Tour Down Under 2010 Live Dashboard

Sunday, January 17

51 km

Adelaide

Tuesday, January 19

141 km

Clare → Tanunda

Wednesday, January 20

133 km

Gawler → Hahndorf

Thursday, January 21

133 km

Unley → Stirling

Friday, January 22

150 km

Norwood → Goolwa

Saturday, January 23

148 km

Snapper Point → Willunga

Sunday, January 24

90 km

Adelaide (Criterium)

Total Distance

846 km

All dates are in Australian time. - 1 day for U.S.
copyright (c) 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 steephill.tv

2010 Tour Down Under Teams

Team Rosters and ~~Withdrawals~~

News and Updates for Santos Tour Down Under 2010

Stage 6 results: The week ends the way it starts with Team Sky finishing 1-2: Sutton first and Henderson second this time. Andre Greipel wins the overall as expected.

9 Big Photos from Stage 6 — sirotti

Stage 6 Results:
1  SUTTON Chris          Sky        90 km in 1.53'20" (47,647km/h)
2  HENDERSON Greg        Sky
3  BROWN Graeme          Rabobank

Final General Classification

Sutton secures Sky's second; Greipel becomes second double victor — cyclingnews
Stage 6 photo finish
Full Official Results — tourdownunder
9 Big Photos from Stage 6 — sirotti
Graham Watson Stage 6 photos — grahamwatson
Armstrong hits the beers Down Under — wwos.ninemsn.au
Sutton's stage but Greipel takes Tour Down Under — theaustralian.au
  Stage 6 Recap (06:02) — tourdownunder
Sutton wins final stage in Adelaide leading a SKY 1-2 — cyclingweekly.co.uk
  Stage 6 Extended Highlights (10:53) — sbs
Sutton wins finale as Greipel takes Tour Down Under — velonews
  Watch CJ's flying finish at TDU (02:23) — teamsky
  Stage 6 Interviews: many riders — sbs
  Lance Armstrong stage 6 interview (07:30) — sbs

Stage 6 Preview: Adelaide, 90 km (flat)

Also follow steephill on Twitter for the latest race info and video updates.

January 23/24 update: A flat, fast procession on a kermese like circuit is the order of the day. No changes to the overall unless there is only a second or two between the top few riders and inwhich case every intermediate sprint will be hard fought. — Kevin Ford

General Race Preview and all Stage Previews — steephill.tv
Armstrong vows no 'goofing off' after Tour [Down Under] — sbs.au
See the race summary table (right) for profiles, maps and timetables of all upcoming stages

(remember: the U.S. eastern time zone is 15.5 hours behind the local time zone (CDT) in South Australia)

Also follow steephill on Twitter for the latest race info and video updates.

Live Streaming Video and TV Coverage

January 18/19 update: Listed below are most of the media outlets for the 2010 Tour Down Under along with links to their tv guide and live coverage. Only stage 0 (The Classic), stage 5 and stage 6 will have live video coverage. Links get verified and updated prior to each stage. Let me know if you see new options. Please report (email) new links and incorrect or missing information. — Steve

media source	tv or internet	comments/restrictions
	live video (english) tv schedule	Australia; SBS1 live for stage 0 (classic), stage 5 and stage 6; highlights for other stages on SBS1 and SBS2
	live audio (english) live audio (direct link) radio schedule	Australia; live streaming audio worldwide
	live video (english) tv schedule	United States; Versus will air daily 30-minute stage re-caps from Jan 19-23 at 6 PM ET & a one-hour show at 6 PM ET on Jan 24 for the final stage. The final stage 6 will also be live on VERSUS.com at 8 PM ET.
	live video (english) tv schedule	Australia; Fox Sports will have highlights for stages 1-6
	live video (english) live video (sub. req'd) tv schedule	UK; Sky Sports UK coverage on 1, 2, 3 , 4, HD1 and HD2. with a daily 30 minute highlights show. The last two stages (5 & 6) will be live.
	live video (english) tv schedule	New Zealand; Sky Sport 3 will have live coverage of the Classic (stage 0); highlights for all other stages will be on Sky Sport 1
	live video (french) tv schedule	France; Sport+ will have 30 to 60 minutes of daily highlights. France 2/3 will have coverage as well
	tv schedule	TV listings for all other parts of the world
	live text updates @SantosTDU_Live	English updates from the official site; live text and photo updates suitable for any smartphone
	live text updates	English
	steephill txt updates #tdu twitter group	short text updates from any and everyone
check back at race time for more and updated links; send a comment or a new live link

