PREVIEW | Tour Down Under 2025 stage 2 - Can Sam Welsford take 2 for 2 on hilly day?
Cycling
Stage 2 of the Tour Down Under will be an interesting one, a slightly harder stage than the opening day but one where the sprinters are still expected to succeed. We preview the second day of the race, can Sam Welsford defend his race lead?
Stage 2 starts and finishes in Tanunda and it will include several ascents of Menglers Hill. Whilst not brutal, this ascent allows opportunities for attack or to drop some sprinters, but a bunch sprint is still expected in the straight line final kilometers.
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It's a very short stage, so that should contribute to the chances of the fast men that for the most part will have a quick and calm ride. The stage is a 3-lap circuit and mostly on non-technical roads. The ascent, Menglers Hill, is 2.8 kilometers long at 6.6% and finishes with 22.5 kilometers to go.
There may be some attacks, there may be some teams pushing as not all sprinters can handle such an effort too well. It can be a finale with interesting dynamics but ultimately the final kilometers are a flat and completely straight line which means any attack or small group will struggle. 0 technical features, so leadouts can leave it late to push to the front.
The Weather
Some strong wind from the southeast. This will be quite interesting actually, don't expect individual moves on Menglers Hill but the truth is that the the climb finishes in an exposed crosswind plateau, followed by some tailwind. I would say not just possible, it's likely that a couple teams will try to split the peloton at the top.
It also makes more likely that a few teams push the pace to drop some sprinters, as the effort shouldn't just be the climbing itself. The final kilometers won't have this danger, as it is straight into a headwind, and the finishing straight will have some cross-headwind.
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The Favourites
Sam Welsford - The Australian is the fastest sprinter in the race, it seems to be established. He's got the best leadout as well, but he needs to survive the potential moves. If he does and we have a bunch sprint, he will be the man to beat. BORA won't be too concerned however, Welsford has gotten his fair share of wins and if he really does not go through the climb, then Danny van Poppel can take up the responsibility, or perhaps even assist Laurence Pithie in the chase of bonus seconds.
Those who can climb - This does indeed feature most sprinters honestly, as climbing nowadays is key to all pro riders, including the fast men. A few could have some doubt such as Tim Torn Teutenberg and Henri Uhlig, but I don't think we can see such a strong pace to drop riders like that. Matthew Brennan himself would be a doubt, but I think the Visma man showed last year good climbing legs.
We should have more experienced riders such as Bryan Coquard, Corbin Strong and Andrea Vendrame hoping for the toughest climb possible, perhaps with their own teams influencing this. Then, many riders inbetween. Tobias Lund Andresen certainly benefits from this scenario whilst having a strong sprint, whilst Casper Pedersen, Rui Oliveira and Ben Swift are all riders to watch.
Those who cannot climb - Of course, this is an exaggeration, and it fully depends on a team pushing all-out up the final climb and maintaining it after the ascent. A few riders may struggle, including Welsford himself. If the pacing really is hard, then we could see a few riders miss out on the sprint, but if it isn't then it should be a regular bunch sprint with the same faces near the front.
But there aren't too many names that would also fit here. Phil Bauhaus is definitely a significant one however, I wouldn't discard his importance. Other riders such as Simon Dehairs, Arne Marit and today's third spot Matthew Walls are also not known for their climbing performances and will hope for a conservative day.
Prediction 2025 Tour Down Under stage 2:
*** Matthew Brennan, Tobias Lund Andresen
** Sam Welsford, Henri Uhlig
* Danny van Poppel, Laurence Pithie, Tim Torn Teutenberg, Bryan Coquard, Corbin Strong, Rui Loveira, Ben Swift, Phil Bauhaus, Matthew Walls
Pick: Matthew Brennan
Original: Rúben Silva
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Don't just watch the action, be part of it! 🚲 From children to adults, there's a ride for every level of cyclist 🙌 Join the ride: https://t.co/S7UhhJpJmR#TourDownUnder @SantosLtd pic.twitter.com/gsq8T7ADmf
— Santos Tour Down Under 🚴🚴♀️ (@tourdownunder) January 8, 2025
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