2002 Tour Down Under

The 4th Tour Down Under ( officially: Jacob 's Creek Tour Down Under) was held from 15 to 20 January 2002. The cycling consisted of six stages, began in the South Australian town of Glenelg and ended in the provincial capital of Adelaide. The total distance of the stage race was 733 km and thus 24 km less than last year. The Tour Down Under was classified in the UCI category 2.3.

• 4.1 ratings in the itinerary

The participants

The South Australian Tourism Commission organizing once again invited three Australian teams, and although United Water, the Australian Institute of Sport and the University of South Australia, which brought an Australian national team at the start. Overall, were as in the previous twelve cycling teams at the start, with, for example, with the team German Telekom, AG2R Prévoyance, Crédit Agricole, Mapei - Quick Step and Saeco or Domo - Farm Frites some of the most famous teams in the world were invited. A total of nine teams took part, who had also participated in the previous year. Each team consisted of eight riders.

As favors for the overall victory were ahead once again the Australian riders who were in the middle of their season, while European professionals took the tour, especially in preparation for the season starting in March. Special attention was paid in advance defending champion Stuart O'Grady ( Credit Agricole ), who had also done in the 2001 Tour de France attention to himself, as he had several days occupied the overall lead. He was considered a top favorite for winning the Tour Down Under 2002. Additional known participants were of the Estonian sprinter Jaan Kirsipuu of AG2R Prévoyance, the German Steffen Wesemann, who already in the previous sweeps of the race top rankings had been able to pull out his Telekom team-mate Andreas Klöden and Bobby Julich, Andrea Tafi of the Italian team Mapei -Quick Step, the locals Bradley McGee, Frédéric Guesdon (both Française Des Jeux ) and Koos Moerenhout, Max van Heeswijk, Fred Rodriguez (all Domo - Farm Frites ), Robbie McEwen of Lotto - Adecco and its Australian compatriot Patrick Jonker of the University of South Australia- secondment.

The stages

The highlight of the week-long cycling festival Festival of Cycling in Adelaide Tour Down Under through the province of South Australia was extended for the fourth time after 1999. The six stages long tour started as in the previous Adelaider suburb of Glenelg and ended as with their previous editions in the provincial capital. The course was at times similar to the output of last year, but also three new sections were added to the program. The official stage plan for 2002 was presented to the public in July 2001.

Stage 1, Glenelg Street Race

With a 47- kilometer criterion race in Glenelg began on Tuesday, 15 January 2002 Tour Down Under. Each of the 25 flat rounds in downtown comprised 1.88 km. After a few breakaways formed in a quick race a leading group to Robbie McEwen ( Lotto - Adecco ) and two companions. Later formed a ten-person chase group with the German Jens Heppner and defending champion Stuart O'Grady. However, this could not catch up with the group of the day, which also caught the peloton with two laps, which was taken then out of the race. The sprint of the trio was finally able to decide for themselves, and thus conquer the yellow jersey of the locals McEwen. The intervals at this stage not yet counted for the overall standings. Points for the sprint but were not awarded in the target only in the two intermediate sprints of the day.

Stage 2, Hahndorf - Strathalbyn

The second, 150 km long part of the day started east of Glenelg in the village of Hahndorf, which was the starting place of a leg of the race for the first time. The route led first in a loop north and back to Hahndorf, where the Checker Hill, the first mountain stage of the TDU in 2002 and two intermediate sprints were passed. It then went south to the destination Strathalbyn. After the second passage of the starting location Hahndorf the decisive, 15 -strong group was formed to defending champion Stuart O'Grady and the Germans Steffen Wesemann, who was able to save almost eight minutes ahead of the field to the finish. Surprisingly, won the young Australian Michael Rogers of the University of South Australia in the final sprint before Fabio Sacchi, who took over the overall lead because of the won in intermediate sprints Zeitbonifikationen, and Andrea Tafi.

