Bauer ready for brutal desert test
For New Zealand’s Jack Bauer and Dion Smith their only hope is to feed off others in the men’s road race at the cycling world championships in Doha.
Being in just a team of two, compared to nine riders for the bigger countries, Bauer and Smith won’t be able to control the 257km race through the desert and they have two options, either try to get in a break, or hope to last at the front of the peloton for the entire distance.
Bauer, 31, says they’ll look to take the first option tomorrow morning (NZ time).
‘‘We are a small line-up with just the two of us, so we don’t attack, we’ll look at the other nations who make the race and try to capitalise on the situations they create. With the heat, the toll it will take on people and the way the wind has been blowing, I can’t imagine there will be a big group to contest the finale around the laps in the city.
‘‘The damage will be done out in the desert and we need to be on the right side of that and look after each other as much as possible.
‘‘Having a good race on Sunday will be all about the hydration over that first two or three hours and have something left in the tank.
‘‘It is going to be brutal. The heat will either destroy people or for those who look after themselves, they may have something left.’’
Having the world championships in Doha was controversial to say the least and the UCI’s decision to take it there was clearly driven by money.
The temperature is expected to be 36 degrees celsius and riding in front of few spectators on desert roads will mean there will be little shade for the riders.
It’s also a flat course, which means sprinters like Mark Cavendish from Britain, the Germans Marcel Kittel and Andre Greipel, plus Slovakian defending champion Peter Sagan will be the favourites.
However, while there won’t be any mountains to slow the sprinters down, the heat might.
Bauer raced in the 2012 Tour of Qatar and said it wasn’t too enjoyable. ‘‘It was an eye-opening experience racing in the desert and it is again this time around,’’ he said. ‘‘It is such a foreign environment to ride a bike in. It’s hot, dry, it’s a desert. What do people take into a desert? They take camels, not push bikes.
‘‘Dion and I tried to knock out a decent day’s training. When you head out into the desert on your own you have your pockets and your bike full of bottles but you can only train for so long before you have to turn around and find civilisation to get hydrated and start again.’’
If there is a break, it’s likely to be the British, Italian, German and French teams looking to chase it down. Smith and Bauer will look to sit in just behind them and possibly launch an attack of their own just before the big sprint starts.
‘‘I hope we will make a bit of a dynamic duo,’’ Bauer said. ‘‘With a flat course you expect the fast boys to be contesting the finish, but with the distance and the conditions, you never know how people will respond.
‘‘I think we are the kinds of riders to put ourselves into positions to capitalise when other nations force things.
‘‘If the winds are up they will wreak havoc for sure. On a dry and sun-burnt peloton, then in 10 seconds it can be over out in the desert. There’s no shelter, there’s no respite.’’