Stage 5 results: A break finally succeeds; Luis Leon Sanchez jumps the winning break with 1k to go

9 Big Photos from Stage 5 — sirotti

Stage 5 Results:
1  SANCHEZ Luis Leon     Caisse d'Epargne   148 km in 3.29'39" (42,356km/h)
2  ROBERTS Luke          Milram             @ 2 sec
3  VALVERDE Alejandro    Caisse d'Epargne   @ 4 sec    
4  EVANS Cadel           BMC Racing
5  SAGAN Peter           Liquigas - Doimo   @ 6 sec 
6  FOTHEN Markus         Milram
7  ROSSELER Sabastien    Radio Shack 
8  MEYER Cameron         Garmin-Transitions
9  HENDERSON Greg        Sky                @ 9 sec
10 SABATINI Fabio        Liquigas
...
17 GREIPEL Andre         HTC-Columbia       @ 9 sec

General Classification after 5
1  GREIPEL Andre         HTC-Columbia
2  SANCHEZ Luis Leon     Caisse d'Epargne   @ 11 sec
3  ROBERTS Luke          Milram             @ 17 sec

Full Official Results — tourdownunder

Stage 5 Report — bikeworldnews

Evans robbed of fairytale Willunga win (robbed? fairytale?) — wwos.ninemsn.au

Spain's Sanchez wins 5th stage of Tour Down Under — nbcsports.msnbc

Sanchez sensational in thrilling finale — cyclingnews

Sanchez wins stage five as Greipel clings on — cyclingweekly.co.uk

9 Big Photos from Stage 5 — sirotti

Stage 5 Recap (06:50) — tourdownunder

Stage 5 Extended Highlights: Part 1 (09:17), Part 2 (04:29), Part 3 (11:31) — sbs

Graham Watson Stage 5 photos — grahamwatson

Stage 5 Interviews: Neil Stephens, Michael Rogers, Andre Griepel and Luis Leon Sanchez — sbs
... more to come...

Stage 5 Preview: Snapper Point → Willunga, 148 km (flat then hilly)

Also follow steephill on Twitter for the latest race info and video updates.

January 22/23 update: Essentially flat for the first 100kms and then 2 trips up the Willunga hill before a short run to the finish. Pre ProTour this was the stage where the GC could be won or lost but now with the power of the big teams controlling the race, any sprinter high on the overall will be well protected to maintain their placing. This is the last day any major shake-ups could occur but the leaders will sprint for the finish. — Kevin Ford

General Race Preview and all Stage Previews — steephill.tv
Dave McKenzie previews all the stages (04:14) — sbs
Behind the scenes with Jens Voigt: Part 1 (01:45) and Part 2 (02:59) — tourdownunder
See the race summary table (right) for profiles, maps and timetables of all upcoming stages

(remember: the U.S. eastern time zone is 15.5 hours behind the local time zone (CDT) in South Australia)

Stage 4 results: Andre Griepel takes out another sprint finish Down Under

9 Big Photos from Stage 4 — sirotti

Stage 4 Results:
1  GREIPEL Andre         HTC-Columbia
2  McEWEN Robbie         Katusha
3  BROWN Graeme	         Rabobank
4  STEEGSMANS Gert       Radio Shack
5  CARDOSO Manuel        Footon - Servetto 
6  DEAN Julian           Garmin - Transitions
7  ROELANDTS Jurgen      Omega Pharma - Lotto
8  GOSS Matthew          HTC-Columbia
9  FOERSTER Robert       Milam
10 HUTAROVICH Yauheni    Francaise des Jeux

General Classification after 4
1  GREIPEL Andre         HTC-Columbia

Greipel has the goods in Goolwa — cyclingnews

Armstrong finding it tough at the Tour Down Under (from ystrday) — cyclingweekly.co.uk

Stage 4 photo finish — twitpic

Behind the scenes with Jens Voigt: Part 1 (01:45) and Part 2 (02:59) — tourdownunder

Stage 4 roadside: "Get off the road" (00:14) — spectator/ishashweb

Team Sky miss out on stage four — cyclingweekly.co.uk

Greipel takes his hat-trick at Tour Down Under — cyclingweekly.co.uk

Armstrong surprises field with late attack — cyclingweekly.co.uk

Stage 4 Recap (05:59) — tourdownunder

9 Big Photos from Stage 4 — sirotti

Graham Watson Stage 4 photos — grahamwatson

Stage 4 Extended Highlights: Part 1 (09:52), Part 2 (05:12), Part 3 (10:09) — sbs

Stage 4 Wrap with Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwin (01:45) — tourdownunder

Stage 4 Interviews: Lance Armstrong, Andre Griepel, Robbie McEwen, Greg Henderson, Matt White, Allan Peiper — sbs

Stage 4 Preview: Norwood → Goolwa, 150 km (rolling-flat)

Also follow steephill on Twitter for the latest race info and video updates.

