Five Things We Learnt At The Tour Down Under

Whilst it would be foolish to read too much into the performances at the inaugural World Tour of the season, it does give an insight into how teams have developed over pre-season, how new riders will fit in to their teams and where teams' focuses may lie.

So, what have we learnt from this year's Tour Down Under?

1) Orica-GreenEDGE look stronger than ever in the finish

OGE have always been a threat in the final kilometre, and Simon Gerrans is one of the best riders for the punchier sprints around, as shown with two consecutive stage wins (3 & 4) and a respectable 8th on stage 5. But, while Gerrans will receive the majority of the plaudits for his overall win, Caleb Ewan's continued progression - bookending the Tour with stage wins and finishing 3rd place in the points category - should result in the 21-year-old being a genuine top class contender in the pure sprints for years to come.

2) Jay McCarthy

This year could be a big one for the young Australian. The Tinkoff rider demonstrated his potential last year, with a 3rd place finish in the Tour of Turkey, and he looks to have hit the ground running in 2016. A win on stage 2, along with high placings on stages 3 and 4, saw the promising all-rounder capture the Young Riders Jersey, as well as 2nd place in the points classification and an impressive 4th overall. Already looking like a contender for his favoured one-week tours, if, like Ewan, he can continue his upward trajectory, there's no reason why McCarthy can't become a major name in cycling.

John Veage

3) Richie Porte still dominant on Willunga Hill, but needs to sharpen up on his timings

Porte's debut race at BMC was something of a mixed bag. The former Sky man won at the summit of stage 5 for the third year running, meaning that he gets to keep Willunga Hill, or something. However, despite claiming he wasn't ever aiming for the overall win, Porte will surely be disappointed in the manner he allowed an 8 second time gap to materialise between himself and Gerrans on stage 4, as well as a poorly-timed assault on stage 3, where he attacked too early, costing him the stage. Obviously, this is more than likely a case of pre-season ring rust, but, nevertheless, it is something he will have to tighten up on if he wants to make the most of his new GC opportunity.

4) Not so Super-G

Like Porte, The Laughing Group favourite Geraint Thomas will be looking to make his mark on the GC stage this season, building on last year's impressive showing. If he is to do this, however, he needs to have much better weeks in the saddle than this. Going in as one of Sky's two potential leaders, Thomas lost time virtually every stage and ended up supporting Sergio Henao. Again, like Porte, this is probably just a case of rust, but he still would have hoped for a better display.

5) Dimension Data train is building up steam

Whilst they didn't pull up many trees results-wise, the African team will be pleased at how their lead-out train is progressing. Helping Mark Renshaw to two second place finishes, the DD train will be a major component in any success the team has with their marquee acquisition of Mark Cavendish. Cavendish struggled for consistency with his Etixx lead-out and will be hoping Dimension Data's train turns into a well-oiled machine.

Kei Tsuji

So, there we have it, that's what we've gathered from this year's first race, what about you? Do you agree or disagree with anything we've said? Leave a comment and let us know.

Tour Down Under Stage 6 - Ewan wins, Gerrans secures overall

A perfect Tour Down Under for Orica-GreenEDGE was rounded off with a second stage win for Caleb Ewan, while Simon Gerrans came safely home to confirm his fourth GC crown.

In a repeat of stage 1's dominant victory, once Ewan launched his final sprint, nobody was able to come close to challenging. His win also marked six out of six stage wins by Australians this week, the first Aussie lockout in the Tour Down Under since 2002.

Almost 100,000 fans provided the usual party atmosphere on the street course in Adelaide, with Gerrans' ochre jersey lead never under threat from his nearest rivals, the focus instead being the expected bunch sprint finish.

A five-man break was allowed to get clear in the opening laps of the course, but due to the inclusion in the group of Carlos Verona (EQS) and LottoNL-Jumbo's George Bennett, Orica-GreenEDGE didn't allow them to so much as get out of sight.

The five were gradually reeled in, doing well to keep the peloton at bay as the average speed hovered around 50km/h, and five of the 20 laps had been completed by the time they were brought back into the bunch.

Another attack came shortly afterwards, this one of LottoNL-Jumbo's Maarten Tjallingi and Lotto-Soudal's Thomas de Gendt. They, too, were kept in sight of the bunch, but stayed clear through both of the intermediate sprints and the two King of the Mountains climbs, all of which were uncontested by the duo.

Tinkoff's Jay McCarthy had his eyes on taking the sprint jersey off Simon Gerrans, but Gerrans' teammate Daryl Impey worked superbly to head the peloton across the line for the first sprint to deny McCarthy. The second sprint was a no-go for the peloton due to Johan le Bon (FDJ) making an ultimately futile bid to join the leaders.

Sergio Henao's place as King of the Mountains leader was already secure, the Colombian holding an unassailable lead in the standings, resulting in the climbs being all but ignored by the peloton.

Two Astana riders, Laurens de Vreese and Lieuwe Westra, attacked with four laps remaining, but only Westra was able to join Tjallingi at the front, as de Gendt dropped back into the bunch. Their hopes of holding out for the end of the stage were quashed by a group effort at the front of the peloton, with Drapac, Tinkoff, Etixx-QuickStep, Dimension Data, Team Sky and Orica-GreenEDGE sharing the workload.

By the final lap, the break had been brought in to allow a sprint finish, It looked like Trek-Segafredo had their man, Giacomo Nizzolo, in prime position in second wheel with Ewan seemingly isolated, but the Orica-GreenEDGE rider pulled the pin with around 150m to go, blasting past them all to win by three bike lengths, with Mark Renshaw (DDD) again taking second.

Graham Watson

Towards the back, Simon Gerrans rolled over the line comfortably to confirm his victory in the overall standings. In addition, with McCarthy unable to pick up the top ten finish he needed, Gerrans also too victory in the sprinters' classification, although McCarthy's efforts this week were rewarded with the young riders' jersey and 4th overall.

Stage winner Caleb Ewan (OGE):
“Obviously it wasn’t just a great week for me, the team showed that this week they are by far the strongest. It was always going to be hard to come to this race and chase both stages and overall victory. 

“I actually got caught behind on the way down to the finish line, and I was way back in the bunch and I had go back to the front. Luckily my team-mates brought me up to where I wanted to be for sprinting and it all went well.” 

Directeur sportif Matt White (OGE):
“It's been a huge week for our team, to win the overall and book-end with Caleb, this was confirmation for Caleb, he clearly was the fastest rider here all week. 

“For Gerro to come back, everyone saw how hard he worked. This will set the tone for rest of the year. 

GC winner Simon Gerrans (OGE):
“I couldn’t have asked for any more of the guys this week, they really did a sensational job this week.

