Ryder Hesjedal Tour Down Under diary – Stage 3: Norwood to Paracombe
Chances of a Tour Down Under win for Cannondale-Garmin slipped on Thursday’s 143.2-km Stage 3 from Norwood to Paracombe when general classification hopeful and Canberra native Nathan Haas slipped from ninth to 19th. Canadian Ryder Hesjedal stopped by the race media centre post-race to talk exclusively with Canadian Cycling Magazine about the now 31-second deficit his teammate has on new race leader Rohan Dennis (BMC Racing) who won the stage and lifted the ochre leader’s jersey from former Australian track world champion teammate Jack Bobridge (UniSA).
by Aaron S. Lee
Chances of a Tour Down Under win for Cannondale-Garmin slipped on Thursday’s 143.2-km Stage 3 from Norwood to Paracombe when general classification hopeful and Canberra native Nathan Haas slipped from ninth to 19th.
Canadian Ryder Hesjedal stopped by the race media centre post-race to talk exclusively with Canadian Cycling Magazine about the now 31-second deficit his teammate has on new race leader Rohan Dennis (BMC Racing) who won the stage and lifted the ochre leader’s jersey from former Australian track world champion teammate Jack Bobridge (UniSA).
“The stage was pretty straight forward and the run in was a bit hectic before the steep climb,” said Hesjedal. “We could feel it in our legs for sure.
“Nathan didn’t have what he was hoping for to be right in the front,” he continued. “Moreno [Moser] didn’t feel good at all and had nothing on the climb.
“The day was not ideal, but we will regroup and reassess our goals for the race.”
Both Dennis and Bobridge will attempt to break the hour record (51.852 km) set by Matthias Brändle (IAM Cycling) on Oct. 30, which followed retired cyclist Jens Voigt’s record set on Sept. 18, a day after his 43rd birthday.
Bobridge, the current 4 km individual pursuit world-record holder, will attempt the record set by Brändle on the final day of the track nationals on Saturday, Jan. 31, at the Darebin International Sports Centre in Melbourne, while Dennis will attempt to break the record at the velodrome in Grenchen, Switzerland.
Englishmen Alex Dowsett’s record attempt on Feb. 27 at London’s Lee Valley VeloPark is in jeopardy after suffering a fractured collarbone while training on roads at home mid-January.
When asked if he would ever consider attempting the hour record, Hesjedal was quick to reply.
“Not a chance ever that I would attempt that,” said the 2012 Giro d’Italia winner and former national time trial champion (2007).
When asked who he tipped between the two Aussie teammates-turned-rivals, Hesjedal, who once teamed with Bobridge on Garmin (2010-11), said it was a toss up.
“I was kind of leaning more towards Rohan before Jack did what he did in the first stage of the Tour Down Under,” he said. “Now Rohan did what he did today.
“They are both incredible time triallist and track riders. It just comes down to who has the best form on the day.”
Currently, Dennis leads his retiring teammate and Tour de France winner Cadel Evans by 7 seconds, followed by Dutchman Tom Dumoulin (Giant-Alpecin) by 9 seconds. Hesjedal finished 50 seconds off Dennis on the day, and sits 1:34 back overall.
Aaron S. Lee (@aaronshanelee) is a pro cycling columnist for Eurosport and a guest contributor to Canadian Cycling Magazine. Aaron will be providing daily race reports with Ryder Hesjedal during the Tour Down Under exclusively for CCM.