January 21/22 update: The first half of today's stage is a little lumpy and will be very attractive to the break away opportunists. The second half is basically flat and again the team's domestics will be hammering to bring it all back together. The finish is up hill, not much but enough, to bring the compact sprinter into the frame. After yesterday's missed chance, this should be another opportunity for Caisse d'Epargne with Valverde, Rojas or Luis Leon Sanchez. — Kevin Ford

General Race Preview and all Stage Previews — steephill.tv
Dave McKenzie previews all the stages (04:14) — sbs
See the race summary table (right) for profiles, maps and timetables of all upcoming stages

(remember: the U.S. eastern time zone is 15.5 hours behind the local time zone (CDT) in South Australia)

Stage 3 results: A surprise but convincing win by Manuel Cardoso of Footon - Servetto ahead of the ProTour winner (Valverde) and the World Champ (Evans)

9 Big Photos from Stage 3 — sirotti

Stage 3 Results:
1  CARDOSO  Manuel       Footon - Servetto
2  VALVERDE Alejandro    Caisse d'Epargne    @ 01'
3  EVANS Cadel           BMC Racing
4  SAGAN Peter           Liquigas - Doimo
5  FINETTO Mauro         Liquigas - Doimo 
6  KOREN Kristjan        Liquigas - Doimo 
7  ROBERTS Luke          Milram
8  FOTHEN Markus         Milram
9  ROUX Anthony          Francaise des Jeux
10 VORGANOV Eduard       Katusha
...
23 GREIPEL Andre         HTC-Columbia

General Classification after 3
1  GREIPEL Andre         HTC-Columbia

Full Official Results — tourdownunder

Cardoso signs with Footon-Servetto from Nov 22 — cyclingnews

Cardoso claims Footon's first win ahead of Valverde, Evans — cyclingnews

Manuel Cardossa Post-Win Quotes — tourdownunder.au

Manuel Cardoso takes win ahead of Valverde — cyclingweekly.co.uk

9 Big Photos from Stage 3 — sirotti

Graham Watson Stage 3 photos — grahamwatson

Stage 3 Extended Highlights: Part 1 (10:45), Part 2 (05:41), Part 3 (08:33) — sbs

Stage 3 Recap (06:48) — tourdownunder

Stage 3 Interviews: Cadel Evans, Matt Lloyd, Sky director David Brailsford, Jack Bobridge, Graeme Brown, Simon Clarke and Andre Greipel — sbs

Stage 3 Wrap with Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwin (01:45) — tourdownunder

Stage 3 Recap with ambient noises (no commentary) (02:42) — abc.net.au

Lance Armstrong interview prior to Stage 3 — media.theage.au

Taking down Andre the Giant — news.au

Stage 3 Preview: Unley → Stirling, 133 km (hilly)

January 20/21 update: Break away day. After an easy roll for the first hour or so there is a short climb up to the 40km mark, once over that it is underlating to the finish. There will be lots of guys trying to get away and it usually turns crazy after the 80km mark when the bunch will eventually let a small group not in contention for overall, stay away to the finish. — Kevin Ford
(ed. word is "Caisse d'Epargne plan to smash the field today". Valvarde, Rojas or Sanchez looking for the win?)

General Race Preview and all Stage Previews — steephill.tv
Dave McKenzie previews all the stages (04:14) — sbs
SA Premier to Victoria: Hands off Tour Down Under — news.smh.au
McEwen back and fighting at Tour Down Under — cyclingweekly.co.uk
See the race summary table (right) for profiles, maps and timetables of all upcoming stages

(remember: the U.S. eastern time zone is 15.5 hours behind the local time zone (CDT) in South Australia)

Stage 2 results: Andre Greipel wins by a bike length making it two in a row

9 Big Photos from Stage 2 — sirotti

Stage 2 Results:
1  Andre Greipel      HTC-Columbia      133 km in 3.23'49" (39.3 kph) 
2  Greg Henderson     Sky
3  Robbie McEwen      Katusha
4  Robbie Hunter      Garmin Transitions 
5  Graeme Brown       Rabobank 
6  Allan Davis        Astana
7  Danilo Wyss        BMC Racing 
8  Luke Roberts       Milram 
9  Baden Cooke        Team Saxo Bank
10 Jose Rojas         Caisse d'Epargne