"It's just awesome, a great way to start the season."

Stage results 
1. Caleb Ewan (OGE) 1:55:02
2. Mark Renshaw (DDD) + :00
3. Giacomo Nizzolo (TFR) + :00

General Classification final standings
1. Simon Gerrans (OGE) 19:11:33
2. Richie Porte (BMC) + :09
3. Sergio Henao (SKY) +:11
4. Jay McCarthy (TNK) + :20
5. Michael Woods (CPT) + :20
6. Ruben Fernandez Andujar (MOV) + :28
7. Domenico Pozzovivo (ALM) + :28
8. Rafael Valls Ferri (LTS) + :36
9. Steve Morabito (FDL) + :49
10. Patrick Bevin (CPT) + :50

King of the Mountains final standings
1. Sergio Henao (SKY) 38
2. Richie Porte (BMC) 28
3. Michael Woods (CPT) 20

Sprint Classification final standings
1. Simon Gerrans (OGE) 51
2. Jay McCarthy (TNK) 46
3. Caleb Ewan (OGE) 38

Tour Down Under Stage 5 - Porte wins, but Gerrans holds on

Richie Porte took his first victory in BMC colours on Willunga Hill, but couldn't claw back enough time to Simon Gerrans to affect the overall lead in the standings.

Porte broke clear inside the last kilometre to beat Sergio Henao by six seconds, with Michael Woods a further three seconds back. They were followed by a group of 13, which included race leader Gerrans, who retains his lead to all but secure victory.

As the race began on three circuits of a course between Aldinga Beach and the McLaren Vale vineyards, a group of three riders made a break, with the talented trio of Pim Ligthart (LTS), Lars Boom (AST) and Nelson Oliveira (MOV) being chased by a few other breakaway hopefuls, but only Dimension Data's Reinardt Janse van Rensburg successfully managed to bridge across.

They were allowed to break away by Orica-GreenEDGE, and built up a lead of almost six minutes by the first intermediate sprint, which went uncontested as the break worked together to stay ahead. Pim Ligthart in particular had his eyes on the gap, being less than two minutes down overnight he was the virtual leader from an early point in the stage.

Two more times round the first circuit on the course, with winds on the shore spreading the peloton out and preventing an effective chase, and again Ligthart led the break through the second intermediate sprint, doing a good chunk of the legwork at the front in an effort to maintain the lead.

As the race turned off the flat and towards the first ascent of Willunga Hill, the lead remained, and it was Reinardt Janse van Rensburg who attacked the others in the break, making it up the hill first to claim the mountains classification points, before the quarter regrouped, still two minutes clear with just a 22km loop back to the hill remaining.

The peloton finally began to realise the danger of an upset, and upped the pace on the descent to almost 100km/h. The chase continued around the second of the two circuits that made up today's route, and agonisingly for the break, they were only caught at the race returned to the foot of Willunga Hill, a mere 4km from the finish, and making the second climb all the more difficult to stomach for the four riders.

Team Sky took the reigns at the front as the climb began, Geraint Thomas swallowing what little remained of his GC hopes to work with Peter Kennaugh for the benefit of Sergio Henao. Halfway up, Lucas Hamilton (UNA) attacked, with LottoNL-Jumbo's George Bennett joining him.

That break lasted little more than a hundred metres, as Richie Porte, already on a two-year winning streak on Willunga Hill, surged past both, but unlike the last two stages, this break was timed perfectly. Of the leading group of 16, only the well-protected Sergio Henao and the highly impressive debutant Michael Woods (CPT) were able to go with him.

Under the flamme rouge, the trio had a lead of six seconds over the rest of the bunch, led by Simon Gerrans, desperate to hold on to his hard-fought GC lead. Porte managed to keep his pace up, and as Woods and Henao dropped away, Porte surged on alone to take his third straight win on Willunga Hill.

tourdownunder.com.au

Attention now turned to the clock, Henao came through in second, which confirmed him as the King of the Mountains for the Tour Down Under, followed by Woods, six and nine seconds back respectively. With the bonus seconds accounted for, Porte had an extra ten seconds over the chasing group. Ochre jersey holder Gerrans had 36 seconds on Porte overnight, meaning he had to finish within 26 seconds to keep his lead.

Lampre-Merida's Diego Ulissi came home fourth, 17 seconds off the leader, followed closely by Rafael Valls Ferri (LTS), Ruben Fernandez Andujar (MOV) and Domenico Pozzovivo (ALM), who were close to gapping the rest again.

The ever-alert Gerrans recognised the danger and sprinted after them to record the same time, retaining his lead by nine seconds over Porte. With only tomorrow's sprint stage remaining, it would take something truly extraordinary to deny Gerrans a fourth Tour Down Under.

The nine-second time gap to Gerrans may, in a strange way, ultimately be of comfort to Porte, as it means the eight seconds lost in a gap yesterday are ultimately unlikely to have an effect on the overall standings.

Stage winner Richie Porte (BMC):
"To be honest I never expected that one, obviously it didn't go to plan yesterday with the time gap on the line. It's always nice to win in Australia and on top of Willunga for the third time in a row, I'm really happy. 

"I'm not going to fight for time bonuses tomorrow, that's not my forté. I'm already happy with how this race went, I wasn't targeting overall."

GC leader Simon Gerrans (OGE):
"The calibre of climber that's in this race, it made that final ascent extra tough. 

"This is the toughest stage of the race and where the GC's generally decided, so if I've come out just in front today, hopefully that's enough."

Stage results
1. Richie Porte (BMC)  3:34:16
2. Sergio Henao (SKY) + :06
3. Michael Woods (CPT) + :09

General Classification
1. Simon Gerrans (OGE) 17:16:31
2. Richie Porte (BMC) + :09
3. Sergio Henao (SKY) +:11
4. Jay McCarthy (TNK) + :20
5. Michael Woods (CPT) + :20
6. Ruben Fernandez Andujar (MOV) + :28
7. Domenico Pozzovivo (ALM) + :28
8. Rafael Valls Ferri (LTS) + :36
9. Steve Morabito (FDL) + :49
10. Patrick Bevin (CPT) + :50

King of the Mountains
1. Sergio Henao (SKY) 38
2. Richie Porte (BMC) 28
3. Michael Woods (CPT) 20

Sprint Classification
1. Simon Gerrans (OGE) 51
2. Jay McCarthy (TNK) 46
3. Sergio Henao (SKY) 31

Tour Down Under Stage 4 - Gerrans strengthens his grip

Simon Gerrans put himself in an even stronger position to claim a record fourth Tour Down Under, with today's second consecutive stage win.

