Cycling dates: It's almost time. Christmas and New Year's Eve are behind us. There are only a few days left until the start of the 2024 road cycling season. We look at the first races of the year and show you the dates you shouldn't miss.
Cycling dates: WorldTour start in Australia
The new cycling year traditionally begins in Australia. While we struggle with cold temperatures, the sun is shining on the other side of the world. If you want to get off to a good start to the season, you have to have worked well in the winter. Because that Santos Tour Down Under is not a fair race, but the official start of the WorldTour. Sprinters and punchers will compete here for the first time in 2024. It starts on January 16th in Tanunda, where the Mengler's Hill has to be driven three times. However, since it is only one kilometer long, the sprinters will fight for the day's victory here. The three subsequent stages are also undulating, but are likely to end in a mass sprint. The punchers will only come into action on the last two days, when it is Willunga Hill and Mount Lofty goes up. The professionals know both climbs from previous years.
Exciting neo-professionals are at the start
Last year's winner Jay Vine (UAE) will not be at the start. And since all of the overall winners have already ended their careers, we can look forward to a new overall winner. The sprinters, among others, will be there from January 16th to 21st Caleb ewan (Jayco-AlUla) and Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain – Victorious), as well as the GC riders Simon yates (Jayco-AlUla) and Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal – Quick Step). While we have been able to admire these well-known riders several times in previous years, we also get to see a few fresh professionals at the Tour Down Under. We can be particularly excited about this Isaac del Toro and Antonio Morgado. The Mexican and the Portuguese have signed their first professional contract with UAE Team Emirates and are only 20 and 19 years old respectively. Both are considered huge talents, just like the Belgian Gil Gelders (Soudal – Quick-Step), the Norwegian Johannes Staune-Mittet (Visma | Lease a Bike), the Irishman Archie Ryan (EF Education – EasyPost) and the Frenchman Laurence Pithie (Groupama – FDJ).
All cycling races in January at a glance:
- 10.01 – 14.01 New Zealand Cycle Classic (2.2)
- 14.01 – 21.01 Vuelta al Táchira en Bicicleta (2.2)
- 16.01/21.01 – 2/XNUMX Santos Tour Down Under (XNUMXnd UWT)
- 20.01 Gravel and Tar Classic (1.2)
- 20.01 Classica Comunitat Valenciana 1969 – Gran Premi Valencia (1.1)
- 21.01 Ruta de la Cerámica – Gran Premio Castellón (1.1)
- 24.01 Trofeo Calvia (1.1)
- 25.01 Trofeo Ses Salines-Felanitx (1.1)
- 25.01 Surf Coast Classic (1.1)
- 26.01 – 31.01 Tour of Sharjah (2.2)
- 26.01 Trofeo Serra Tramuntana (1.1)
- 27.01 Trofeo Pollença – Port d'Andratx (1.1)
- 27.01 Grand Prix Antalya Airport City (1.2)
- 28.01 Grand Prix Cycliste de Marseille La Marseillaise (1.1)
- 28.01 Trofeo Palma (1.1)
- 28.01/1 Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race (XNUMXst UWT)
- 30.01 – 03.02 AlUla Tour (2.1)
- 31.01 – 04.02 Etoile de Bessèges – Tour du Gard (2.1)
- 31.01 – 04.02 Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana (2nd Pro)
Last year's finale at Mount Lofty saw Simon Yates claim the stage after a stunning sprint finish, which saw Yates, Vine and Ben O'Connor turn it on for fans as the finish line approached We're heading back to the Lofty climb for Schwalbe Stage 6 ♂️ https://t.co/wziFC5RhOc pic.twitter.com/Ecv8IrU1dB
— Santos Tour Down Under ♀️ (@tourdownunder) January 6, 2024