Dave Pringle
(Commentator, Astro TV)

Greetings one and all and welcome to the new season.

My name is Dave Pringle and I'll be on commentary for Astro TV this year, having made the switch from the Diamond TV network.

We're here in Adelaide, to start the 2016 season off, at the Down Under Classic, a race for sprinters which follows on from the presitgious race formerly known as the Cancer Research Classic/Challenge.

Past Winners:
2011 - A.Petacchi
2012 - M.Fischer
2013 - T.Farrar
2014 - G.Steegmans
2015 - N/A

Well, it's got to be said that the startlist this year doesn't bolster names quite as strong as those mentioned above.

With the race now only worth 25 points on the calendar, most of the top sprinters have opted against taking the flight to Oz so early in the year, and will leave it up to some of the lesser sprinters to share the spoils.


Okay, I can see the break coming through the start/finish line of this criterium circuit, and it's an intruiging one: Leandres (Eurosport) is joined by Intxausti (Euskaltel), Brice Feillu (Agritubel), Brajkovic (Rossignol), and a man who I'm surprised to see at this event, 2013 Vuelta winner Nico Roche (Landbouwkrediet).


It's a break made more for the New Zealand highlands than the streets of Adelaide, and it shows as the peloton is sweeping them up now with 20km to go... it looks like Judd Shy of Radioshack is making a move on the side of the road meanwhile but it's unlikely to come to much.


The winter break is clearly having its toll on many riders - only 30(!) riders remain at the front despite the panflat nature of the course. It will be a sprint finish, but it's uncertain how many pure sprinters remain in the group.


Looks like the sprinters are moslty here, and it's going to be a slog between neo-pro Auer and German-Aussie Haussler to the line...


Haussler holds it, to become the first Australian winner of this race!



Okay folks this has been Dave Pringle, that was the first race of the season, and next up we head to Qatar for the all-new Doha Cup.

Dave Pringle (Commentator, Astro TV)

Allright, next stop in our "rest of the world" pre-season tour.

Most of the same riders have taken the flight over to Qatar for the Doha Cup... will Tillo Auer look for revenge on Haussler?

Iban Mayo has been spotted in the peloton, making his rather surprising debut as 2016 special guest rider.


A similar peloton, and it looks like a couple of the same names in the break too. Cunego (Flaminia) is there... so too is a young neo-pro with an interesting name... DETLEF F'IN SCHWINGHAMMER!


It's starting to split up into echelons due to the wind. Acqua, Rossignol and Repsol look the best positioned and start to press the depleting front group onward, but there's no sign of Down Under winner Haussler in there.


Alexandre Baggio makes a brave late move into the howling wind, passing the breakaway group. Will he hold it to the line?


He does it and holds off the remaining sprinters!

Dave Pringle
(Commentator, Astro TV)

Last year Songezo Jim won an emotional race at the ASANTE CUP to become the first African to win a race in the Diamond League, in a race which can be seen as something of a successor to the old Tour of the Kenyan Highlands.



Songezo is looking to move on to bigger and better things this year, but let's find out what happens this year...

***


A break has formed, including the only rider of African ethnicity at this race, but Dutch nationality, 18 year old Tuur Albronda of the Spar team.
Infact this is the first time an 18-year old has ridden in the league, making Albronda the youngest ever neo-pro in the Diamond/Astro era.


***


Here's the status at the top of the main climb: Damiano Cunego has attacked and is catching the remaining escapees - Tuur Albronda and Sergey Lagutin. A number of small groupings of riders are trailing by 45 seconds or more.


***


On the final small incline, Xu and Mayo have caught Cunego who has dropped his wheel-sucking companions. And now Xu looks to drop the other 2 for a solo victory!


...


Xu holds it on the descent to win! Behind it looks like the Astro Kid's special guest Iban Mayo is sprinting for 2nd.



Final stretch on the pre-season tour is up next... a relaxing (or not-so) day along the Copacabana beach in Rio.

David Pringle
(Commentator, Astro TV)

It's a lovely day in Brazil for the COPA DO RIO - a race which is known as something of an exhibition event past the hillside favelas down to the city of Rio and along the Copacabana.

