Chaves set to feel right at home on Falls Creek climb
‘Colombian Kangaroo’, Esteban Chaves is ready to take on defending Jayco Herald Sun Tour champion Chris Froome, predicting that the climbing on offer at this year’s event will be well-suited to his considerable abilities.
Chaves spearheads the ambitions of ORICA-Scott, the Australian WorldTour team that has won two of the last four editions of the race. While he hasn’t claimed Sun Tour honours in ORICA-Scott colours, Australia’s Simon Gerrans is looking to add to his two overall victories at the race, and is in strong form following his second place at the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race at the weekend.
The 64th edition of Australia’s oldest stage race will be held around Victoria starts tomorrow ( Wednesday 1st) and rides through to Sunday 5th February 2017.
Chaves, finished second overall at the Tour Down Under earlier this month but it’s Victoria’s Falls Creek that has the 27 year-old particularly excited. The 30km climb returns to the Jayco Herald Sun Tour for the first time since 2007.
“I am really looking forward to the Jayco Herald Sun Tour, particularly the second day,” Chaves said.
“I was at Falls Creek in my first trip to Australia, when I couldn’t speak a word of English, and I remember this climb.
“The climb is much longer than the short, punchy climbs we have raced in the Tour Down Under and Cadel’s race, and it is more like the climbs we have in Colombia so should be a little better for me.”
Chaves can expect solid support from his teammates Damien Howson and Robert Power on the climbs, with Howson 2016’s third overall at the Sun Tour. A numbers game is likely to play out on the stage with Team Sky a man down through illness and only starting with a squad of six.
“I am looking forward to racing Chris Froome here. We have not raced against each other a lot, so I am enjoying learning more about how he rides, how he is with his team and this is all a good experience for me,” Chaves said.
“He has already shown in the Cadel race and the criterium that he is in good form and he is here to race, even if it is early in the season. He is a champion of this sport and we cannot wait to race him again.”
ORICA-Scott Directeur Sportif Matthew Wilson has a unique insight into some of the tactical manoeuvring that may be required on the stage, having lost the Sun Tour’s yellow jersey on the climb back in 2007 after a barrage of attacks towards the finish line.
“The Falls Creek climb should be spectacular finish to stage one,” he said. “It’s clear that Chris Froome and Team Sky are the ones to watch in the general classification battle and they have a number of guys who can play a role, but we would be naïve to ignore other contenders too.”
Wilson knows that for his team to succeed this week, vigilance will be required throughout the five days of racing, with selective finishes looming on a number of stages following Falls Creek.
“Stage two has an 11km climb towards the end in Beechworth and the final stage in Kinglake is also quite gruelling so the action is far from over,” he predicted. “The 2017 Jayco Herald Sun Tour is definitely one of the tougher courses we have seen here for a while and we obviously hope to finish our Australian season strongly.”
Gerrans will be one of the more-fancied riders for the win in Beechworth and Kinglake, with the domestique services of Sam Bewley, Michael Hepburn and Mitch Docker likely in demand.
The 2017 Jayco Herald Sun Tour will be presented by Jayco and the Herald Sun, along with the continued support from the Victorian State Government.
| ORICA-Scott – 2017 Jayco Herald Sun Tour
@OricaScott |
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| Simon GERRANS @simongerrans |
36 | AUS / VIC | A two-time winner of the Sun Tour (2005, 2006) Gerrans will be looking to join the greats for number three in 2017 after a packed summer schedule. The Mansfield rider’s extensive palmares includes two stages of the Tour de France, victories at Milan-San Remo and Liège – Bastogne – Liège as well as four overall wins at the Tour Down Under. |
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Esteban CHAVES
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27 | COL | The Smiling Assassin, Chavez, will be looking to test his climbing legs early in the season at the Sun Tour. The Colombian enjoyed his best season yet in 2016, finishing as runner-up at the Giro d’Italia, third overall at the Vuelta a España as well as claiming victory in the final classic of the season, Il Lombadia. |
| Damien HOWSON
@damien_howson |
24 | AUS / SA | Stepped onto the final podium at last year’s Sun Tour, finishing third overall, improving on his fifth place in 2015. Howson was crowned Under-23 World Champion in the individual time trial in 2013. A rider to watch. |
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Robert POWER |
21 | AUS / WA | Power finished at runner-up at the Tour de l’Avenir in 2014, often an important marker for future stars. Winner of the Sun Tour’s Youth Classification at the 2015 Sun Tour where he was also runner-up in the Mountains Classification. Returned to racing late in 2016 having put his promising career on hold for nearly a year with a rare bone condition. |
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Mitch DOCKER |
30 | AUS / VIC | A horror crash at last year’s Paris-Roubaix resulted in shocking facial injuries including a fractured eye socket and broken teeth however, the domestique was back racing in June. In August he finished 4th at the Arnhem-Veenendaal Classic, reminding everyone of his abilities as a one-day specialist. |
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Sam BEWLEY |
29 | NZL | Another from ORICA-Scott’s engine room, the Kiwi will have a chance to shine at the Sun Tour’s prologue, having finished in the top 10 the last two editions. A bronze medalist on the track for New Zealand in the team pursuit at the London Olympics in 2012. |
| Michael HEPBURN
@michael_hepburn |
25 | AUS / QLD | Part of the silver medal-winning team pursuit squad on the track at Rio 2016. The 2014 Australian time trial champion, Hepburm is a powerhouse and is an essential part of ORICA-Scott’s engine room. |
