I thought Haig’s ride was enormous…he is going to be a very very good rider!
Felt sorry for the poor guy ran over by the team car in the tour of Britain!
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Haig is getting up 90% of the climbs with the GC riders - He’s been instructed to then switch off and save his legs.
Haig has re-signed with OS
Expect Albasini any day now - Some issue with L.Hamilton.:
Any detail?
Assume you are referring toa Hamilton - Like in many cases a Heads of Agreement was signed earlier in the year - Seems Hamilton is wanting more time - There is no reason to think Orica cant develop his talents and anyway neo-pros all get similar contracts - Wait and see.
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Wouldn’t hurt to have another year in U23.
Hamilton will turn pro in 2018 - In time he could be an Ardennes type rider/ strade bianchi and even the one day races in Canada as well as a one week stage racer - I am unsure if he will be a GC GT rider - He’s a very consistent rider who can hold his peak or close to it for a long time - You don’t want to lose him.
EBH won stage of the TOB from Viviani and Groenewegen but was rightly disqualified after a zig zag sprint which stopped Viviani and Ewan sprinting and inconvenienced Groenewegen - Ewan probably should have won but was boxed in and stood in his tracks by interference from EBH - Also Mezgec couldnt get into position to deliver Ewan - Finally Viviani is the type of sprinter you need in a GC focused team.
Haven’t been able to keep up with La Vuelta … but it hasn’t seemed terribly interesting?
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The fact that Froome appears to have it won from the get-go hasn’t helped but still better than the TdF.
Its been the most interesting of the 3 Grand Tours.
Pity about Dennis. He would have won the ITT by 30 seconds.
Australian Team for the World RR Championship.
Elite Men
Simon CLARKE (VIC) Cannondale Drapac/Carnegie Caulfield CC
Rohan DENNIS^ (SA) BMC Racing Team/Adelaide CC
Mitchell DOCKER (VIC) Orica-Scott/Brunswick CC
Luke DURBRIDGE (WA) Orica-Scott /Midland CC
Jack HAIG (VIC) Orica-Scott/Bendigo & District CC
Heinrich HAUSSLER (NSW) Bahrain–Merida/Inverell CC
Mathew HAYMAN (ACT) Orica-Scott /Canberra CC
Michael MATTHEWS (ACT) Team Sunweb/Tuggeranong Vikings CC
Jay McCARTHY (QLD) Bora-Hansgrohe/Fraser Coast CC
Rory SUTHERLAND (ACT) Movistar
Elite Women
Gracie ELVIN (ACT) Orica-Scott/Canberra CC
Katrin GARFOOT* (QLD) Orica-Scott/Gold Coast CC
Shara GILLOW (QLD) FDJ/Sunshine Coast CC
Sarah ROY (NSW) Orica-Scott/Sydney Uni Velo Club
Amanda SPRATT (NSW) Orica-Scott/Penrith CC
Under 23 Men
Lucas HAMILTON (VIC) Mitchelton-Scott/Ararat & District CC
Jai HINDLEY (WA) Mitchelton-Scott/Midland CC
Callum SCOTSON* (SA) BMC Racing/Port Adelaide C
Robert STANNARD (NSW) Mitchelton-Scott/Manly Warringah CC
Michael STORER (WA) Mitchelton-Scott/Midland CC
^ Time Trial only * Time Trial & Road Race
Why they have filled only 5 of the 7 women’s spots is very strange.
Nothing is strange with the selectors or the directors. Porte got a mountain biker as a support rider for the 2016 Olympics. Last two years had 2 leaders for the RR. Hard for a non Orica women’s rider to get a gig at Olympics or Worlds.
I believe that Gerrans is the protected rider for the two Canadian races as a reward for his service at Orica. Of course this could change on the road.
No Tiffany Cromwell for the womens?
Cromwell doesn’t ride for Orica ! In saying that the course is too difficult for Cromwell - But gee they could take women for the World’s - Why no under 23’s women’s team ?
Froome wins the TT by 29 seconds from Kelderman - Nibali loses 57s, Contador 59s, Lopez around 2 minutes, Aru 3 minutes and Chaves a shocking 4 minutes - The Vuelta has been a struggle for Orica - And Ewan wins stage 3 of the TOB from EBH and Kristoff - Another perfect lead out by Mezgec.
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With Brenton Jones fourth in that TOB finish. One of his best finishes so far.
Chaves and A.Yates attack on the second last climb after Astana brought the peleton back to within striking distance - A crazy move which never got more than 100 metres and at the same time Chaves couldn’t follow Yates - Then at the top of the second last climb Cort dropped back from the breakaway and guided Haig down the descent away from the peleton - Haig started the final brutal climb 36s behind the breakaway four and nearly a minute in front of the peleton - Then Lopez attacked the peleton and shortly after was joined by Contador - Bertie was on a tear and eventually finished second behind the breakaway rider Denifl from Aqua Blue Sports - Contador took over a minute over Froome while Nibali took around 40s - Froome struggled and was pulled up the climb by Nieve - Froome now leads by 1m and 16s - The GT season has been a disaster for Orica - Nowhere near a podium and one more stage - Orica’s two best riders in this Vuelta have been Trentin and Nieve.