Having demonstrated his sprinting prowess yesterday, Gerrans again comfortably outpaced his rivals, beating Ben Swift of Sky and Trek-Segafredo rider Giacomo Nizzolo, with his nearest GC rival Jay McCarthy back in fourth.

Nobody had so far managed to hold onto the ochre jersey for more than a day, but Orica-GreenEDGE were again in supreme form from the start. An early break by Astana's Lieuwe Westra was quickly reeled in, as the Australian team ratcheted up the pace with the first intermediate sprint in mind.

Their efforts paid off perfectly, as Gerrans took the intermediate victory, and more significantly the three bonus seconds. Jay McCarthy saw what was coming but didn't quite have enough to spoil the plan, finishing second, thus only giving up one second in the GC standings.

As the pace dropped slightly after the sprint, Alexis Gougeard (ALM), David Tanner (IAM) and Pat Shaw (UNA) broke away, getting a lead of almost six minutes, before Orica-GreenEDGE, still in control at the front of the peloton as they have been for seemingly the whole race, began to bring the gap down to a more manageable two minutes.

The break's lead did last long enough for them to reach the second intermediate sprint, which was only really contested by Pat Shaw, who took the honours for UniSA-Australia.

They were caught just as the race came to the foot of the Crow's Nest, the day's only categorised climb. Richie Porte attacked it but perhaps, as with the end of yesterday's stage, made his bid for glory too early, as he was caught and passed by the polka dot jersey holder Sergio Henao, who picked up all ten points to increase his King of the Mountains lead.

The lead group was around 40 over the summit, which rose past 50 on the increasingly fast descent to the finish, despite a crash which brought down a handful of riders shortly after the Crow's Nest.

It was Sky who attempted to control the pace, keeping it high to suit their hope for the stage win, Ben Swift, although joined towards the end by the ever-prominent Orica-GreenEDGE, along with Katusha, Dimension Data and a clutch of other isolated riders, including Tinkoff's sprint jersey holder and second overall Jay McCarthy.

On the beautifully flat and straight final run to the line, Daryl Impey gave Simon Gerrans the perfect lead out, and the ochre jersey holder was never seriously threatened by Ben Swift, who in turn had enough to hold off Giacomo Nizzolo, with McCarthy unable to find a way past the Italian, and having to settle for fourth, with no bonus seconds meaning he gave up 11 on the day to Gerrans.

tourdownunder.com.au

Ostensibly a day of little change, with none of the jerseys changing hands, but perhaps the most important change is the widening of the gap at the front of the race, with Gerrans now 14 seconds clear of McCarthy, and 26 ahead of Rohan Dennis.

Tomorrow's queen stage, the double climb of Willunga Hill, is the last chance the chasing pack has left to shake up the GC standings before Sunday's expected sprint finale.

Stage winner Simon Gerrans (OGE):
“We had a really good run in to the finish, the team set me up for the intermediate sprint and then again for the final, they really make my life as easy as possible.   

"I still have to be very attentive going into tomorrow, there's a nice little buffer there, but there's still a heck of a lot of work to be done."

Stage results
1. Simon Gerrans (OGE) 3:13:59
2. Ben Swift (SKY) + :00
3. Giacomo Nizzolo (TFR) + :00

General Classification
1. Simon Gerrans (OGE) 13:41:58
2. Jay McCarthy (TNK) + :14
3. Rohan Dennis (BMC) + :26
4. Sergio Henao (SKY) + :28
5. Steve Morabito (FDJ) + :28
6. Ruben Fernandez Andujar (MOV) + :28
7. Domenico Pozzovivo (ALM) + :28
8. Michael Woods (CPT) + :32
9. Rafael Valls Ferri (LTS) + :36
10. Richie Porte (BMC) + :36

King of the Mountains Classification
1. Sergio Henao (SKY) 26
2. Michael Woods (CPT) 12
3. Richie Porte (BMC) 12

Sprint Classification
1. Jay McCarthy (TNK) 46
2. Simon Gerrans (OGE) 43
3. Rohan Dennis (BMC) 27

Tour Down Under Stage 3 - Gerrans bounces back

Simon Gerrans recovered from his crash at the end of yesterday's stage 2 to outsprint his rivals after today's notorious Corkscrew climb. 

The three time champion was part of a group of ten that made it up the Corkscrew first, and as they rounded the final 90 degree right hander with around 600m to go, it was Richie Porte in the lead by a few bike lengths.

Porte was swamped by the best sprint efforts of his teammate Rohan Dennis, Michael Woods (CPT) and overnight leader Jay McCarthy (TNK), but Simon Gerrans had just enough left to pip them all over the line to take the overall lead.

Astana's Laurens de Vreese attacked as the flag waved at the start of the stage, and nobody else fancied going with him, leaving the Belgian to toil alone in the heat for a largely quiet day, more than made up for by the late-race battles.

His solo attack turned the intermediate sprints in formalities as far as the wins were concerned, but there were enough bonus seconds to grab the ochre jersey's attention, although he couldn't beat Juan Lobato del Valle to second, having to settle for third, and one bonus second.

He was again third in the second sprint, as Caleb Ewan took another handful of sprint points to strengthen his grip on the red sprinter's jersey, both a couple of minutes behind de Vreese.

The Astana rider was finally reeled in some 20km from the finish, just before a crash on a tight corner left Tyler Farrar sprawled upside down on the hillside along with five others, although all remounted to finish the stage several minutes down.

As the peloton reached the Corkscrew climb, Tinkoff began working for their race leader McCarthy, but it was not plain sailing for the ochre jersey, as a group of Richie Porte, Simon Gerrans and Domenico Pozzovivo, before the lead was taken over by Sky's Sergio Henao and Michael Woods of Cannondale.

It was Henao and Woods who contested the summit, and Henao managed to keep the Canadian, in his first WorldTour race, behind him over the top to claim the King of the Mountains spoils.

They attempted to keep clear, but they were brought back into the group of ten on the descent, along with McCarthy, Porte, Gerrans, Pozzovivo, Steve Morabito (FDJ), Rafael Valls Ferri (LTS), Ruben Fernandez Andujar (MOV) and reigning champion Rohan Dennis (BMC).

Porte made the first bid for victory, leading round the final corner from Pozzovivo and Henao, but in the scramble for the line he finished last of the group. It was his teammate Dennis who looked on course for the win, only for Gerrans to beat him by the smallest of margins, his first win in 16 months after a torrid 2015.

The impressive Michael Woods took third, narrowly beating Jay McCarthy, taking the four bonus seconds that would have kept the Tinkoff rider in the overall lead, although small consolation will be that he takes the lead in the sprint classification.

tourdownunder.com.au

Stage winner Simon Gerrans (OGE):
"It was super tough coming up the Corkscrew, there's some really good climbers in the race so I really had to time my effort well.

