Twice Tour de France champion Chris Froome’s start to the season begins in a race that is as much a classic in Australia as the Tour de France is to the French fans.
![]() |
News: Froome starts season in Aussie Classic
The Herald Sun Tour is Aussie’s oldest stage race and coincidentally was won by another Tour de France winner, Sir Bradley Wiggins (2009). It starts off with a twilight city centre prologue next Wednesday.
Froome will start the race with two-time British Road Race champion Peter Kennaugh along with Italian Salvatore Puccio, Colombian Sebastian Henao and and Welshman Luke Rowe; the latter finishing eighth in last year’s Paris-Roubaix.
Froome, the Kenyan-born Brit (30), said in the race’s sponsor’s newspaper, “I’m looking forward to starting my season. The Sun Tour is certainly a race I have great memories of from 2008, particularly the awesome time trial by Stuey (Stuart O’Grady), but I also have great memories of the Commonwealth Games (2006),†Froome said.
“My training has been going well and obviously I’m not in Tour de France form just yet, so it might be tough to win, but we have a strong team so I’m looking forward to racing.â€
Australian rider Pat Shaw from the home state of the race, Victoria, who will compete in his ninth Herald Sun Tour for continental team Avanti IsoWhey Sports, says “nothing but great positives†would come out of Sky’s attendence in the race.
Froome, left, in the 2006 Commonwealth Games road race in Melbourne.
“They will try and control a lot until the moments that are most perfect for Froome, which does change the race a fair bit,†Shaw said. “We’re really excited about having the chance to race against him and, of course, we hope we can beat him.â€
The race will see two other British teams compete as well, JLT Condor and One Pro. Both will have strong line ups with JLT Condor having already been on the top step with Chris Lawless in New Zealand whilst One Pro’s Kristian House has already celebrated a win. One Pro go into the race with Steele Von Hoff in his home race along with Brits Kristian House, Josh Hunt and Richard Handley.
The team line ups for the race yet to be confirmed by the race organisation.
THE RACE
Prologue: A fast 2.1km prologue starting in Federation Square and finishing at Queensbridge Square in the heart of Melbourne.
Stage 1: Race through the Yarra Valley on a 126km route starting and finishing in Healesville (great zoo here if visiting!)
Stage 2: 144km trek from Yarra Glen, through the farmlands of South Gippsland
Stage 3: Starts in Traralgon and stage three is the longest of the Tour – 146km
Stage 4: The Mornington Peninsula plays host to final battle for the yellow jersey around Arthurs Seat (climbing).
Send your results as well as club, team & event news here
Other Results on VeloUK (including reports containing results)
- Features, Reports, Results
- Interview: Chris McNamara
- News: Flagship Showroom for Ribble Cycles
- Result: Icknield RC 18.6m TT
- Tour of Turkey: Victory for Cav!
- Result: VC Bristol 10m Time Trial
- Result: Vive Le Velo 10m TT
- Result: East Anglian VTTA 10m TT
- Report: British Womens Team Cup Zwift Race 2
- Result: BDCA 25m Time Trial
- Result: Diss & District CC 25m TT
- Result: Bramley Wheelers 10m TT
- Top 10: Giant Helston 10m TT
- Result: VTTA Midlands 15m TT
- Result: City Cycle Couriers 10m TT
- Result: FTP Racing 10m Time Trial
- Tour of the Basque Country: Final Stage
- Result: NWCCA April 10
- Result: Blaydon CC 2Up TT
- Result: Beacon Wheelers Sporting TT
- News: Talent Development Programme
- Basque Country: Stage 5
- Result: Burford/Lechlade 10m TT
- Tour of the Basque Country: Stage 4
- 10th Year for Nuun-Sigma Sports-London Race Team
- British Womens Team Cup Zwift Race
- Double Dutch: The Rider in Second Place
- Jakobsen Resumes Racing in Turkey
- Result: Castle Combe TT Series (Apr 7)
- Report: Hounslow Good Friday 25
- New Women’s Cycling Team
- Basque Country: Stage 2
- Result: Brighton Mitre Hilly 25m TT
- Result: Barnesbury CC 21m TT
- Result: Brighton Mitre CC Hilly 10m TT
- Result: Northover VT 10m TT
- Result: Manchester BC Bioracer Kudos Series
- Result: CC Weymouth 10m TT
- Result: Welwyn Wheelers 31m TT
- Tour of Flanders: Win for Van Vleuten
- Tour of Flanders: Asgreen beats Van der Poel
Other News on VeloUK
- Interview: Chris McNamara
- News: Flagship Showroom for Ribble Cycles
- Result: Icknield RC 18.6m TT
- Tour of Turkey: Victory for Cav!
- Result: VC Bristol 10m Time Trial
- Result: Vive Le Velo 10m TT
- Result: East Anglian VTTA 10m TT
- Report: British Womens Team Cup Zwift Race 2
- Result: BDCA 25m Time Trial
- Result: Diss & District CC 25m TT
- Result: Bramley Wheelers 10m TT
- Top 10: Giant Helston 10m TT
- Result: VTTA Midlands 15m TT
- Result: City Cycle Couriers 10m TT
- Result: FTP Racing 10m Time Trial
- Tour of the Basque Country: Final Stage
- Result: NWCCA April 10
- Result: Blaydon CC 2Up TT
- Result: Beacon Wheelers Sporting TT
- News: Talent Development Programme
- Basque Country: Stage 5
- Result: Burford/Lechlade 10m TT
- Tour of the Basque Country: Stage 4
- 10th Year for Nuun-Sigma Sports-London Race Team
- British Womens Team Cup Zwift Race
- Double Dutch: The Rider in Second Place
- Jakobsen Resumes Racing in Turkey
- Result: Castle Combe TT Series (Apr 7)
- Report: Hounslow Good Friday 25
- New Women’s Cycling Team
- Basque Country: Stage 2
- Result: Brighton Mitre Hilly 25m TT
- Result: Barnesbury CC 21m TT
- Result: Brighton Mitre CC Hilly 10m TT
- Result: Northover VT 10m TT
- Result: Manchester BC Bioracer Kudos Series
- Result: CC Weymouth 10m TT
- Tour of Flanders: Win for Van Vleuten
- Tour of Flanders: Asgreen beats Van der Poel
- Result: North Lancashire RC 10m TT