Tour Down Under

official profiles are here:

http://www.tourdownunder.com.au/down-under-classic-and-stages-1-6.htm

Not sure the mountains are categorized as such, but are just labeled as KOM points

Cycling fever have an OK one

http://www.cyclingfever.com/stage.html?editie_idd=MjM2NjQ=&etappe_idd=Mj...

Try steephill.tv

Is there a prologue on the 20th as steephill.tv claims?

You lot are keen, preview is on its way but a work in progress at the mo.

Stage maps and profiles are here:

http://road.cc/content/gallery/73049-santos-tour-down-under-2013

There's no Prologue.

There is a criterium (People's Choice Classic, formerly the Cancer Council Classic) on the Sunday but while it is part of the broader event, it isn't actually part of the Tour Down Under itself.

Thanks TERatcliffe but I had to laugh at the titles of the different names of the races.

Ah, thanks : )

I think there has been a typo on Mediterranean (nitpicky I know, sorry)

Yeh some of the names are funny, all the profiles shown on all the other websites are taken from the official site

It's not a typo, thats what the race is called

Are there any points allowed for the GC ?

Am I being blind or is Matt Goss not on the list?

Yes he is on 3rd most expensive rider

A lot of the Greenedge Guys were just added......I bet Durbridge is double that price by seasons end and he'd possibly be favourite for this if there was a time trial in there somewhere?

Gerrans or EBH for me

Can't see many people not picking Gerrans at that value.

Ok, I'd like to know if people see this as 5 flat stages and the Old Willungs hill stage... I know a lot is at stake for the game if you see them that way!

For the quality of the field i would say its 5 flat with the hill thrown in as an added excitement.

5 flatish, but a few wont be at the finish in stage 2 i reckon

I don't know - stage 2 looks pretty serious to me. From all reports, Corkscrew Hill is a very tough climb. Even at 2.5k long, if someone with a bit of form really tries to go on it, they could well break up the field and stay away to the finish - Gilbert-ish? The run-in is all downhill, and not straight, and a chase may be tricky to organize.
However, early season, and the change in climate for most riders - hard to see who will be up for it. They could just decide to pedal over and wait till stage 5 to decide things - definitely an opportunity though.

Also - if the pace is high, I could see Kittel and Guardini having trouble with stage 3 (and maybe even stage 1 depending on their form?). Are they the weakest climbers in the peloton - anyone else spring to mind besides Bos who is not here?

robacairns - i know what you mean but all the riders will have just come off winter training in the likes of Mallorca and Tenerife etc so i think they will try and hold back the pace until they get their race legs back.

Mind you it would be good to see an early break cos sometimes the stages are just processions until the lead out trains kick in

Good job @TheJensie is involved then!!

Agreed - always hard to know what the peloton will do in races like this. Remember the Tour of California last year? Sagan may have won all those stages anyway, but the group went pretty easy over some tough terrain and allowed a big bunch to stay together (I remember because it particularly screwed up my fantasy team). It's true - the profile does not always make the race. I'm just saying that stage 2 presents a real opportunity - and it would throw a little more flavour into the race if the overall was shaken up early.

This article at Cycling News http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/tour-down-under-spot-confirms-kerbys-talent states that the Uni SA team is different to that in the game. Which is right, please?

Seems Rohan Dennis will be out, for those interested

Yes, the Corkscrew road is a killer! I grew up in Adelaide used to ride around those hills on my Raleigh Record (12kg...) in the 70s.

I wish I didn't have to sleep.

Good luck to all - here we go!
I've got an all-nighter ahead of me, so you may have to excuse some sleep deprived giddiness later on.

Game-on see you on the other side....