The Tour Down Underneath has been a cornerstone of Rohan Dennis’ profession. It’s the place in 2012 he delivered a efficiency that helped catapult him to the WorldTour, it’s the place he secured his first stage and total victories in that prime tier and it is now the place he’ll line up on Tuesday on the prologue along with his eyes as soon as once more firmly set on the general podium.
The South Australian rider first competed at his house race in 2010, then once more two years later when his fifth place on the GC and first place within the youth and mountains classification introduced WorldTour groups knocking.
Since 2014, Dennis hasn’t as soon as missed an version, not even when it was off the worldwide calendar due to the COVID-19 pandemic and run as a home occasion as an alternative in 2021 and 2022. There is no such thing as a place like house, it appears, for the 32-year-old.
“I’m all the time blissful to place my hand up,” stated Dennis of his common appearances on the Australian WorldTour stage race. “I all the time remorse it round about November or December, not as a result of I do not just like the race however as a result of it places strain on me to be good from day dot.”
The draw, nonetheless, is obvious as he simply retains coming again. “There’s nothing like Adelaide I suppose, for me.”
Dennis’ triumphed within the race in 2015, standing on the highest podium step flanked by Richie Porte and Cadel Evans and it is a victory that may’t quickly be forgotten as we sit in race headquarters at the Adelaide Hilton, the place coming into the foyer the names of previous winners are affixed to the entrance face of the entry steps and an enormous poster of Dennis within the ochre jersey is prominently positioned on a pillar.
Dennis has additionally completed within the prime 6 on GC on 4 different events, along with his most up-to-date end result within the WorldTour race a fourth total. This yr not less than one place higher is the intention.
“I do not understand how doable it is going to be to truly win. You by no means know till actually a few days in while you get a little bit of a check,” Dennis advised Cyclingnews, pointing to the late climb in stage two to Victor Harbour in stage 2 as “a great feeler” of the place everyone seems to be after which after which Corkscrew on stage 3 will “present so much”.
“I am hoping what I’ve performed work-wise will probably be ok to be on the rostrum,” he stated. “It has been an extended outdated stint since I used to be capable of get on the rostrum … However perhaps with the prologue, it offers me a little bit of an edge.”
Energy of the prologue
The explanation the 2018 and 2019 World time trial title winner shouldn’t be surprisingly circumspect about how a lot of an edge that first day of racing within the WorldTour occasion will ship is that the prologue is simply 5.5km lengthy, and with no time trial bikes allowed.
“It is a bit of an unknown,” stated the rider from Adelaide of racing in opposition to the clock on a highway bike. “Plenty of us do not actually do TT’s on highway bikes. The aerodynamics side of it’s virtually thrown out of the window in some sense as a result of some guys are actually good with energy within the aero place, whereas different guys will not be. That brings it extra again to an excellent enjoying area, I believe, which isn’t the perfect scenario for me.”
“Nonetheless there’s a component of energy talks and we have labored laborious on attempting to maximise that within the highway place.”
That focussed method to the Tour Down Underneath was a part of the rationale Dennis opted to skip defending his Australian time trial title on the 37.5km Ballarat course earlier this month.
“Coaching has been so much completely different this yr to different years, simply purely as a result of I haven’t got to be good over a 45-minute sustained effort,” stated Dennis. “It is one-off, it is excessive depth 3- to 10-minute efforts kind of and having the ability to again it up a number of occasions in the course of the day.”
Together with his tailor-made coaching Dennis is hoping Tuesday’s prologue will probably be his alternative to get the benefit within the race over climbers like Simon Yates (Group Jayco AlUla) and Jai Hindley (Bora Hansgrohe) after which maintain it, or not less than sufficient of it, by until the tip.
“I am hoping they go actually unhealthy on Tuesday,” Dennis stated with a chuckle, the sunshine jocularity sneaking by into the interview on quite a few events regardless of the constructing race strain.
“However guys like Jai and Yates have nonetheless acquired that kick, that high-intensity punch, which is damaging … they nonetheless can kick and harm their opponents but it surely’s not suited particularly for them. I consider that somebody extra alongside the traces of Ethan Hayter, Daryl Impey or Michael Matthews will probably be a a lot larger risk – and I also needs to most likely add Bevin – as a consequence of the truth that they’re quick finishers and might recover from these shorter, more durable climbs, which could be very tough, and might go fairly nicely briefly prologues and TT’s.”
The inclusion of the prologue is not all that is modified within the racing dynamic. There’s in fact no Richie Porte, who along with his dominance of the climb of Willunga has helped him safe first on the general twice and second 4 occasions.
On prime of that new race director Stuart O’Grady has stamped his personal mark on the lengthy operating occasion, switching up the course and this yr that signifies that in addition to the now retired Porte being lacking, so is the Willunga climb that he and the Tour Down Underneath had grow to be so carefully related to. As a substitute there will probably be different ascending challenges all through, such because the shorter Corkscrew and Mount Lofty within the Adelaide hills, which gives the finale for the six day occasion.
“It is extra of an open race this yr,” stated Dennis.
And that’s one thing the rider from Adelaide clearly plans to benefit from.