"I was a little bit stiff from the fall yesterday so I wasn't able to score any seconds in the sprints, I let the second one go to save some energy for the final, and it was worthwhile." 

Stage results

1. Simon Gerrans (OGE) 3:37:34
2. Rohan Dennis (BMC) + :00
3. Michael Woods (CPT) + :00

General Classification
1. Simon Gerrans (OGE) 10:28:12
2. Jay McCarthy (TNK) + :03
3. Rohan Dennis (BMC) + :05
4. Michael Woods (CPT) + :11
5. Sergio Henao (SKY) + :15
6. Rafael Valls Ferri (LTS) + :15
7. Ruben Fernandez Andujar (MOV) + :15
8. Steve Morabito (FDJ) + :15
9. Domenico Pozzovivo (ALM) + :15
10. Richie Porte (BMC) + :15

King of the Mountains Classification
1. Sergio Henao (SKY) 16
2. Michael Woods (CPT) 12
3. Manuele Boaro (TNK) 10

Sprint Classification
1. Jay McCarthy (TNK) 31
2. Rohan Dennis (BMC) 27
3. Simon Gerrans (OGE) 23

Tour Down Under Stage 2 - Crash gives McCarthy victory

A crash 500m from the finish allowed Jay McCarthy to keep up Australia's winning start to the Tour Down Under, and for him to take the ochre jersey.

The crash, which brought down race favourite Simon Gerrans along with Orica-GreenEDGE teammate Daryl Impey and others, caused a split in the peloton as all but a handful of riders were forced to back off.

McCarthy was one of the fortunate few who was placed ahead of the crash, but there was no luck in his victory, the Australian holding off a surging Diego Ulissi to take his first stage win at WorldTour level.

The breakaway got some early rewards, as the day's only categorised climb came only around 10km into the stage, with Tinkoff's Manuele Boaro outsmarting Thomas de Gendt, Yoann Offredo and Patrick Lane to take the honours, and ultimately control of the King of the Mountains jersey.

The break, its aim already accomplished, slipped back into the peloton before the first intermediate sprint, where the well-drilled Orica-GreenEDGE team worked perfectly, getting Simon Gerrans the win, and more significantly a three-second GC time bonus, ahead of teammate Caleb Ewan, who had his eyes on the sprint points.

Adam Hansen then rolled the dice, making a solo breakaway that quickly got him two minutes clear. Even a puncture couldn't reel him back in, and he claimed the second intermediate sprint, with Gerrans again launched to the head of the peloton ahead of Ewan to claim two more bonus seconds.

 As with yesterday, it was Orica-GreenEDGE at the head of the peloton for most of the race, controlling the gap to Hansen and ultimately catching him inside the final of six circuits around Stirling.

The pace kept high, and several riders dropped off the back of the peloton as several teams shared  duties at the front. As the race came to an end, Peter Kennaugh attacked from 600m, triggering several riders into launching their final assaults.

It was in this surge that two Astana riders clipped the front wheel of Daryl Impey, bring down with them Gerrans, who was all set to be launched by his teammate. Reinardt Janse van Rensburg (DDD) was caught up in it along with Sky's Geraint Thomas, as was Drapac rider Adam Phelan. The 3km rule will protect the times of the fallers, but it remains to be seen whether Gerrans will be affected physically on tomorrow's slopes.

Tinkoff's train at the front was not hampered, however, showing the value of being in a good position as early as possible. Their leadout of Jay McCarthy was just enough to keep Lampre-Merida's Diego Ulissi at bay, McCarthy holding off by a quarter of a wheel to take the stage win, and with it the ochre jersey going into stage 3.

John Veage

Stage winner Jay McCarthy (TNK):
"I’ve done this stage for a few years now so we certainly had a plan. The team supported me fully and I’m also given a chance to go for GC this week as well. It’s great to come out and get the victory today but the week's not finished, I hope to recover for tomorrow."

Stage results
1. Jay McCarthy (TNK) 3:26:40
2. Diego Ulissi (LAM) + :00
3. Rohan Dennis (BMC) + :00

General Classification
1. Jay McCarthy (TNK) 6:50:43
2. Diego Ulissi (LAM) + :04
3. Simon Gerrans (OGE) + :05
4. Rohan Dennis (BMC) + :06
5. Reinardt Janse van Rensburg (DDD) + :09
6. Patrick Bevin (CPT) + :10
7. Enrico Battaglin (TLJ) + :10
8. Juan Jose Lobato del Valle (MOV) + :10
9. Anthony Roux (FDJ) + :10
10. Tobias Ludvigsson (TGA) + :10

King of the Mountains Classification
1. Manuele Boaro (TNK) 10
2. Sean Lake (UNA) 10
3. Patrick Lane (UNA) 6

Sprint Classification
1. Caleb Ewan (OGE) 20
2. Jay McCarthy (TNK) 15
3. Diego Ulissi (LAM) 14

Tour Down Under Stage 1 - Ewan's form continues

Caleb Ewan unleashed an irresistible sprint finish to beat compatriot Mark Renshaw into second place in the Tour Down Under's opening stage in Lyndoch.

The pre-stage favourite did not let his fans down, again demonstrating the prodigious speed that saw him claim victory in the People's Choice Classic criterium on Sunday, with a well-timed sprint.

At the start, Sean Lake of wildcard team UniSA-Australia made an immediate break, and was joined by AG2R's Alexis Gougeard and LottoNL-Jumbo's Martijn Keizer. Lake made the first bid for the King of the Mountains jersey, going early for the only summit of the day and just holding off Keizer to claim the black polka dots by a few inches.

Keizer was narrowly beaten again in the first intermediate sprint, this time by Gougeard, who also took the next sprint to pick up a total of 6 bonus seconds for his efforts, as well as the day's Most Competitive Rider award. The two losing efforts took their toll on Keizer, who was the first of the trio to drop away just over 40km from the finish.

Some 20km later, Lake was left on his own a minute clear of the peloton as Gougeard dropped back. As on Sunday, Orica-GreenEDGE were controlling the chase, easing their sprinter Ewan into position.

Towards the finish, it was WorldTour debutants Dimension Data for Qhubeka who took the initiative, with Mark Renshaw, the man usually acting as Mark Cavendish's lead out, their sprint hope. He was well-placed, but went from too far out to be able to hold off the power of Ewan, who powered past Renshaw and Sky's slightly muddled launch of Ben Swift (7th) to win convincingly by three bike lengths.

