UCI WorldTour: New talents shine in Australia

The opening events of the 2023 UCI WorldTour saw Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates) take his first victory in a general classification while Marius Mayrhofer (Team DSM) sprinted to his maiden professional success.

In the wake of the first UCI Women’s WorldTour races of the season, men elite racing has also returned to Australia this year with the Santos Tour Down Under (January 17-22) and the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race (January 29). The events, affected by the Covid-19 pandemic the previous two years, offered exciting racing and were met with popular enthusiasm, a few months after the UCI Road World Championships in Wollongong (Australia).

A few days before Loes Adegeest (FDJ-Suez) powered to her first UCI Women’s WorldTour victory in the women’s event of the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race, Jay Vine had already shown how well a UCI Cycling Esports World Champion can perform at the highest level of road cycling. The 27-year-old Australian moved to UAE Team Emirates this off-season and has been firing on all cylinders in January: he won the individual time trial (ITT) in his National Championships and went on to dominate the Santos Tour Down Under.

A week later, the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race brought another rising talent to the summit: Marius Mayrhofer (Team DSM), who claimed his first professional victory at the age of 22, ahead of another youngster, 21-year-old Hugo Page (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty). The more experienced Simon Clarke (Israel-Premier Tech) rounded out the podium.

Vine keeps rising

The first UCI WorldTour event of the year began with a prologue through the wet streets of Adelaide, where Alberto Bettiol (EF Education-EasyPost) kicked off his season in winning style. The Italian all-rounder retained the ochre jersey as the overall leader on the following day, when Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain Victorious) edged out Australian talents Caleb Ewan (participating with the national selection UniSA-Australia) and Michael Matthews (Team Jayco AlUla) in Tanunda. But the intensity kept increasing and new faces came to the forefront as the road rose ahead of the riders.

Rohan Dennis (Jumbo-Visma) delighted the crowds in Victor Harbor as he took victory just ahead of his compatriot Jay Vine. On stage 3, Pello Bilbao (Bahrain-Victorious) ran the show in Campbelltown, after a punchy ascent up Corkscrew. Simon Yates (Jauco AlUla) and Vine accompanied him to the finish, with Vine moving to the overall lead.

Stage 4, leading to Willunga, was another hilly day, but a reduced bunch made it to the finish together and Bryan Coquard (Cofidis) sprinted to his first UCI WorldTour victory. On the final day, Yates ruled the ascent up Mount Lofty and Vine kept up with the British climber to seal the overall victory.

“I think it’s special to join a new team and it’s also my first general classification in my own country”, Vine rejoiced. “The last guy to win this event, Richie Porte, is an idol of mine and to be standing here, it’s special in my career.”

Mayrhofer beats the Aussies

A week later, Australian talents also tried to make the most of an animated edition of the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race around Geelong. The punchy course featured four ascents up Challambra Crescent, the last one to be summited just inside the last 10km.

After a long breakaway led by Taco van der Hoorn (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty), Giro winner Jai Hindley (Bora-Hansgrohe) was among the late attackers. Vine also went on the move, as well as the winner of the road race in the Australian National Championships, Luke Plapp (Ineos Grenadiers).

Following a similar pattern to the women’s race on the Saturday, two riders went clear over the final ascent up Challambra Crescent. Sven Erik Bystrom (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty) put the hammer down, Mauro Schmid (Soudal Quick-Step) joined him… But they were reeled in by a reduced bunch inside the last kilometre.

Australian fast men were at the forefront, and three of them made it to the top 10 (Simon Clarke, Michael Matthews and Caleb Ewan), alongside three New Zealanders (Corbin Strong, Dion Smith and George Bennett). But they all got beaten by two European youngsters, as Marius Mayrhofer got the better of Frenchman Hugo Page and Simon Clarke on the line.

“This means everything to me”, the young German sprinter said. “I have been dreaming of this victory for so long, I still can’t believe what happened.”