Infact, in the inaugural running of the race in 2014, the day was so relaxed a break was even allowed to the finish where Bernardo Mateo won. Michael Morkov won a chaotic uphill sprint last year. What way is it going to swing this year?

***


A break of Leandres, Karstensen, Vaineikis, Lulu Sanchez is winding it's way down to the beautiful city of Rio bellow.


***

All comes back together, and it's time for the uphill slog to the finish. It's shades of Down Under Classic as Haussler leads his newfound sprinting rival Tillo Auer in the uphill battle!


***

And it looks like Tillo Auer won it...!

Oh wait that's not Tillo Auer, the Luxembourgian was in fact leading out Bolat Raimbekov for his first ever race win!

***



Sorry folks,I got a little caught up in the excitement of the sprint there and I left my spectacles in Doha airport terminal whilst I was doing my daily crossword!

Anyway, I digress... that's the end of the "pre-season" folks, onto the big races now, starting in Belgium with Gent-Wevelgem.

Now the pre-season is over, we can have a quick look at the rankings.

Baggio leads the way after winning the Qatar Cup, 2nd in Rio, and 3rd in Adelaide.



All thanks to Baggio's efforts, Rossignol have made a head-start, but the major points are all still to play for at this point.

Dave Pringle
(Commentator, Astro TV)

Hello once again folks.

We've made the transition to Europe for the main racing season to get under way with GENT-WEVELGEM

It's a cool but bright day here in Belgium - not quite as nice as the climate down in Rio may I add - but still the clement weather could play more into a sprinter's hands more than a classics powerhouse, like it did for Theo Bos last year.


If it comes down to a depleted sprint, Tyler Farrar could be one to watch out for, but the world champion is dwindling right at the back of the group in these early stages. A bluff or a tell? We'll soon find out.


Quickstep and Cargolux are pushing on. So much so in fact that they are beggining to pull away from the peloton en masse with 40km to go.


We're at 20km to go now and the action has calmed down but still the pace has definitely gone up a notch. Only 13 men remain at the front, with the best finishing kicks belonging to Van Neck and Zsoldos...


Not much has happened as we look toward the 10km banner. The only activity to report is that Van Neck has been dropped, along with Biondo.


Okay, its going to be a sprint from the 11 remaining men. Uhh.. that finish line sure is getting close - is anyone interested in contesting this sprint?!


The Agritubel duo of Bourillon and Turyanskiy sense the confusion, and jump away to a terrific 1-2, with the Ukrainian crossing the line first!



Next we take a trip to Italy for the Tirreno-Adriatico. And then it will be onto the "Big 2" cobbled races the year.

Rusty Fiddlebottoms
(Presenter, Astro TV)

Hello, I'm Rusty Fiddlebottoms from Astro TV, and I'm here to re-cap all of the action from TIRRENO-ADRIATICO.

Past Winners:
2013 - D.Menchov
2014 - D.Cunego
2015 - N/A

STAGE 1

A number of top contenders were involved in a crash with 9km to the line, such as Henao, Den Blanken and Leclair, which puts them out of GC contention.


At the sprint, Tyler Farrar pulled around in the final metres to snatch his first win in the rainbow jersey.

***

STAGE 2

The break just about held on, and Oliver Zaugg was the cunning rider to prevail on the uphill slog to the line. He took the leader's jersey also.
Rui Costa was 2nd behind Zaugg and 2nd also in GC. With a medium-mountain stage and short time trial ahead, he was now favourite for the overall victory.

***

STAGE 3

The break was caught late, and Davide Oumouri was strongest from of a number of riders who attacked within the final undulating 10km.
Costa is 2nd for two days running, but he had at least got his hands on the leader's jersey with only a short time-trial left.

STAGE 4

Kazakhstani Maksim Shevchenko takes a bit of a surprising win in the time-trial


And Rui Costa rolls around to 9th in the 9km challenge to secure his race win.

RESULTS

JERSEYS
Points - R. Costa
Mountain - G.Van Avermaet
Youth - G.Leandres
Team - BBVA

That's all from me, Rusty Fiddlebottoms. I'll be handing back over to the one-and-only Dave Pringle to take us through live coverage of the major classics, starting with the Tour of Flanders!