General Classification after 2
1  Andre Greipel      HTC-Columbia
2  Greg Henderson     Sky                @ 14"
   Gert Steegmans     Radio Shack
4  Robbie McEwen      Katusha            @ 16"
   Jurgen Roelandts   Omega Pharma Lotto

Full Official Results — tourdownunder

Two's a treat for Greipel — cyclingnews

Andre Greipel Winner's Quotes — tourdownunder

Andre Greipel Post Win Interview (02:10) — sbs

Pre-Stage 2 Interviews: Davis, O'Grady, McEwen, Bobridge, Goss, Brown — sbs

Greipel grabs another Down Under — velonews

Greg Henderson continues fine start in Tour Down Under — news.bbc.co.uk
Andre Greipel has now won seven out of the 11 stages he has ridden at Santos Tour Down Under — @SantosTDU_Live

Stage 2 photo finish side view — tourdownunder

Stage 2 photo finish overhead — tourdownunder

Stage 2 Extended Highlights: Part 1...coming, Part 2 (5:27), Part 3 (9:59) — sbs

Graham Watson Stage 2 photos — grahamwatson

Stage 2 First Half Recap (02:53) — tourdownunder.com.au

9 Big Photos from Stage 2 — sirotti

Stage 2 Post-Race with Phil and Paul (01:44) — tourdownunder.com.au

Also follow steephill on Twitter for the latest race info and video updates.

Stage 2 Preview: Gawler → Hahndorf, 133 km (rolling)

January 19/20 update: Starts with a very gradual uphill for 30kms. The next 40kms is across the plateau and can be very windy. The bunch will split to pieces with breaks occurring before the Checkers hill -- a short climb but very steep. The last 40kms will again see the stronger teams bringing all the escapees back into the bunch for another sprint finish. Picks SUTTON/ ~~DAVIS/~~ COOKE. — Kevin Ford

General Race Preview and all Stage Previews — steephill.tv
  Dave McKenzie previews stage 2 and the other stages (04:14) — sbs
  Mike Turtur & others discuss the successful history of Team UniSA (32:20) — tourdownunder
  Lance Armstrong discusses the stages prior to stage 1 (04:35) — sbs
  Phil Liggett likes the Aussies... and Lance (02:30) — adelaide now
  UniSA's young Aussie rider, Tim Roe, looks and sounds like a young Keith Richards — steephill
See the race summary table (right) for profiles, maps and timetables of all upcoming stages

(remember: the U.S. eastern time zone is 15.5 hours behind the local time zone (CDT) in South Australia)

Stage 1 results: Andre Greipel easily wins the sprint in Tanunda

9 Big Photos from Stage 1 — sirotti

Stage 1 Results:
1  Andre Greipel      HTC-Columbia      141 km in 3.15'20" 
2  Gert Steegmans     Radio Shack  
3  Jurgen Roelandts   Omega Pharma Lotto
4  Danilo Wyss        BMC Racing Team 
5  Greg Henderson     Sky
6  Baden Cooke        Saxo Bank
7  Graeme Brown       Rabobank
8  Robbie McEwen      Katusha
9  Jose Rojas         Caisse d'Epargne
10 Valeriy Dmitriyev  Astana

Full Official Results — tourdownunder

Greipel grabs number one in Tanunda — cyclingnews

Photo finish and victory salute — tourdownunder

UNISA's Tim Roe discusses his break (01:12) — sbs

Andre Greipel wins bunch sprint in opening stage of Tour Down Under — theaustralian.au

Andre Greipel Post-Win Interview (01:35) — sbs

Meet Tim Roe: An "awesome" interview from Dec '09 (02:01) — UniSouthAustralia

TDU title bid over for defending champion Davis — cyclingnews

9 Big Photos from Stage 1 — sirotti

Graham Watson Stage 1 photos — grahamwatson

Stage 1 Extended Highlights: Part 1 (10:53), Part 2 (6:35), Part 3 (7:42) — sbs

Stage 1 Recap (05:20) — tourdownunder.com.au

SBS's stage 1 wrap up with David McKenzie (04:5) — sbs

Also follow steephill on Twitter for the latest race info and video updates.

