Thomas Siniecki, Media365: published on Monday January 20, 2025 at 3:47 p.m.
The first stage, during the night of Monday to Tuesday in French time, will start exactly at 2:05 a.m.
Three months. It happened more or less quickly depending on the degree of fanaticism, but the fact remains that the winter break is ending and therefore the season is back, with the traditional Tour Down Under to open the World Tour calendar in the Australian heat: six stages (no time trial) with alternating sprints and punches for the finishes, this is what awaits a well-trained peloton in this event. We resume gently and without a cador, another habit since the biggest names generally refine their preparation in the gentle Spanish way.
-Labrosse: “Why not win a stage with the team”
The favorites are Oscar Onley (Picnic PostNL), Stephen Williams (Israel – Premier Tech) and Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates), the latter two being the two outgoing winners – Julian Alaphilippe, absent this season, finished sixth overall in 2024. Or even Sam Welsford (Red Bull – Bora – Hansgrohe) and Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain Victorious) for the sprint, the first named having won everything last year. But we won't be left out on the French side, with Paul Lapeira to lead the Decathlon AG2R team and the tireless finisher Bryan Coquard to try to get his year off to a good start at Cofidis.
Jordan Labrosse showed up in the breakaway of a first criterium this weekend and he wants to “try to do the best possible” for this week and “why not win a stage with the team, we'll see” (remarks collected by Cyclismactu.net): “We will also try to do the best possible to be in the top 10 overall.” Groupama – FDJ and Arkéa – Bamp;B Hotels, with respectively Quentin Pacher and Cristian Rodriguez as leaders, will also be at the start to complete the quartet of French teams involved. On the big name side, we will also note the presence of Geraint Thomas, Michal Kwiatkowski (INEOS Grenadiers) and Bauke Mollema (Lidl – Trek). The wait has been long, but the wild animals are finally getting ready to be released. Here we go again!
