When Tom-Jelte Slagter shocked everyone with a dominant performance to win the 2013 Tour Down Under, he was quickly earmarked as one of the most promising talents in the WorldTour.
Five years on, the media clamour surrounding Slagter isn’t what it once was. As he prepares for stage 1 of the 2018 edition of the race, he goes about his routine, applying sun-cream and testing his brakes, before taking up a position on the start line underneath a blistering sun. The only reminder of his 2013 triumph comes when a former pro and now race announcer David McKenzie puts his arm around Slagter’s shoulder and reminds the crowd that Australians haven’t always had their own way at this race.
“It’s the same as in 2013, we come here with a very good time and personally I think I’m in really good shape,” Slagter tells Cyclingnews as he applies another dollop of sun cream to his fair shoulders and arms.
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“The training has been good, it’s happy in the team and we’ll try our best for GC. If there are opportunities for stage wins, we’ll try there as well.”
In the years since Slagter’s overall win, he has changed teams twice. He headed to Cannondale in 2014 and switched again last winter from the American team to Dimension Data. In that period of time, he has hit some high notes – two stage wins at Paris-Nice, a third and a fourth in the two Canadian WorldTour races, two stages at the Tour of Alberta and smattering of top-ten results. However, consistency has been lacking and stagnation, it must be fair to say, has set in. In fact, a recent article in the Dutch press asked whether Slagter’s career had peaked too early and that despite entering what should be his prime, he was past his best.
The 28-year-old Dutchman believes, however, that with a new team, a fresh kit, and different support, he can rekindle the form of old – and perhaps most importantly, maintain it.
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