Stage 1 Preview: Clare → Tanunda, 141 km (rolling)

January 18/19 update: It's a slightly lumpy stage with a fast flat final 3km. It can get windy and with most riders just looking to settle into race tempo, you can bet that the local conglomerate (UNISA) team will launch a break away. A day of pain for the bigger teams chasing but eventually it will be a finish for the stronger sprinters. Picks: GREIPEL/ HENDERSON. — Kevin Ford

General Race Preview and all Stage Previews — steephill.tv
Dave McKenzie previews stage 1 and the other stages (04:14) — sbs
Mike Turtur & others discuss the successful history of Team UNISA (32:20) — tourdownunder
See the race summary table (right) for profiles, maps and timetables of all upcoming stages

(remember: the U.S. eastern time zone is 15.5 hours behind the local time zone (CDT) in South Australia)

Cancer Classic (Stage 0) Results: Team Sky finishes 1,2 in their first race; Greg Henderson takes the win

9 Big Photos from the Cancer Classic (Stage 0) — sirotti

Cancer Classic Results:
1 Greg Henderson  Team Sky      51 km in 1.04'33" 
2 Chris Sutton    Team Sky
3 Robbie McEwen   Katusha
4 Andre Greipel   HTC-Columbia
5 Baden Cooke     Saxo Bank
6 Graeme Brown    Rabobank
7 Allan Davis     Astana
8 Jose Rojas      Caisse d'Epargne

Sky proves the goods with Henderson win — cyclingnews

Greg gives Sky a dream start — teamsky

Greg Henderson - Winner's Quotes — tourdownunder.au

Full Official Results — tourdownunder.au

TDU Photo Stream — yahoo/ap

9 Big Photos from the Cancer Classic (Stage 0) — sirotti

Highlights (04:28) — tourdownunder.com.au

Team Sky off to perfect start as Henderson wins — cyclingweekly.co.uk

Graham Watson Cancer Classic photos — grahamwatson

Sky nails Cancer Council Helpline Classic with 1-2 finish — velonews

Greg Henderson Post-Win Interview (01:28) — sbs

High-Quality Cancer Classic Highlights (05:17) — sbs

Post Cancer Classic Interviews: Armstrong, Lloyd, Hincapie, McEwen, Roberts, Sutton, C. Meyer, Cooke, Pereiro, Henderson (09:19) — sbs

The race that stopped Adelaide (02:19) — adelaide now

Armstrong and Race Highlights (01:49) — eurosport

Cancer Classic Down Under (Stage 0) Preview

January 16/17 update: 51 km circuit, pancake flat and a great leg loosener. Once again not part of the official race but hotly contested all the same. Someone will try to break away but HTC-Columbia's Andre Greipel, Team Sky's Greg Henderson and Fly V Australia sprinter Jonathan Cantwell will be the guys to watch. — Kevin Ford (ed. Don't forget about last year's winner Robbie McEwen)
Previews for other stages
See the race summary table (right) for profiles, maps and timetables for all upcoming stages

(remember: the U.S. eastern time zone is 15.5 hours behind the local time zone (CDT) in South Australia)

January 16 update:

Team Sky ready for their first race — cyclingweekly.co.uk

Armstrong's team abandons independent drug tests for biological passport — AP/Canadian Press

Also follow steephill on Twitter for the latest race info and video updates.

Georgie Hincapie Interview: talks BMC, TdF, Cadel Evans (02:39) — sbs

Jens Voigt Interview (02:28) — sbs

Latest Live Video Details, Highlights and TV Schedule — steephill.tv

January 15 update:

Government Payout to cycle star Armstrong to stay secret — theaustralian.au

Armstrong's Twitter ride draws thousands — sbs.au

Thousands show for Armstrongs Tweet ride — cyclingnews

January 14 update:

Fifth stage remains key to Tour Down Under win — velonews

Lance Armstrong says stage win is 'minimum' goal at Tour Down Under — guardian.co.uk

January 13 update:

Lance Armstrong jets into Adelaide (01:53) — adelaide now

Lance Armstrong's Press Conference in Adelaide (02:50) — adelaide now

Armstrong in Australia: "I'm in better shape than last year" — cyclingweekly

Latest Official Startlist — steephill.tv

TOUR DOWN UNDER 2010 Preview

January 13 update: Thank goodness the off-season is over. The new teams and their eyebrow-raising jerseys have been announced along with many well-publicized signings. So we now welcome the first ProTour race of the season starting this weekend in Adelaide, South Australia. Here's what to expect according our man down under, Kevin Ford of Cousins Tours and Travel — Steve

Background

Also follow steephill on Twitter for the latest race info and video updates.