Graham Watson

Stage winner Caleb Ewan (OGE):
“I felt good all day and the team backed me right from the start. I need to thank Simon Gerrans for sharing the team with me, if he'd asked for the whole team to ride for him we'd do so. For a guy like that to tell me you can have your go I'm really grateful."

Stage results
1. Caleb Ewan (OGE) 3:24:13
2. Mark Renshaw (DDD) + :00
3. Wouter Wippert (CPT) + :00

General Classification
1. Caleb Ewan (OGE) 3:24:03
2. Mark Renshaw (DDD) + :04
3. Alexis Gougeard (ALM) + :04
4. Wouter Wippert (CPT) + :06
5. Sean Lake (UNA) + :07
6. Marko Kump (LAM) + :10
7. Adam Blythe (TNK) + :10
8. Giacomo Nizzolo (TFR) + :10
9. Ben Swift (SKY) + :10
10. Steele von Hoff (UNA) + :10

King of the Mountains Classification
1. Sean Lake (UNA) 10
2. Martijn Keizer (TLJ) 6
3. Alexis Gougeard (ALM) 4

Sprint Classification
1. Caleb Ewan (OGE) 15
2. Mark Renshaw (DDD) 14
3. Wouter Wippert (CPT) 13

Tour Down Under Preview

Tomorrow marks the (proper) start of the 2016 UCI WorldTour, yesterday's Down Under Classic notwithstanding. The hype machine is getting into overdrive, but there's just enough time to take a moment to make some wild, er, educated guesses at what we might see over the next week.

Tour Down Under

At first glance, it's hard to look past last year's winner, Rohan Dennis. Many of the riders are Aussies, but Dennis is from Adelaide itself, where the entire race is based, and winning on the roads he grew up on seemed to ignite a great 2015 season. Now with the knowledge that he's done it before, he might just take some stopping from becoming the first man to successfully defend the TDU title.

Can Simon Gerrans do it again? The TDU's only three-time winner, few can doubt his credentials, but his 2015 season was more or less a write off after injuries, and you just wonder if, at the age of 35, he's still got it in him to bounce back from that.

Want more talented Australian riders? How about the new national road race champion Jack Bobridge? While perhaps not a GC contender, he's got to be on a high from winning the nationals, and is likely to repeat his King of the Mountains success from the 2015 edition.

Eurosport

Caleb Ewan already has yesterday's People's Choice Classic victory under his belt, and the 21 year old is a hot tip to pick up his first stage wins in the Tour Down Under proper, with the help of a well-drilled Orica-GreenEDGE leadout.

Richie Porte's first stage race since leaving Team Sky for BMC could be a frustrating one. Ostensibly he left Sky to get more chance at race wins with the American outfit, but he may have to swallow his pride for the time being and play second fiddle to his teammate Rohan Dennis. It will be fascinating to see how that intra-team rivalry develops over the week, as with just 7 riders per team, a two-pronged approach seems unlikely, if not impossible.

Outside Australia, typically Team Sky are coming to win, although as I said with BMC, their potential double leaders of Geraint Thomas and Sergio Henao may have to be swiftly streamlined, although both will be eager to prove themselves as viable team leaders.

So, brave prediction time. Maybe I'm overthinking this, but I don't see Richie Porte settling for second place even at this early stage, and his two straight wins in the potentially decisive stage 5 makes me think this is his year. Betfair's got him at 11/2 overall if betting's your thing (like it is mine...)

My gut tells me Domenico Pozzovivo will take his horrendous AG2R jersey to success, so expect to see him up at the sharp end of the key stages if you trust my judgement. Mark Renshaw's a good shout to win a stage if the Dimension Data train can perform against Orica-GreenEDGE too.

Feel free to never mention those last few paragraphs again if they've all been proven wrong in a week's time. Enjoy the race, and keep your eyes open for our results coverage!

Velogames - Fantasy Cycling

We know this is short notice, hence this post lacking the professional (!) overtones of some of our other posts, but for any of you who use Velogames, we've set up a league on there for the Tour Down Under, which is open for anyone to join before midnight (UK time) this coming Monday night.

Simply sign up, entirely for free, pick your team of nine riders (full instructions are on the site, but it's pretty straightforward), then join our league by entering our league code, 14210652.

We're hoping to make this a year-long competition, using all of Velogames' fantasy races and keeping track of who's winning what, but that's all dependent on how many people we get involved!

2016 Transfer Roundup - Part 2

Welcome back to our look at all the transfers made by the UCI WorldTour teams over the last winter. We covered AG2R to Lampre-Merida here, so now let's do the second half of the teams, starting with Lotto Soudal.

In: 
Tomasz Marczynski (Torku Şekerspor), Rafael Valls (Lampre-Merida), Jelle Wallays (Topsport Vlaanderen)
Out: 
Vegard Breen (Fortuneo-Vital Concept), Kenny Dehaes (Wanty-Gobert), Jurgen van den Broeck (Katusha), Boris Vallée (Fortuneo Vital Concept), Dennis Vanendert

Kev - Jurgen van den Broeck will be missed, Rafael Valls will be a good addition, particularly in the early season races if he can bed in in time.

Andy - van den Broeck is a loss, other than that, not much catches my eye.

In: 
Nelson Oliveira (Lampre-Merida), Carlos Betancur (AG2R-La Mondiale), Dani Moreno (Katusha)
Out: 
Eros Capecchi (Astana), John Gadret (crossteambyg4), Benat Intxausti (Sky), Pablo Lastras (retirement), Enrique Sanz (Southeast)

Kev - If you were wondering how Movistar could get better, Carlos Betancur might just be the answer, adding even more depth to their already immensely strong team. 

Andy - While Dani Moreno adds strength to an already impressive squad, it depends on which Betancur turns up at Movistar; if it's the one that demonstrated great potential, helped on by Movistar's Colombian contingent, then it could be an inspired signing. If it's the one who can't catch a flight on time, they may as well not have bothered.

In: 
Christopher Juul-Jensen (Tinkoff), Luka Mezgec (Giant-Alpecin), Ruben Plaza (Lampre-Merida), Amets Txurruka (Caja Rural)
Out: 
Adam Blythe (Tinkoff), Simon Clarke (Cannondale), Leigh Howard (IAM Cycling), Brett Lancaster (retirement), Cameron Meyer (Dimension Data), Jens Mouris (Drapac), Ivan Santaromita (SkyDive Dubai), Pieter Weening (Rompoot)

Kev - Plaza might still have a good couple of years left in him, but otherwise it should be more of the same from Orica-GreenEDGE next year. 

Andy - Plaza's arrival could be an important one in terms of Orica's development of the Yates twins. His experience will be a useful tool in bringing the British prospects on another level.

