Tour de France 2023: Why this is Australia’s best chance since Cadel Evans

I am here in northern Spain for today’s start travelling with Australia’s only World Tour squad, Jayco AlUla and reporting from within the team.

I covered my first Tour de France in 1991 for the Herald Sun and this will be my 25th Tour.

The 182km stage starting and finishing in Bilbao is the toughest opening stage in recent history.

Most years we wait at least a week before the true contenders are revealed but that won’t be the case today.

The main GC favourites for final honours will be battling with a handful of the best one-day tough men such as Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Wout van Aert (Jumbo Visma), Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers), Biniam Girmay (Wanty Group), Mads Pedersen (Lidl Trek) and Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal Quick-step).

It’s sure to be a battle royale.

The fireworks will begin right away with the Category 3 Côte de Laukiz (2.2km at 6.9 per cent), the first of the day’s five categorised climbs, arriving just 11.6km into the stage.

A record-equalling 12 Australians will face the starter, with five making their debut.

And it’s a seriously talented group.

It is probably the best chance for a Tour de France victory since Cadel Evans become the only Aussie to win in 2011.

At the recent Critérium du Dauphiné, the main lead-up race for the Tour, we had three Aussies (all in different teams) in the final mix, with Ben O’Connor (Ag2R Citroen) finishing third, Jai Hindley (Bora hansgrohe) fourth and Jack Haig (Bahrain Victorious) fifth.

I reckon there must be something in the water in Western Australia, as most experts are tipping the two lads from the West in Hindley and O’Connor to battle it out for the lower spot on the final podium.

This year’s course is well suited to both, as there is only one time trial and it’s only 22km and it is far from flat.

There are four hilly stages, eight mountain stages with four summit finishes, so these two mountain specialists will have an advantage.

But they will both have to produce their A game over the first two brutal days.

Recently retired, Richie Porte is the only other Aussie to make the final podium finishing a dogged third overall in 2020.

There is no doubt that defending champion Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo Visma) of Denmark and 2020 and 2021 winner, Slovenian Tadej Pogacar (UAE Emirates) are the red-hot favourites.

Vingegaard said to the Danish press only yesterday he is in better form than last year and should win.

Pogacar, on the other hand, is recovering from a wrist injury back in April but I still believe he will win.

But as I mentioned, it’s a bumper crop of Australians lining up this year, with some serious chances to win on all terrain.

I am sure that we are about to witness one hell of a bike race and the Australian contingent are going to play a major role.

Jai Hindley (Bora-hansgrohe)

Age: 27. Debut

I was fortunate enough to chat with Jai nearly every day during last year’s Giro d’Italia which he brilliantly won.

What blew me away was just how calm he was under pressure and that will bode well for him in this Tour.

It’s a perfect course for him with plenty of steep mountain stages and only one short time trial.

Although he has improved heaps in the solo race against the clock it’s still where he will lose time on his biggest rivals Pogacar and Vingegaard.

Having finished just off the podium at the Critérium du Dauphiné he showed he has the form to challenge for this Tour.

Ben O’Connor (AG2R Citroën)

Age: 27. Tour de France record: 2 starts, 4th overall in 2021

O’Connor showed sparkling form at the recent Dauphiné and this Tour suits his characteristics.

Similar to Jai, the time trial is his weak link, and although he too has improved, the fact that there is only 22km solo against the clock will suit him.

Ben is like a finely tuned diesel and is at his best on the long Pyrenean and Alpine climbs that are plentiful this year.

“To make the final podium is what I dream about,” O’Connor said yesterday.

“I feel my form is right and the team are all in to support me.

“It is going to be vital to keep up the front and out of trouble in these first two days.”

Jack Haig (Bahrain Victorious)

Age: 28. Tour de France record: 3 starts, 38th in 2019, crashed out stage 3 in 2021 and stage 5 in 2022

Jack Haig, who came third in the Vuelta a España in 2021, has been dogged by bad luck in the last couple of years.

I was surprised to see his name on the start list as he had to dig very deep in the recent Giro due to a crash and ill-health.

It made his final fifth place in the 5 day Critérium du Dauphiné even more meritorious and although he is supposed to be here to help teammates Mikel Landa and Pello Bilbao.

I spoke with Jack yesterday and told him I was surprised at how well he went in Dauphine and he said, “Not near as surprised as I was,” he laughed.

