Impey eyes back-to-back wins down under

South Africa’s Daryl Impey is bidding to become the first cyclist to win back-to-back titles at Australia’s Tour Down Under as the race gets under way in sweltering conditions around Adelaide on Tuesday.

Mitchelton-Scott’s Impey won last year’s UCI seasonopening event on countback from Australia’s Richie Porte for the biggest victory of his career, and went on to have his most successful season in 2018.

No-one has won consecutive titles in the 20 years of the Tour Down Under.

But with only one arduous uphill stage finish this year, where in 2018 he finished second behind Porte, Impey is primed for a repeat.

“Australia has and always will be important for us,” Impey said. “We would definitely like to win the Tour Down Under again and we are arriving to try to do just that.

“For me personally, it would be great to win back-to-back. No-one has done that.”

The six-stage race takes place on the streets of Adelaide and through the surrounding countryside.

With extreme temperatures of 40°C and above forecast, race organisers along with team and rider representatives have made the decision to modify the race route for Tuesday’s opening stage.

Based on the severe conditions forecast of buffeting winds, the 3.4km finishing circuit will be removed, putting the total distance of Stage 1 at 129km, organisers said. –