In: 
Michal Golas (Etixx-Quick Step), Benat Intxausti (Movistar), Michael Kwiatkowski (Etixx-Quick-Step), Mikel Landa (Astana), Danny van Poppel (Trek-Segafredo)
Out:
Nathan Earle (Drapac), Bernhard Eisel (Dimension Data), Danny Pate (Optum), Richie Porte (BMC), Kanstantsin Siutsou (Dimension Data), Chris Sutton

Kev - Sky clearly want to branch out from being Tour de France specialists. Kwiatkowski is more than capable of winning a Classic, Landa can attack one or both of the Giro and Vuelta as a GC contender, and should be a step up from Richie Porte.

Andy - Sky are demonstrating that their goal isn't just to provide British winners of the Tour de France, but to dominate cycling in every department. The additions of Landa, Intxausti and, particularly, Kwiatkowski will go some way to doing just that.

In:  
Sindre Skjøstad Lunke (Joker), Laurens ten Dam (LottoNL-Jumbo), Max Walscheid (Kuota-Lotto)
Out: 
Lawson Craddock (Cannondale), Marcel Kittel (Etixx-Quick-Step), Thierry Hupond (Delko Marseille Provence), Luka Mezgec (Orica-GreenEDGE), Daan Olivier (retirement)

Kev - Letting Kittel go is a huge gamble, and it will hurt when (if?) he beats Degenkolb in sprints this year. But the team's belief in Degenkolb to fill the void will do his confidence wonders. 


Andy - Kittel's departure is the big one here. No two way's about that. Could prove to be a massive loss, but with Demoulin and the addition of Laurens ten Dam, Giant Alpecin seem to be gearing themselves towards GC placings rather than sprint wins.

In: 
Koen Bouwman (SEG Racing), Victor Campenaerts (Topsport Vlaanderen), Twan Castelijns (Baby Dump), Dylan Groenewegen (Roompot-Oranje Peloton), Primož Roglič (Adria Mobil), Dennis van Winden (Synergy Baku)
Out: 
Brian Bulgac (De Volharding), Rick Flens, Barry Markus (Roompot), Laurens ten Dam (Giant-Alpecin), Nick van der Lijke (Roompot-Oranje Peloton)

Kev - Laurens ten Dam is a big loss for the Dutch outfit, and it's hard to see where the direct replacement is coming from. Could be a tough year.

Andy - The departure of ten Dam is a blow and, like Kev, I'm finding it hard to spot an incoming alternative.

In: 
Adam Blythe (Orica-GreenEDGE), Yuri Trofimov (Katusha)
Out: 
Edward Beltrán (EPM Une-Area Metropolitana), Matti Breschel (Cannondale), Christopher Juul-Jensen (Orica-GreenEDGE), Michael Mørkøv (Katusha), Bruno Pires (Roth-Skoda), Chris Anker Sorenson (Bretagne-Séché Environnement), Oliver Zaugg (IAM Cycling)

Kev - I'd say the key departure was Saxo's money, but Oleg Tinkov says they weren't paying anyway. Maybe Oleg's enthusiasm for the sport and ability to not argue with his riders will be the big comings and goings.

Andy - Not much in the way of change for Tinkoff, this year. With Sagan and Majka already on board, the team already seem well equipped for the next few years. Adam Blythe adds fresh legs and depth, but it'll be more of the same, as Tinkoff will want to give Contador a good send-off.

In: 
Jack Bobridge (Budget Forklifts), Niccolò Bonifazio (Lampre-Merida), Ryder Hesjedal (Cannondale), Kiel Reijnen (UnitedHealthCare), Peter Stetina (BMC), Edward Theuns (Topsport Vlaanderen)
Out:
Matthew Busche (UnitedHealthCare), Bob Jungels (Etixx-Quick Step), Hayden Roulston (retirement), Jesse Sergent (Ag2r-La Mondiale), Fabio Silvestre (Leopard Development Team), Danny van Poppel (Team Sky), Calvin Watson (An Post Chain Reaction)

Kev - You sense that Jungels, Sergent and van Poppel will be bigger losses than those brought in. Hesjedal, for all his quality, is a short-term fix at best.  

Andy - Hesjedal is a decent name but papers over the cracks, slightly. The decision not to offer van Poppel's contract remains a baffling one in the absence of any real replacement.


That's it. Anyone you think we've overlooked, or disagree with what we've had to say? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter. Otherwise, let's look forward to the start of the season!

2016 Transfer Roundup - Part 1

The 2016 season kicks off in a week at the Tour Down Under. Before that, let's take a moment to look at the transfers made over the off season by all 18 WorldTour teams. Today, part one of our in-depth analysis, and the first half of the teams. 

Transfers In: 
Francois Bidard (from Chambery CF), Cyril Gautier (Direct Energie), Jesse Sergent (Trek-Segafredo)
Transfers Out: 
Carlos Betancur (to Movistar), Rinaldo Nocentini (Sporting Club Portugal-Tavira)

Kev's thoughts - Nothing really exciting for me here. Nocentini's departure to a small Portuguese team is basically an ungraceful retirement, and a few years late to be of any note.

Andy's thoughts - With Betancur's last year or so being a bit of a non-event, his departure may not be as big a loss as it may have been, had he delivered on his potential. Other than that, look like more of the same from AG2R.

In: 
Eros Capecchi (Movistar), Gatis Smukulis (Katusha), Oleg Zemlyakov (Vino4Ever)
Out: 
Rein Taaramae (Katusha), Mikel Landa (Sky), Borut Bozic (Cofidis), Alexandr Dyachenko (retirement)

Kev - Letting Taaramae and Landa go may look like big losses, but it's a year of calculated focus for Astana, where they seem to be building their entire team around Fabio Aru. 

Andy - While Landa's exit is the headline here, Taaramae will be glad to be leaving and you can't help but feel Astana have lost themselves a talent. The focus may be on Aru, but Landa may still be missed.

In: 
Richie Porte (Sky), Tom Bohli
Out: 
Peter Stetina (Trek-Segafredo), Klaas Lodewyck (retirement), Campbell Flakemore (retirement)

Kev - Only one thing to say here. Richie Porte has to deliver, with no handy excuse of Froome limiting his GT chances. Interesting to see how his arrival will affect Tejay van Garderen.

Andy - Like Kev, I'm curious to see how Porte and van Garderen will link up. Porte craves a good shot at GC and will surely have gone to BMC on a promise of being given just that. How Tejay will react to that, though, having not been entirely comfortable when he was last placed in the shadow of an Aussie, remains to be seen.