Stage 3, Willunga - Willunga

In the south of Adelaide Willunga, the 149 km long third stage was discharged. With the Willunga Hill the most difficult climb of the Tour Down Under has traveled on an additional loop in the last round. Otherwise introduced three times to crossing through circuit with two intermediate sprints through Willunga and McLaren Vale on the beach along. In a mass sprint Robbie McEwen was able to retract his second stage win in this year's edition of the Tour and took the lead in the points standings, while the German Danilo Hondo fourth. Previously had been made ​​, which had nearly 100 kilometers long determined the race with Tristan Hoffman (CSC - Tiscali ) and Glenn d' Hollander ( Lotto - Adecco ), the two outliers of the day. Several attacks on Willunga Hill could be neutralized again from the field.

Stage 4, Unley - Victor Harbor

On the fourth day, the route led the field over 141 kilometers from Adelaider suburb Unley to Victor Harbor in the south of the province where one lap around the place was filmed. Two sprints and a mountain Score 36 kilometers from the finish were extended. The race, which was held in very warm air temperatures of 35 ° C, has long been the soloist David Pell ( United Water ) determined. This was however obtained from the field so that it came to a bunch sprint. As was already on the first and third stage here Robbie McEwen can not be beat and already drove a his third stage victory.

Stage 5, Gawler - Tanunda

In the north of the province of South Australia, the penultimate stage over 156 kilometers took place. The rest of this section with the launch in Gawler and the subsequent twice about driving course around the northerly Tanunda in the Barossa region corresponded to that of the previous two years, was as this stage also been extended. Two sprints and twice passing mountains classification at Mengler 's Hill were on the way. At air temperatures of up to 44 ° C in the nine-man breakaway group of the day, the German Kai Hundertmark was represented. In the first passage of the Mengler 's Hill to escape, however, was again thwarted by the field. After several subsequent attacks being made ​​a seven -strong group around the second in the overall standings, Michael Rogers, and Hundertmark. Rogers had previously able to hold despite a defect in the connection because a spectator had lent him a matching spare wheel. On the last climb to Mengler 's Hill, the Australian Cadel Evans of Mapei - Quick Step attacked and was able to save a projection of sixteen seconds to the finish. Second day was Rogers, who took over the yellow jersey because of Fabio Sacchi was abeghängt early date leading. Evans secured by his attack also claimed victory in the mountains classification.

Stage 6, Adelaide City Council Circuit

At the end of the Tour Down Under in 2002 was traditionally a circuit race in the provincial capital of Adelaide in the program. A total of 20 laps of 4.5 kilometers were (a total of 90 km ) played on flat terrain. The only climb of the day was the short climb to the Montafiore Hill. The approximately 80,000 spectators at the track saw many attacks from the field, but of which ultimately led to no success. In the bunch sprint won for the fourth time this year the locals Robbie McEwen, who thus secured the sprint. The young Michael Rogers was able to defend his yellow jersey and won a total of second Aussie Stuart O'Grady (two wins) the race.

List of stages

Ratings

For points ratings there were the following point distribution:

Ratings in the itinerary

The table shows the leaders in their respective standings after each stage.

Full Time

The Tour Down Under 2002 like never before and never again dominated by the native Australian drivers: all six stages were won by Australians, the overall victory, the sprint, mountain, and junior rating also went to Australians. Especially did this to show Robbie McEwen from the Belgian team Lotto - Adecco, which could not be beaten in the mass sprints and so lay alone to four days sections at the front and the victory in the Punktetwertung wore it. His team also controlled on most of the flat stages of the field, so not as often prevailed in the previous year outliers.

For overall winner Michael Rogers of the national team of the University of South Australia winning the yellow jersey meant the international breakthrough as a cyclist. In the following years he should be, among other three-time world time trial champion. The foundation for the overall victory he laid on the second stage, as he was represented in the escape group whose members ultimately formed the itinerary spoils amongst themselves. Surprisingly, Rogers won here in the sprint ahead of Italian Fabio Sacchi, the yellow took it but on the difficult penultimate stage again at Rogers lost. With Cadel Evans ( Mapei - Quick Step) is also showed another young Australians and underlined with the victory in the fifth section and winning the Mountain jerseys his skills on the mountain, which eventually should lead to the Tour de France win it in 2011. Only the team title was won by a foreign crew, namely the Italians of Mapei -Quick Step, and it also had three riders in the top ten overall.