Starting next Wednesday, the women's peloton will have their go at a short rematch of the recently finished Tour Down Under: it's time for the inaugurate Women's Herald Sun Tour. Officially a stage race, but it's a very compact one at that: on Wednesday, the riders will tackle a tough, hilly road race, and on Thursday they will finish up with a mega-short individual time trial. The fastest rider on both of these will be crowned the overall winner of the Women's Herald Sun Tour.

It's January, we've waited long enough: it's time for the season's start! Now, the exact start of the season is a source of disagreement for cycling fans, but for me it can't start early enough, and that means: the Australian Summer. Our first stop is the Santos Women's Tour Down Under. Unlike the men's equivalent, this race isn't a World Tour race. Nevertheless, it draws a strong crowd of riders who are all eager to prove themselves in the first big race of the year.