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Race Report: efex Males’s Prologue: Italy’s Alberto Bettiol will put on the chief’s jersey at Tanunda tomorrow as heavy rain marred the historic Santos Tour Down Beneath efex prologue on the Adelaide Riverbank. Bettiol was an early starter on the picturesque metropolis circuit which lit up a muggy Tuesday evening.
* Race report and quotes courtesy of the Santos Tour Down Beneath. *
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Bettiol was nearly apologetic for deciding to begin the prologue fourth off the ramp. He now has an eight-second lead earlier than stage 1 pedals off over second-placed Magnus Sheffield from Ineos Grenadiers. Sheffield will put on the Zwift Younger Rider’s Jersey on Wednesday. “I really feel actually fortunate, and, on the identical time I knew I might do effectively,” Bettiol mentioned. “There are higher riders, particularly within the prologue, the climate of Australia helped me, and ultimately, I actually recognize the hassle that each one my workforce gave me to present me the perfect assist. I simply needed to pedal full fuel for six and a half minutes.”
Bettiol, 29, from EF Schooling-Easypost and a Giro D’Italia 2021 stage winner completed the circuit in 6min19 sec averaging 52km/h. His teammate Mikkel Honore was the primary casualty of the night after he crashed regardless of being ultra-cautious on a nook. The Dane dusted himself down and completed the time trial in 5min24sec.
Bettiol mentioned he plans on retaining the Santos Ochre Leaders Jersey at Mount Lofty on Sunday earlier than the Ziptrak Stage 1 Tanunda to Tanunda pedals off, as 139 riders began the time trial with greater than half the peloton enduring soaking rain.
South Australia’s world-class time trialist Rohan Dennis from Jumbo Visma’s effort was additionally decided by the moist deck. The 2-time time trial world champion ended his shift 17 seconds behind Bettiol. And three present nationwide time trial champions have been on parade together with Australia’s Jay Vine (UAE), Nice Britain’s Ethan Hayter (Ineos Grenadiers) and Canada’s Derek Gee (Israel Premier Tech).
Jayco AlUla’s star Michael Matthews was stable in moist circumstances however couldn’t take time from Bettiol. A number of Grand Tour champion Chris Froome’s time trial was additionally marred by summer time rain. Israel Premier Tech’s Froome negotiated the monitor with utmost warning alongside the Riverbank and Torrens Bridge earlier than finishing the 5.5km course in 7min16 sec.
Australia’s Giro D’Italia winner Jai Hindley from BORA-hansgrohe didn’t take any dangers as a second bout of heavy rain made circumstances further harmful to complete in 7min3sec. The prologue is a person time trial the place the rider’s occasions depend in direction of GC for the Santos Tour Down Beneath. The peloton used their traditional street bikes slightly than the customized time trial bikes with riders in a position to put on aero helmets, pores and skin fits and time trial wheels for the occasion.
[EFEX PROLOGUE WINNER AND GENERAL CLASSIFICATION LEADER] Alberto BETTIOL, EF Schooling-Easypost:
As you have been sitting up there and it began to rain, I assume there will need to have been an enormous smile in your face, understanding that you simply bought away throughout the time when the course was dry.
For me, it was actually unpredictable as a result of I used to be the fourth man to begin so to have the ability to win was an extended, lengthy wait. Ultimately I used to be just a little bit l fortunate, but additionally just a little bit stronger on the identical time. Typically it’s about few seconds, particularly on this fashionable biking the place every thing counts. I do assume we did a proper selection for the timing and for the fabric and for the preparation. We’re simply blissful and for the second, we get pleasure from this victory tonight, from tomorrow morning we then begin to consider the race.
You mentioned a number of seconds, you’ve bought fourteen on guys which are anticipated to be pre-race favourites in Michael Matthews and even Leo Hayter. That’s a really defendable lead that you’ve got now.
No, I’m nonetheless satisfied that these guys are the favourites. I don’t think about myself as favorite for the ultimate race. It’s nonetheless a professional win. I’m actually, actually blissful as a result of it’s my first race of the season and it comes right here in Australia. I’m blissful and from tomorrow morning, not earlier than, from tomorrow morning we begin to consider the final classification, how my teammates are, how the race might be. Possibly [we think] extra concerning the climate too as a result of we noticed that may change fairly fast.
[ZWIFT YOUNG RIDER’S CLASSIFICATION LEADER] Mangus SHEFFIELD, INEOS Grenadiers:
Inform me what you needed to do on the market to ship this end result?
We had fairly a number of guys go earlier in that race earlier than the moist, but additionally throughout, so I used to be a bit uncertain even earlier than going off the ramp. I had my rear wheel slip. I used to be a bit uncertain simply how the circumstances have been going to be, however I knew that I simply needed to hold my eyes open and take a look at the corners all through the race. I used to be actually simply attempting to see by way of the corners, how they seemed and attempt to discover the dry spots. I discovered the entry [of the corners]to be fairly moist however then the exits have been nonetheless drying up simply as I used to be going out on the course. I knew that I simply needed to keep upright as a result of it’s an extended week, however I additionally actually need to go for the win.
Aside from that begin it was advantageous on the market then or was there another issues?
I noticed fairly a number of guys go down in the present day however fortunately I used to be in a position to keep upright beside that rear wheel slip off the beginning ramp.
Santos Tour Down Beneath Males – Prologue Consequence:
1. Alberto BETTIOL EFE ITA in 6:19.73
2. Magnus SHEFFIELD* IGD USA at 8.04
3. Julius JOHANSEN ICW DEN at 9.64
4. Kaden GROVES ADC AUS at 10.36
5. Samuel GAZE ADC NZL at 10.69
6. Hugo PAGE* ICW FRA at 12.02
7. Marius MAYRHOFER DSM GER at 12.34
8. Jannik STEIMLE SOQ GER at 13.16
9. Jay VINE UAD AUS at 13.89
10. Michael MATTHEWS JAY AUS at 13.97.
Santos Tour Down Beneath Males – Total After the Prologue:
1. Alberto BETTIOL EFE ITA in 6:19
2. Magnus SHEFFIELD* IGD USA at 0:08
3. Julius JOHANSEN ICW DEN at 0:10
4. Kaden GROVES ADC AUS at 0:11
5. Samuel GAZE ADC NZL
6. Hugo PAGE* ICW FRA at 0:12
7. Marius MAYRHOFER DSM GER at 0:13
8. Jannik STEIMLE SOQ GER
9. Jay VINE UAD AUS 0:14
10. Michael MATTHEWS JAY AUS.
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