Fri 24 May 2013 | 
Matthew Keenan
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Enlarge textWhile all eyes were on Cadel Evans at the Tour de France, the other Australian riders were toiling away for their respective teams with mixed results, writes Matthew Keenan.
Saxo Bank's Stuart O'Grady will be important to his team in week two (Getty)
- 37 Comments | Join the discussion
While most of the media attention in Australia, rightly so, is focused on Cadel Evans, six other Australians are at the Tour de France playing important roles with varying success.
Matt Lloyd, a Silence-Lotto teammate of Evans, not surprisingly had a difficult first few stages but the flat lands aren’t really his thing.
Lloyd was reasonable on the mountain top finish to Arcalis
in Andorra but struggled the following day, which is probably a symptom
of having missed some key weeks following his crash in April at theAmstel Gold Race.
Evans
will need Lloyd in the final week, which makes the second week an
important one for the little Victorian climber. Lloyd needs to conserve
as much energy as possible in week two so he can play a role during the
mountains of the final week.
The most successful of the Australians so far has been Mark Renshaw, Columbia-HTC.
Renshaw has the responsibility of leading Mark Cavendish out in the sprints and has done a flawless job, which has produced two stage wins.
His
best ride of the opening week was on stage three in the cross wind when
there was still enough left in the tank to deliver Cavendish to the
line.
Michael Rogers, also of Columbia-HTC, has been the unluckiest of the Australian contingent.
Rogers
hadn’t put a foot wrong but sadly fell victim to a crash in the rain on
the stage to Barcelona. The injuries sustained, along with his
impressive Girod’Italia, will probably catch-up with him throughout the next two weeks.
Stuart O’Grady, Saxo Bank, was solid on the first four stages but hasn’t quite shown the same form as last year.
That can be put down to his crash at the end of March in Milan - San Remo and that Saxo Bank is yet to lay their cards on the table.
With his ability to read a race, O’Grady is likely to be the most important member of the Saxo Bank team in stages ten and thirteen when race radios will be banned.
Brett Lancaster, Cervelo Test Team, has been the unsung hero. Mr Quiet just goes about his business. He did the perfect job for Thor Hushovd in Barcelona and the big Norwegian got the win.
Heinrich Haussler, Lancaster's teammate, was on target to be the man to lead Hushovd out in the Barcelona sprint but was taken out by a crash, not once but twice. Haussler could play a key role in Hushovd’s green jersey aspirations.
All in all a very mixed first phase for the Australians but look for better performances in week two.
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Comments (37)
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25 Jul 2009 8:43 AEST
From: Brisbane
Mark Renshaw
The stats of stage finishes has Renshaw coming in 14 minutes plus after Cavendish in Friday's race. But Renshaw, as usual, was the one who lead Cav into the final couple of hundred meters and then peels off. I watched the video of the finish and I could see Renshaw riding a few dozen meters behind Cav as he crossed the line. YET in the stage standings Renshaw is listed as finishing 14 mins behind Cav. That is obviously plainly wrong! Renshaw wouldn't have taken 14 minutes to ride the final half kilometre to the line!! How can anyone believe the stats when you can see errors like that?? Renshaw has been doing a fantastic job for Cav and his team and he isn't getting any of the glory he so plainly deserves, in my opinion.
24 Jul 2009 12:45 AEST
From: brisbane
Re: Sick of Phil Liggets drooling over L. Armstrong
i am sick of it!! thank goodness someone has said what many of us are thinking. i too was wondering if he was being paid commission for every time he mentioned astana and lance armstrong. vinacourov must have scared off the american successfully tho for him to not be in the astana team next year? hope the commentary is better in 2010 with more info on the australians in the tour or i am switching off sbs and watching a movie on another channel.
20 Jul 2009 23:42 AEST
From: Brisbane
Who is fighting with who
I missed hearing who lance armstrong was argueing with the other nite
18 Jul 2009 21:36 AEST
From: Tasmania
Commentary
Matt, you're doing a fantastic job each night. Not an easy gig going solo but your commentary is outstanding. Keep up the good work!
18 Jul 2009 20:09 AEST
From: Melbourne
Matt Keenan
Can we have Matt commentating all the time instead of Phil
18 Jul 2009 15:28 AEST
From: NSW
Sick of Phil Liggets drooling over L. Armstrong
Is anyone else sick and tired of Phil Liggett and his incessant drooling over Lance Armstrong? Every second comment out of his mouth contains a reference or a mention of the American. Is he on a commission for the number of times Armstrong gets a mention? Will someone Please reming him one A. Contador is the team captain of Astana. Armstrong is and should be regarded as a domistique. Nothing more. ASrmstrong signed on in this role, and someone should remind him of this.
18 Jul 2009 12:26 AEST
From: Melbourne
Cadel Evans
Is Cadel Evans the new Joop Zoetemelk?
18 Jul 2009 9:19 AEST
From: Melbourne
re: Gerrans
Waif, Gerrans was dropped because of team politics. Apparently Sastre wanted more Spanish riders on the team, so Gerrans was left out in favour of some Spanish nobody.
18 Jul 2009 6:29 AEST
From: Bondi Sydney Australia
Heinrich Haussler
Congrats to Heinrich. He used to come down to Randwick Botany club to race occasionally from Inverell. He won the first U11 State Championships ever run in NSW at Heffron track Maroubra. I used to ride against him in D grade seniors! Even though he was too young he was allowed to race in the seniors
17 Jul 2009 22:39 AEST
From: sydney
SBS quiz re Lance
The on-screen interview with Frank reminded me of the possible tactics the Schleck Bros might employ again this year. I shouldn't laugh but I wonder which one - Lance or Alberto - they'll try to box in and on that basis who will jump the knot and snatch the yellow jersey! It's been great racing so far and super pics too. Thanks SBS!
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Matthew is a regular SBS commentator at the Tour de France. Prior to heading into the commentary box Matthew spent two seasons racing in Europe and rides as often as possible to remind his legs of that feeling of grovelling up a climb.
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