2004 Tour Down Under
The 6th Tour Down Under ( officially: Jacob 's Creek Tour Down Under) was held from 20th to 25th January 2004. The cycling consisted of six stages, began in the South Australian capital of Adelaide and ended ibid. The total distance of the stage race was 726 km and thus nine 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 organizing South Australian Tourism Commission invited this year, not just two, but three Australian teams one: next to United Water and the junior and amateur national team at the University of South Australia also has a national team of professionals standing by not participating in the race formations under contract. In total, as in previous years some twelve cycling team, with for example with AG2R Prévoyance, Crédit Agricole, Quickstep - Davitamon or Lotto - Domo some of the most famous teams in the world were invited. The Team German Telekom was missing, however, this year. In total were eight teams at the start, who had also participated in the previous year. Each team consisted of eight drivers, the Quickstep and Navigators Insurance nominated only seven professionals.
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. On the start list includes last year's winner Mikel Astarloza were ( AG2R Prévoyance ), Alexandre Botcharov ( Crédit Agricole ), Bradley McGee ( FDJeux.com ), but which had to retire due to a food poisoning before the start of the first stage, or the previous year's Seventh Patrick Jonker, who completed his last professional race as part of the UniSA team. As a favorite in the expected mass sprints Robbie McEwen of Lotto Domo, Graeme Brown Panaria - Margres or Baden Cooke ( FDJeux.com ) were considered. ( Quickstep - Davitamon ) Other candidates for a sprint victory of the Este Jaan Kirsipuu of AG2R Prévoyance, the Swiss Aurélien Clerc were or the New Zealander Julian Dean ( Crédit Agricole ) observed.
The stages
The highlight of the week-long cycling festival Festival of Cycling in Adelaide Tour Down Under through the province of South Australia has been extended for the sixth time since 1999. The six days long tour started like last year again in the provincial capital of Adelaide and ended as with their previous editions in the same. The course was at times inspired by the output of last year, including the difficult fifth stage around Willunga. On 21, January 23 and 24 were similar to the men's race instead of three criteria for women.
Stage 1, East End Adelaide Street Race
The Tour Down Under 2004 started with a flat circuit race over 50 kilometers to be completed consisting of a two-kilometer round 25 times in Adelaider " East End " on a Tuesday night. After 20 kilometers, the twelve -headed, decisive breakaway of the day for the sprinters Robbie McEwen ( Lotto - Domo ), Mark Renshaw ( FDJeux.com ) and Graeme Brown ( Panaria - Margres ) could form, which is up to 15 kilometers to a projection developed by over a minute. In the penultimate round, Nicolas Portal of AG2R Prévoyance deposed, but was set back by his companions escape. In the last round, the leaders then lapped the main field, which led to great confusion, as the two groups mingled. David McKenzie ( Navigators Insurance ) attempted it here with an attack, but in the sprint finally Robbie McEwen secured but the victory and the first yellow jersey of the Tour.
Stage 2, Norwood - Kapunda
On the second day the road led the pros on the longest leg of the race ( 157 km ) north to Kapunda. Thirty kilometers after the start was the first mountain stage of the tour on Checker Hill on the program, while the terrain towards the finish went downhill. Shortly after the launch, could Patrick Jonker ( UniSA ), his Australian compatriot David McPartland ( national ) and Alain Van Katwijk ( Bankgiroloterij ) to sell up to nine minutes from the peloton. Seventy kilometers before the end finally started numerous attacks from the field until a 38 -strong chase group formed, which could still further reduce the gap to the top. However, the outlier brought about one and a half minute gap between himself and the chasing pack to the finish while McPartland in the sprint of the trio was the fastest and also secured the yellow jersey next to the stage victory. Behind the pursuers led by Baden Cooke came the field with almost half an hour of residue.
Stage 3, Goolwa - Victor Harbor
The third, again flat stage began in Goolwa and ran across the Fleurieu Peninsula and also has a ten kilometer long gravel road in Myponga, again stood on a mountain stage. In the beginning, there was a variety of attacks, but no group was able to finally break away from the peloton. After 55 kilometers, finally, finally found the key seventeen riders who were able to work out a lead of over two minutes on the field - among them the second overall Patrick Jonker and the sprinter Robbie McEwen and Baden Cooke. The overall leader David McPartland had as well as the third party Alain Van Katwijk missed the jump to the top and could not catch up, so Jonker took over the yellow jersey. In the struggle for the victory dared Gene Bates of the UniSA four thousand meters before the finish in Victor Harbor a foray and was accompanied by Philippe Gilbert, the Belgian team-mate Sprinter Cooke. The duo saved a few meters ahead of the chasing pack to the finish, where Gilbert turned out to be lively and celebrated the first victory of his professional career.