The Tour Down Under is somewhat unusual in that it features a criterium when it starts this Sunday, which is not part of the official race. The race proper has its first stage on the Tuesday. The Tour Down Under started just over a decade ago and has quickly grown to be the 1st Pro Tour event sanctioned outside of Europe. Originally, it had lots of Aussie teams with a small Euro and/or U.S influence. Its raising popularity can be attributed to a few things other than its ProTour status: the riders love the warm summer weather in Oz, they can leave their time-trial bikes at home, the terrain and stage distances are ideal for early season racing, all teams stay in the same hotel for the whole week and the race is well organized.

Apart from a 24hr flight it seems most people either want to come and see Oz or have been here and liked it so are happy to return. Adelaide is a city surrounded by hills, beaches and three major wine regions. Just add a good coffee and it becomes cycling and tourist friendly. It is also true that a lot of riders come here to gain fitness so with the race thrown in, sunny skies, and one hotel it all leads to a good time. Another oddity about this race is the inclusion of a local team made up with talented riders from the national team or smaller teams not invited. They usually work like the wildcards at the TDF and attack most days and keep everyone honest. Honouring their selection and trying to catch the eye of the big teams. Just ask Jack Bobridge from last year.

Some of the biggest hitters in cycling are making the journey to the Tour Down Under this year. Lance Armstrong and George Hincapie are returning. Alejandro Valverde, Luis Leon Sanchez, Cadel Evans and Oscar Pereiro are other names of note. Lance was driving a few breaks last year, but most of the mentioned riders will not feature in the overall. Their presence increases the press galleries -- the public's awareness leading to bigger crowd numbers. In the early years of the event, the final street circuit used to attract crowds of around 10,000 which is respectable for a bike race in Oz. However, last year with the Lance factor there were 140,000 spectators at the last stage. How many will there be this year?

The Favorites

Over the last month, we've had a series of criteriums and also the Australian champs so some of the local talent has been on display. When the race was in its infancy, it wasn't a sprinters feast. More recently, it has become a race for the fast men as the bigger teams now have the fire power to control things

The man everyone is talking about is HTC-Columbia's Andre Greipel. He won the event in 2008. In 2009, he had a stage victory and then suffered a crash and abandoned. Word is that he is coming here with good form and will have a strong lead out from new signing Matt Goss- one of Australia's former track endurance stars.

Saxo Bank have signed Baden Cooke (green jersey TDF) and he will be looking to impress his new DS and old team mate Bradley McGee. It can never hurt having Stuart O'Grady as your lead out either, he is the local favourite here and a previous winner so he knows the terrain well.

The first outing for the new Team Sky should also prove interesting. Their sprinters Greg Henderson and Chris Sutton are both flying and will have perreniel workhorse Matt Hayman to control things. It will take a couple of stages to work out who is fastest but I think Henderson will edge out Sutton to be the main man; however, the Aussie, Sutton, goes into the race as the team captain.

Garmin have a two man combination from the same latitude as Australia with Robbie Hunter from South Africa and Julian Dean from New Zealand. Both these riders can never be discounted; however, both riders will play a leadout role for the major races later in the year.

Last year's winner, Allan Davis has just signed with Astana after a late season transfer from Quickstep. He will be looking to prove his worth and is also going very well.

Graeme Brown from Rabobank always features in the sprints here and won stage 3 last year. After a little verbal stoush in the local crits here, Browny has not earned himself any friends, so there will be a lot of extra motivation to ensure others beat him. Fast but will have to work very hard.

Caisse d'Epargne are bringing two very big guns to the TDU. Former winner Luis Leon Sanchez (2005) and Alejandro Valverde. Much like Lance Armstrong and Cadel Evans both these riders have much greater ambitions later in the season but there is one stage with an uphill finish, stage 4, that will especially suite the power sprint of Alejandro Valverde; however, he's probably not coming with the necessary form.

Robbie McEwen is normally a threat, but he seems to be getting over a few injury hurdles and I believe will use the race as a solid training block. Never one to shy away he will still have a red hot go in a sprint or two.

Cancer Council Helpline Classic

51kms circuit, pancake flat and a great leg loosener. Once again not part of the official race but hotly contested all the same. Someone will try to break away but Greipel, Henderson and Fly V Australia sprinter Cantwell will be the guys to watch.