“I had no intention of riding this Tour but my form has been surprisingly good so the team decided I should ride to support Mikel and Pello.”
It would not surprise me to see Jack rise above them both.

Luke Durbridge (Jayco-AlUla)

Age: 32 Tour de France record: 8 starts – Role: Support on flat, climb positioning

Luke Durbridge is a Tour de France regular for Jayco-AlUla.

The Australian-based Jayco AlUla squad is going with a two-pronged approach this year with Dylan Groenewegen capable of winning multiple sprint stages and Simon Yates arealistic chance to make the podium.

Luke can be relied upon to work tirelessly for Dylan to keep the breakaways in check and reel them in when required.

And he is also vital in the smaller climbs to keep Simon Yates protected.

Chris Harper (Jayco-AlUla)

Age: 28 Tour de France record: Debut

Chris was only lightly raced at previous team Jumbo Visma but showed with a solid finish at last year’s Vuelta that he is up to the task in a three-week tour.

Chris crashed heavily in his home race the Tour Downunder in January but his improved solidly in the past two months.

His climbing skills will play a crucial part in Simon Yates attempt at a podium finish.

Team DSM may be Dutch registered, but they have four Australians at the start.

Matthew Dinham (Team DSM)

Age: 23 Tour de France record: Debut

For Matthew this is his Grand Tour debut.

Frenchman Romain Bardet is hoping to regain some of the form that saw him finish top 10 on five occasions and make the final podium in 2016 and 2017.

Matthew is set to play a major role for that to happen.

A former champion mountain biker he is turning into a top-class mountain climber.

Chris Hamilton (Team DSM)

Age: 28 Tour de France record: One start

Chris Hamilton is another Australian climber for Team DSM.

He has ridden the Giro d’Italia five times and was very strong in supporting Bardet to 6th overall at the Tour last year.

Sam Welsford (Team DSM)

Age: 27 Tour de France record: Debut

Sam will also be making his grand tour debut but the multi World Champion on the track should not be intimidated.

He is a super fast finisher and will be the team’s main man in the flatter stages.

I spoke with Sam before the start yesterday and he was super excited.

“It is just amazing to be here,” Sam said.

“These sprint stages are going to be insane with the quality of the sprinters here,” he added.

“But getting through the first two days is going to be the challenge.”

I would not be surprised to see Sam take out a stage this year.

Alex Edmondson (Team DSM)

Age: 29 Tour de France record: Debut

Alex is another world class rider on the track that has successfully made the transmission to the road.

With one Giro and two Vuelta’s behind him he will be needed to use his great bike handling skills to guide Sam Welsford through the hectic final kilometres wherepositioning is every bit as important as outright speed.

Caleb Ewan (Lotto-Dstny)

Age: 28 Tour de France record: 4 starts, 5 stage wins

Caleb has had a rough couple of years.

Previously he was thought of as the fastest man in the peloton.

But his crash-riddled previous two Tours de France have many wondering if he can get back to that electrifying speed he used to display regularly.

I caught up with him on Thursday and he seemed very relaxed.

“I know I have to start winning at the Tour again,” he said.

“I feel my form has been improving over the last couple of months and I’m here to prove I can win at the top level again.

“I’ve come here to win.

“Seconds and thirds might be OK for many riders but for sprinters they don’t mean much.

“You either win or you might as well come last.

“There is no better feeling than winning at the biggest bike race in the world and beating the best. I want that feeling back again.”

Simon Clarke (Israel-Premier Tech)

Age: 36 Tour de France record: 7 starts, one stage win

Simon showed great form in the early part of the recent Giro d’Italia, getting frustratingly close to a superb breakaway stage win only to caught only 300 metres from the line.

But then he got sick and had to abandon.

That may have seemed cruel at the time but just over a month later Simon is smiling.

“There is no doubt my form is better now because I didn’t ride the final week of the Giro,” he said.

“My form is good and as road captain I will be helping out my teammates to get into those vital breakaways and I’ll be on the hunt for stages myself.”

Who can forget his amazing win on stage 5 on the cobbled roads last year.

Nick Schultz (Israel-Premier Tech)

Age: 28 Tour de France record: One start

Riding his second Tour, Nick will be keen to get up the road and take a stage win.

It looked to be his for the taking on stage 10 last year where he was the strongest in the breakaway but let the great Dane Magnus Cort back into the frame.

It was oh so close.

– JOHN TREVORROW IS TRAVELLING WITH TEAM JAYCO ALULA