour in 2023 in the identical position, and contemplating Yates completed fourth general it was clearly a powerful pairing. Harper, too completed sixteenth general whereas within the help position and appears to have stepped his GC sport up a notch in current occasions 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 reduce brief by crashes so he could also be a bit of shorter on racing than he anticipated to be coming into the Tour de France however a minimum of has had the time to get better and line up in Florence.
- Age: 33
- Tour de France file: 9 begins
- Position: Assist
The ultimate of the three Jayco-AlUla riders is Luke Durbridge, with the skilled hand taking over his tenth Tour. The Western Australian is a robust driving power and whereas it is not going he’ll be chasing stage victories for himself that doesn’t imply he received’t be clearly seen on the entrance – it’s simply that it’s prone to be earlier within the day as he chases down breaks or positions his teammates coming into essential factors of the race. He will likely be a worthwhile participant for each the dash workforce 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 file: Debut
- Position: Dash lead-out
The one Australian making his debut on the Tour de France this yr is Jarrad Drizners, with the South Australian the one rider from outdoors Belgium on the Lotto Dstny squad for the Grand Tour.
The ProTeam will likely 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 workforce on the Tour for the primary time. Drizners, together with Cedric Beullens, are there for the lead-out because the workforce builds the expertise of its homegrown contender to exchange 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 listing this yr. Nevertheless, there’s sure to be an opportunity to look at contenders from the nation in a GrandTour quickly as there’s a wholesome crop of severely robust prospects from the nation for the Giro d’Italia Girls and the Tour de France Femmes.
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