STAGE 1 Tuesday 19th 141km

It's a slightly lumpy stage with a fast flat final 3km. It can get windy and with most riders just looking to settle in to race tempo, you can bet that the local conglomerate team will launch a break away. A day of pain for the bigger teams chasing but eventually it will be a finish for the stronger sprinters. GREIPEL/ HENDERSON.

STAGE 2 Wed 20th 133km Gawler to Hahndorf

Starts with a very gradual uphill for 30kms. The next 40kms is across the plateau and can be very windy. The bunch will split to pieces with breaks occurring before the Checkers hill -- a climb-short but very steep. The last 40kms will again see the stronger teams bringing all the escapees back into the bunch for another sprint finish SUTTON/ DAVIS/ COOKE.

STAGE 3 Thurs 21st 132.5km Unley to Stirling

Break away day. After an easy roll for the first hour or so there is a short climb up to the 40km mark, once over that it is underlating to the finish. There will be lots of guys trying to get away and it usually turns crazy after the 80km mark when the bunch will eventually let a small group not in contention for overall, stay away to the finish.

STAGE 4 Fri 22nd 149.5km Norwood to Goolwa

The first half of today's stage is a little lumpy and will be very attractive to the break away opportunists. The second half is basically flat and again the team's domestics will be hammering to bring it all back together. The finish is up hill, not much but enough, to bring the compact sprinter into the frame. It is also the perfect day for Valverde and Luis Leon Sanchez. VALVERDE/ DAVIS.

STAGE 5 Sat 23rd 148km Snapper Point to Willunga

Essentially flat for the first 100kms and then 2 trips up the Willunga hill before a short run to the finish. Pre ProTour this was the stage where the GC could be won or lost but now with the power of the big teams controlling the race, any sprinter high on the overall will be well protected to maintain their placing. This is the last day any major shake-ups could occur but the leaders will sprint for the finish HENDERSON/ COOKE.

STAGE 6 Sun 24th 90km Street circuit in Adelaide city

A flat, fast procession on a kermese like circuit is the order of the day. No changes to the overall unless there is only a second or two between the top few riders and inwhich case every intermediate sprint will be hard fought.

TOP OVERALL PICKS

With no time-trial or mountain stage and stronger teams capable of shutting down breaks that would have got away in earlier years, the Tour Down Under is definitely a sprinter's stage race. 2008 overall winner Andre Greipel and last year's winner Allan Davis have to be considered the logical favorites. Aussie Christopher Sutton, who won the recent Bay Classic Series earlier this month, hopes to give the new Team Sky it's first win (stage or overall). There are also lots of other Oceanic riders to choose from including Baden Cooke (Saxo Bank), Graeme Brown (Rabobank), Robbie McEwen (Katusha) the winner of last year's Classic Down Under and Greg Henderson (Team Sky) if Chris Sutton doesn't get it done. European riders to watch include Martin Elminger of Ag2r La Mondiale, a previous winner and 4th overall last year and Team RadioShack's Gert Steegmans. Interestingly, there are three U.S. teams in the race but only three U.S. riders among all teams.

Preview by Kevin Ford, Cousins Tours and Travel

January 13 update:

Lance lands in Adelaide, S. Australia and speaks to the press — tourdownunder

North America is one day behind the Australian start times

January 12 update: The stage days of week have been corrected on this page. The race starts this Sunday and finishes the following Sunday time for most places around the world except in North American where it starts and finishes on Saturday North American time. (EST is 15:30 hours behind the Australian CDT time zone. PST is 18:30 hours behind). In other words, the stage dates posted here are in Australian time and you need to subtract one day if you live in North America. — Steve

January 12 update: Pre-race analysis and interviews — news.au
January 10 update: Davis dares to dream of a double? — cyclingnews
January 6 update: Tour Down Under 2010 Preview — cyclingweekly.co.uk

January 2 update: (Finally) Added the 2010 race summary table with links to the stage profiles, stage maps and race timetables. (see right)
2010 Official Event Promo Video (00:32) — tourdownunder.com.au
Road Closures — tourdownunder.au
The official site — tourdownunder.au
Allan Davis confirms 12th Tour Down Under start — news.au

December 16 update:

Valverde to ride Tour Down Under: Spanish star heads to Australia with strong Caisse contingent — cyclingnews

Evans and Hincapie to lead Team BMC — tourdownunder.au
December 2 update:

Armstrong leads RadioShack at Tour Down Under — cyclingnews

Team Sky unveil squads for Tour Down Under and other races — skysports

Lance Armstrong & Team Radioshack Ready for Tour Down Under — teamradioshack.us

Tour Down Under 2010 Dates announced

March 5 update: The Tour Down Under 2010 will be held the week of Jan 17-24th, 2010. The complete route will be announced in July.