In: 
Patrik Bevin (Avanti), Matti Breschel (Tinkoff), Simon Clarke (Orica-GreenEDGE), Lawson Craddock (Giant-Alpecin), Phil Gaimon (Optum), Ryan Mullen (An Post), Pierre Rolland (Direct Energie), Toms Skuijns (Hincapie), Rigoberto Uran (Etixx-Quick-Step), Wouter Wippert (Drapac), Michael Woods (Optum)
Out: 
Janier Acevedo (Jamis), Nathan Haas (Dimension Data), Norman Lasse Hansen (Cult Energy), Ryder Hesjedal (Trek-Segafredo), Ted King (retirement), Dan Martin (Etixx-Quick Step), Matej Mohoric (Lampre-Merida)

Kev - A solid set of dealings from a team that was in danger of losing focus last year. Uran can give them a real GC threat in Grand Tours, and Rolland can either be a solid backup or a decent option elsewhere.

Andy - A big reshuffle for Cannondale this season. Swapping Etixx Dan Martin for Rigoberto Uran could prove to be a great bit of business, especially when you see the Colombian's arrival has been supplemented by Pierre Rolland.

In: 
Mark Cavendish (Etixx-Quick-Step), Bernhard Eisel (Sky), Omar Fraile (Caja Rural), Nathan Haas (Cannondale), Cam Meyer (Orica-GreenEDGE), Mark Renshaw (Etixx-Quick-Step), Kanstanstin Siutsou (Sky)
Out: 
Gerald Ciolek (Cult Energy), Matt Goss (ONE), Louis Meintjes (Lampre-Merida)

Kev - I've already done a post on this team, so click here for some in-depth thoughts. But expect to see a lot of Dimension Data in 2016 and beyond.

Andy - A big season for Dimension Data, after their rise to prominence last year. Could be the team for fans of cycling nostalgia, as they appear to be getting the HTC band back together. Outside of their sprinting aspirations, the hard-working Siutsou is a more-than solid addition.

In: 
Bob Jungels (Trek-Segafredo), Marcel Kittel (Giant-Alpecin), Dan Martin (Cannondale), Max Richeze (Lampre-Merida)
Out: 
Mark Cavendish (Dimension Data), Michal Golas (Sky), Michal Kwiatkowski (Sky), Mark Renshaw (Dimension Data), Rigoberto Uran (Cannondale)

Kev - On behalf of EQS, welcome Bobby Jungels, we've got fun and games. Sorry. Their dealings hinge on the performances of the outgoing Cav and incoming Kittel to see if they've done well or not.


Andy - Seeing as Kev's already nicked my 'Welcome to Bob Jungels' line, I have nothing else to add other than Kwiatkowski will be a big miss, but if Kittel can stay fit, they'll surely bag themselves a good few stage wins.

In:
Daniel Hoelgaard (Joker), Ignatas Konovalovas (Team Marseille), Sebastien Reichenbach (IAM Cycling)
Out: 
David Boucher (Crelan - Vastgoedservice), Anthony Geslin (retirement), Arnold Jeannesson (Cofidis), Francis Mourey (Fortuneo-Vital Concept), Jussi Veikkanen (retirement)

Kev - Unremarkable for me. Nothing to even slightly affect FDJ's modus operandi, which is to get a French winner of the Tour. Pinot's contract is up at the end of this year, let's talk in August.

Andy - Good for trying to get a pun in about hoping to minimise Reichenbach falls and that's about it.

In: 
Leigh Howard (Orica-GreenEDGE), Vegard Stake Laengen (Joker), Oliver Naesen (Topsport Vlaanderen), Oliver Zaugg (Tinkoff)
Out: 
Sylvain Chavanel (Direct Energie), Thomas Degand (Wanty-Gobert), Jerome Pineau (retirement), Sébastien Reichenbach (FDJ)

Kev - Probably the right time to let Chavanel leave, but you'd have hoped that they'd have replaced him with somebody noteworthy, which, with all due respect, they haven't.

Andy - Chavanel will feel he still had something to offer, and IAM have offered little themselves, in terms of a decent replacement. Can't help but feel both parties have parted ways a season too early.

In: 
Michael Morkov (Tinkoff), Rein Taaramae (Astana), Jurgen van den Broeck (Lotto Soudal), 
Out: 
Alexander Kolobnev (retirement), Dani Moreno (Movistar), Luca Paolini, Rüdiger Selig (Bora-Argon 18), Gatis Smukulis (Astana), Yuri Trofimov (Tinkoff)

Kev - Taaramae and van den Broeck should be strong lieutenants for Joaquim Rodriguez in the mountains (perhaps even more for van den Broeck), and Morkov being headhunted by Alexander Kristoff suggests real confidence on the flat, too.


Andy - Purito has lost a strong ally in Dani Moreno, but the arrivals of Taaramae and van den Broeck may turn out to be a good two-for-one deal.

In: 
Yukiya Arashiro (Direct Energie), Marko Kump (Adria Mobil), Louis Meintjes (Dimension Data), Matej Mohoric (Cannondale), Federico Zurlo (UnitedHealthcare)
Out: 
Niccolò Bonifazio (Trek-Segafredo), Nelson Oliveira (Movistar), Ruben Plaza (Orica-GreenEDGE), Filippo Pozzato (Southeast), Max Richeze (Etixx-Quick-Step), Jose Serpa (Orgullo Antiqueño), Rafael Valls (Lotto Soudal)

Kev - The name that stands out to me is Meintjes, you wonder just how much he can grow here. Plaza is a big name loss, but as with IAM and Chavanel, probably the right time.

Andy -  Meintjes is a fine capture for the Italian team, and whilst Plaza's departure leaves a hole, Meintjes has more than enough potential to fill it and, eventually, surpass Plaza.


That's us halfway, keep your eyes open for the other nine teams soon!

Vuelta Route Announcement 2016

Yesterday the final pieces of the Grand Tour puzzle for 2016 were put into place, as the Vuelta a Espana route was revealed. Now, I'll be honest, I struggle to get into the Vuelta over the more charming (to me) Giro and Tour, but duty calls!

We already knew the Vuelta would start in the Galicia region, and it stays there throughout the first week. For the seventh year in a row, the Vuelta starts with a team time trial, this time in Ourense, and hopefully not a repeat of the near-farcical scenes in Marbella in 2015.

Despite being classified by the organisers as having two flat stages, the entire first week has at least one category 2 climb on each stage. Stage 3 could shake up the order somewhat, with two category 2 climbs almost certain to create splits in the peloton before a category 3 summit finish to Mirador de Ézaro.

Stage 5 will be the first not to feature a summit finish, a reasonably flat last 70km giving the sprinters their first chance to shine, assuming they can get past the two climbs in the middle of the stage. 6 and 7 will provide some more moderate climbs, but it's stage 8 where the Vuelta will really start to bite.

