With the 2005 season beginning, this week's column is coming from the Jacobs Creek Tour Down Under, the first major event of the year.  Now in its seventh year, the race continues to grow and has attracted star riders such as Stuart O?Grady, Robbie McEwen, Gilberto Simoni, Cadel Evans and Isidro Nozal in 2005.

Speaking at a press conference yesterday, a handful of the top riders gave thoughts and opinions on the coming week in and around the South Australian city of Adelaide.

Following a dramatic 2004 season, former race winner, Stuart O?Grady returns with his French Cofidis team.  "If I said I wasn't here to win I'd just be lying...and I'd probably get shot.  So I'm pretty motivated, even if my form isn't 100 percent. I like the challenge and the team has come down with a very supporting role. I've got a teammate, Matt White, who's absolutely flying. So it's not really very mathematical to work out that he and I are going to be the leaders."

O?Grady went on to add that at this stage, he was only at about 80% of his fitness but had ?trained a little bit harder than last year in December and January to try and get good preparation for the National Championships and the Tour Down Under. So I've probably gone a little bit harder than I did last year, but last year was a long season, I had a little bit bigger break than I had before but I just felt I needed it and the form's not too bad."

Discussing the race?s ever improving stature, the Adelaide rider said that, "I think the race is just building in importance.  The teams are coming down a little better prepared, they're coming down a bit earlier, and it's attracting some big stars, like Gilberto has come down. There are some big names coming down to the Tour Down Under for a reason. Obviously to get fit but any bike race you win...there's no easy races any more, so the Tour Down Under is an important build up for the European season."

Arriving in Australia for the first time and leading his new Lampre-Caffita team is former Giro d?Italia winner, Gilberto Simoni.  "I'm here because it's a new experience for me and because I would like to start immediately with the season,? he said.  ?I saw big riders like Stuart O'Grady, McEwen and others win the Tour Down Under and also be strong during the Tour de France and the World Championships. So I thought that I could do the same and this would be a good opportunity for myself. But I will see tomorrow how it's going and will see what I can do." Simoni added that, "It's an opportunity that will give me the upper hand on my rivals. It's a great way to start my preparation, the weather is good and the racing will be good for my form."

Having left the German T-Mobile squad, former Mountain Bike champion, Cadel Evans, returns to Adelaide in the colours of the new Davitamon-Lotto team.  Evans will line up alongside fellow Aussies Nick Gates, Henk Vogels and new national champion Robbie McEwen.  "Before this season started, I wanted to have a good National's, but above all I wanted to get ready for the European season and the National's were a bit of a test," he said, explaining his fourth place finish in the weekend?s race. "If I am going well then it's a bonus; if not then it's no big deal, because later in the year is what really counts for me. To be out there with Robbie and put Robbie in the right position was great."

Evans also commented that, "From a results point of view, I'm a bit further ahead of where I need to be for sure, but when you're riding good you never say it's too good ? you take good form when it comes. I was happy that on a course like that, which wouldn't normally be a course for me, I was there at the end."

Keep up to date with the Tour Down Under race results on Roadcycling.com.

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Until next week,

Ian

ian@roadcycling.com