Down Under 
Classic   Sunday 17 January 2010 
Rest Day  Monday 18 January 2010  
Stage 1   Tuesday 19 January 2010
Stage 2   Wednesday 20 January 2010
Stage 3   Thursday 21 January 2010
Stage 4   Friday 22 January 2010
Stage 5   Saturday 23 January 2010
Stage 6   Sunday 24 January 2010

2009 Tour Down Under Archived Coverage

2008 Tour Down Under Archived Coverage

Tour Down Under 2010 Live Dashboard

News and Updates for Santos Tour Down Under 2010

Stage 6 results: The week ends the way it starts with Team Sky finishing 1-2: Sutton first and Henderson second this time. Andre Greipel wins the overall as expected.permalink("#06-results-2010");

Stage 6 Preview: Adelaide, 90 km (flat) permalink("#06-results-2010");

Live Streaming Video and TV Coverage permalink("#live");

Stage 5 results: A break finally succeeds; Luis Leon Sanchez jumps the winning break with 1k to gopermalink("#05-results-2010");

Stage 5 Preview: Snapper Point → Willunga, 148 km (flat then hilly) permalink("#04-results-2010");

Stage 4 results: Andre Griepel takes out another sprint finish Down Underpermalink("#04-results-2010");

Stage 4 Preview: Norwood → Goolwa, 150 km (rolling-flat) permalink("#04-results-2010");

Stage 3 results: A surprise but convincing win by Manuel Cardoso of Footon - Servetto ahead of the ProTour winner (Valverde) and the World Champ (Evans)permalink("#03-results-2010");

Stage 3 Preview: Unley → Stirling, 133 km (hilly) permalink("#03-results-2010");

Stage 2 results: Andre Greipel wins by a bike length making it two in a rowpermalink("#02-results-2010");

Stage 2 Preview: Gawler → Hahndorf, 133 km (rolling) permalink("#02-results-2010");

Stage 1 results: Andre Greipel easily wins the sprint in Tanunda permalink("#01-results-2010");

Stage 1 Preview: Clare → Tanunda, 141 km (rolling) permalink("#01-results-2010");

Cancer Classic (Stage 0) Results: Team Sky finishes 1,2 in their first race; Greg Henderson takes the win permalink("#00-results-2010");

Cancer Classic Down Under (Stage 0) Preview

TOUR DOWN UNDER 2010 Preview

Background

The Favorites

Cancer Council Helpline Classic

STAGE 1 Tuesday 19th 141km

STAGE 2 Wed 20th 133km Gawler to Hahndorf

STAGE 3 Thurs 21st 132.5km Unley to Stirling

STAGE 4 Fri 22nd 149.5km Norwood to Goolwa

STAGE 5 Sat 23rd 148km Snapper Point to Willunga

STAGE 6 Sun 24th 90km Street circuit in Adelaide city

TOP OVERALL PICKS

North America is one day behind the Australian start times

Tour Down Under 2010 Dates announced

2009 Tour Down Under Archived Coverage

2008 Tour Down Under Archived Coverage

Stage 6 results: The week ends the way it starts with Team Sky finishing 1-2: Sutton first and Henderson second this time. Andre Greipel wins the overall as expected.

Stage 6 Preview: Adelaide, 90 km (flat)

Live Streaming Video and TV Coverage

Stage 5 results: A break finally succeeds; Luis Leon Sanchez jumps the winning break with 1k to go

Stage 5 Preview: Snapper Point → Willunga, 148 km (flat then hilly)

Stage 4 results: Andre Griepel takes out another sprint finish Down Under

Stage 4 Preview: Norwood → Goolwa, 150 km (rolling-flat)

Stage 3 results: A surprise but convincing win by Manuel Cardoso of Footon - Servetto ahead of the ProTour winner (Valverde) and the World Champ (Evans)

Stage 3 Preview: Unley → Stirling, 133 km (hilly)

Stage 2 results: Andre Greipel wins by a bike length making it two in a row

Stage 2 Preview: Gawler → Hahndorf, 133 km (rolling)

Stage 1 results: Andre Greipel easily wins the sprint in Tanunda

Stage 1 Preview: Clare → Tanunda, 141 km (rolling)

Cancer Classic (Stage 0) Results: Team Sky finishes 1,2 in their first race; Greg Henderson takes the win