The first 160km of stage 8 see the riders steadily climb just 200m, before La Camperona returns to the Vuelta after its 2014 debut. It cracked Rigoberto Uran then, costing him a minute that began his slide out of contention, but this year it's more likely to catapult someone into la roja, as the Vuelta's first category 1 climb.

Stage 10, the last before the first rest day, finishes at the Lagos de Covadonga, a 10km Especial climb which is sure to leave the riders glad of the day off, as well as being one to watch for the GC candidates.

Those who aren't fans of terrible puns should probably give the start of stage 11 a miss, as the peloton will depart from the Jurassic Museum of Asturias. Hopefully after the rest day their bones won't be as stiff as the fossils, the contenders will look to roar on the stage, et cetera, et cetera. As a guide to how hilly this Vuelta is, as with stage 8 this 'flat' stage ends with a sharp category 1 climb, some 168km away from Juan Hammond and his dinosaurs.

Stage 13 looks like it'll be unlucky for several of the riders, as no fewer than seven categorised climbs are dotted along 212km, the longest stage of the race, and one which dips into France for the first time in the race. It's a punishing, almost malicious, stage, which will chip away at even the strongest riders' stamina before the decisive week of the Vuelta begins.

After the previous day's sojourn across the border, stage 14 is run almost entirely in France, save for the start in Urdax-Dantxarinea. Three category 1 climbs are spaced evenly across the middle of the stage, including the 2015 Tour's decisive Col de La Pierre Saint-Martin, before the finish atop the Col d'Aubisque, This is a stage for the all-out GC contenders, with each of the four climbs offering an opportunity to drop rivals and gain handfuls of time.

Barely a flat bit of tarmac in sight the next day, you'd fancy that the short (120km)  stage 15 will be one for a breakaway and perhaps a new face to grab the headlines. A rest day follows stage 16, which features a totally flat last 17km after a steady 50km descent.

Stage 17 is the least threatening-looking of the mountain stages, and an unremarkable stage 18 will lead into the two days that will decide the fate of la rosa. A 39km time trial could see some big chunks of time being exchanged so late in a gruelling Vuelta, but stage 20 is of course where it will be all but decided, with three cat. 2 climbs and a cat. 3 scattered before a final slog up Alto de Aitana.

At a an average, and pretty consistent, gradient of 5.72%, it doesn't seem like a challenge, but it's a punishing 22km slog after three weeks of climbing. They'll finish 1280m higher than at the foot of the climb, and with such a steady climb, there will be plenty of time for an attack to be made, and equally enough for a gap to open up.

The final stage into Madrid should be a formality, the transfer from Alicante to Madrid probably providing the riders more problems than the stage itself.

So what have we got overall? Climbs, and lots of them. Discounting the two time trials and the ceremonial final stage, every single stage contains a categorised climb. Because of that lack of classic sprint stages, and the Olympics falling only a couple of weeks before the Vuelta on the other side of the globe, I'd be surprised to see many, if any true specialist sprinters making the trip to Spain.

I can't mention this Vuelta without also considering Alberto Contador. It's no secret that Contador has his eyes on a fairytale victory in his final Grand Tour, and entirely possibly his final race as a professional cyclist.

The organisers have put together a really energy-sapping race for this Vuelta, however, and coming at the end of the season will only add to the fatigue factor. If Contador still has the legs to get round and win, will it cross his mind that he's got enough left for another season or two?

Peloton Fashion Parade

Once the dust has settled in the post-season contract scramble, the cycling pre-season can be a pretty dull affair. The same, however, can't be said for some of the new jerseys teams are releasing for next year (we're looking at you, Tinkoff). Here is a selection of the best (and worst) of the bunch:

Team Sky

Sky and Rapha have kept things simple yet sleek over the previous few years, and there's no change here. The single blue and single white stripe across the middle break up the mainly black ensemble, and, although it may look as if every Sky rider appears to be the national champion of Estonia, should be easily distinguished from the rest of the peloton.

4/5

Dimension Data

The artists formerly known as MTN-Qhubeka have a new design to go with their new name. Keeping the black and white colour scheme, the African team have ditched the stripes and gone for a mainly white shirt, with black sleeves and a black stripe across the midriff. A nice, clean design that doesn't over-complicate.

3/5

Katusha

Simplicity seems to be the order of the day, as Katusha offer one of the biggest improvements on last season's offering. The team seem to have finally settled on a colour, opting for a strong red number, in contrast to last year's confused effort.

4/5

Cannondale

Reverting from their black design of last year, back to their better known lime green colour, Cannondale will be one of the easier teams to spot in this year's tours, although they have still chosen to stick with the diamond pattern that gives the jersey that 'granddad's knitted jumper crossed with a chocolate lime' feel.

2/5

AG2R

Only AG2R seem to be of the un-swaying opinion that sky blue and brown look good together. This time giving them a sleeve each. Urgh.

1/5

FDJ

The French team resembled a yoghurt pot last year and they haven't changed much this year. At least there's no brown.

1.5/5

Astana

Continuing with teams who apparently couldn't be bothered to change anything from last year, Astana serve up a recognisable, yet still decent, offer.

3/5

Giant-Alpecin

And another. Although Giant-Alpecin's 'if it ain't broke' approach pays dividends, retaining their smart and recognisable appearance.

4/5

Movistar

Another team who didn't have to make any drastic changes, the only downside they look as if they're sponsored by Flubber, which would actually explain Quintana's amazing ascents.

4/5

Lampre-Merida

It's pink. It's blue. It's still Lampre-Merida. It's still hideous.

0/5

Tinkoff

The luminous yellow is still there, but the blue has been toned down to almost grey and the camouflage pattern has bitten the dust. Instantly recognisable and it isn't their training kit. Oh God, that training kit...

4/5

IAM Cycling

The Swiss team has decided to switch things up a bit for this year, opting for a mainly white jersey, with a broken red and blue stripe across the chest. A clean design with a nice little incorporation of the Swiss flag in the stripe.

4.5/5

LottoNL-Jumbo

Less yellow. More white. Less rubbish. Still not great.

2/5

Etixx-Quickstep

Probably the biggest departure for an existing team, Etixx server up a sharp contrast to last year's jersey, with a bold blue and black design. The single white stripe breaks everything up nicely, making this, in this blogger's humble opinion, the best jersey of the season.

5/5

One for the road:

We mentioned that Tinkoff training jersey earlier, and you're not getting away with not seeing it that easily. By Jove, if we've got to be subjected to it, then so have you. So here it is, a seizure on a bike:

-5/5