Stage 4, Unley - Hahndorf
The fourth day began for drivers Adelaider suburb Unley, from where the route led first to the southeast and then north. After the climb of the day, the finish line was driven in Hahndorf on flat road. Both stage hosts were already known from previous years. Having previously breakaways events were determined over the three days, it was now for the first time during the tour to a real mass sprint, in which Robbie McEwen was able to secure his second stage win of the year. But before this happened, the peloton had to obtain a thirteen -man breakaway group that after a rich attacks beginning after 47 kilometers had been able to settle down and was able to pull up to two minutes to start. In it, among other things, defending Mikel Astarloza ( AG2R Prévoyance ) and his teammate Jaan Kirsipuu were represented. After the first goal Passage 37 km before the end of the tip was blown up by numerous attacks until eleven kilometers from the finish of the Sprinter Kirsipuu could settle alone. Only fifty meters before the finish line, he was tried and übersprintet from the field.
Stage 5, Willunga - Willunga
The penultimate stage of the Tour Down Under 2004 traditionally led around the place Willunga and was associated with the passage of the Old Willunga Hill ( 3.5 km ) twenty kilometers from the finish line and the topographical most demanding section of the tour. Ten riders formed at the beginning of the day, the breakaway group, among them the Swiss and second days of the previous day, Aurélien Clerc and David McPartland, the wearer of the yellow jersey after the second stage. The peloton allowed the tip but not more than one and a half minutes ahead, 32 kilometers before the end of the collection was made. At the Old Willunga Hill finally intervened Philippe Gilbert, who fell back but quickly, and the two Panaria - Margres teammate Giuliano Figueras and Paolo Tiralongo to who could back up the mountain points, and thus its victory in this special classification at the summit. Eight kilometers from the finish, the duo but was set back by the three ten-man chase group to the leader Patrick Jonker, Baden Cooke and Robbie McEwen, which was mainly due to the pace of work of Jonkers teammate Luke Roberts. Three thousand meters before the finish line then dared the former Australian time trial champion Ben Day ( National ) the decisive attack and was able to both Sprinter Cooke and McEwen leave behind while Jonker successfully defended the yellow jersey.
Stage 6, Adelaide City Council circuit
As in the previous years was the completion of the race, a flat circular course in the provincial capital of Adelaide. This time had 18 laps of 4.5 km ( 81 km) will be completed, with the short Montefiore Hill was once a mountain stage on the program. Once again, the race of a nervous start was marked with numerous attacks, until finally a six -man breakaway group led by Austrian Bernhard Eisel ( FDJeux.com ) has sold thirteen laps to go. Just three laps later the group but it has been sent off, and there were repeated attacks, more breakaways to Eisel, his teammate Philippe Gilbert, or even Graeme Brown ( Panaria - Margres ), however, were no more successful. Three rounds before the end of the peloton was closed again, and it came to the expected mass sprint. Here Baden Cooke prevailed against his rival Robbie McEwen, but was able to secure the points jersey and second place in the standings with the second day rank. Meanwhile, Patrick Jonker could be celebrated as the overall winner.
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
For the fourth time in six years, an Australian has won the domestic Tour Down Under for the second time after 2001, a driver of the national team of the University of South Australia. Patrick Jonker also finished his playing career with the overall victory. The foundation for winning the yellow jersey, he laid a successful breakaway on the second day, on the next stage, he took over the overall lead and defended this sovereign to the end. The Australians also determined the struggle for individual stage wins, only on the third day sat down with the young Belgian Philippe Gilbert by a foreigner, who also won the junior championship. In the six flat stages, there were only two real mass sprints, breakaways or four times larger specific soloists like Ben Day ( Stage 5 ) the course.
As in previous years played Robbie McEwen ( Lotto - Domo ) a major role in the sprints and decided two days sections for themselves. As he mingled in leading groups and attacks countered, he also drove to second place in the overall standings and secured the second time after 2002, the points classification. The Italian Paolo Tiralongo was allowed to slip on the mountains jersey, while the team UniSA crowned the strong performance of the Australian National selections ( total victory by Jonker, two stage wins ) with the victory in the team standings.