Tour Down Under Day 3 Thursday

So as day three dawned the weather was still hot, but there was a strong wind blowing. On the ride out to Wickhams Hill I was hit by about 5 or 6 sticks falling from trees and showered with bark. The wind made the ride tough, but did cool things down a bit.

The climb up Wickhams Hill was a tough one, short but tough.

Climbing up Wickhams Hill



There were heaps of people at the KOM point, the announcer said that there was a breakaway with OGrady, Rogers, Armstrong and Matt Lloyd, and 10 others. As they came over the top Lance was looking good.

I was right on the line and had a great view, best spot I had been in so far. After the main bunch had gone through I had to ride like the wind to beat the breakaway to the sprint point at Meadows. The riders did a loop and we cut across. It was a sprint for about 15 kms and I had to drag a couple of other riders along also.

I made the sprint point and I must admit enjoyed riding through the town with the road lined with spectators. I rode about 750mts past the town on a slight hill to watch them come past. I had pulled up on the left and as the breakaway came past they were on the left of the road with Lance driving the break. It was a great way to finish my tour experience.

I will definitely be going back next year whether Lance is there or not.

Tour Down Under Day 2 Wednesday

Today's stage started at Hahndorf which was about 6kms from where I was staying. So I left at 10am for a 11am start so I could take in the atmosphere.

It was fantastic and the dissapoinment of yesterday and missing the finish were soon forgotten. There were so many faces that I recognised from the Tour De France including Geert Coeman (Silence Lotto Manager) who I actually bumped into in the crowd.

Of course there was only one person that I really wanted to see, as did everybody else.

Lance in the media scrum

Nobody seemed to notice Mick Rogers roll by



After reading Lance's book in 2000, also known as "the book" he has been a sportsman that I have followed and admired what he has achieved. Part of the reason I was in Adeliade was that this was a chance to see him ride and ply his trade, he is definetly a once in a generation athlete.


After the buzz of Handorf it was back to Balhannah to see the first 2nd intermediate sprint at 57km. To get some riding in I headed out to Charleston which was 17km from the start. There were riders in bunches all along the road. I met a guy from Melbourne and we cycled up to Charleston, watched the sprint in Balhannah and then headed back to Stirling, for the finish.


The Breakaway


The Bunch


Got a souveneir at the sprint, Is it M for McEwen



The riders were doing three 20km laps of the finish circuit. We got to see the peleton whizz by several times, and heard that Jack Bobridge and Lance Armstrong had made a breakaway, they got caught soon after and the bunch sprinted home and the stage was won by Allan Davis.



The tour riders were all eating rehydrating and then riding back into the city, which was mainly downhill. If I had have been organised I would have joined in with a group and rode with them back to the city.

I didn't just hung out at the finish and met this guy.



And Phil was quite happy to chat to whoever came over and get a photo with whoever asked. I always thought he would be a good bloke and I was right.

Now it was all downhill back to Balhannah and a swim in the pool, as it had been a hot 37deg during the day.

Today was alot less in kms, about 80, and I got to see the riders a few more times, so it was another great day at the tour.

Tour Down Under Day 1 Tuesday

So it was an early start up at 5am to get on the plane by 7am. So after a taxi ride to my base at the Rogers house in Balhannah, I was on the bike at 10am to head over to the KOM point at Checkers Hill. I had my google maps directions to get there.

I was taking it relatively easy taking in the scenery on the way to Checkers Hill



All went well and I arrived in heaps of time. So After climbing up the hill from the east I rode back down and came up from the west which is the way the peleton would come.

Coming up to the KOM at Checkers Hill

There was a three man break that had got away from the main bunch. There were heaps of spectators congregating at the KOM point.

And LOTS of bikes, including an 09 F1

A few $1000 worth of bike up against that tree

The riders went past and of course it was just a blur, and I didn't really spot anyone except Robbie McEwen who was at the tail of the main bunch. They did go over the top of the climb fast as the bunch was chasing down the break.



As soon as the riders had gone past there was a mad rush to get to of the hill and to the next point you were headed too.

I needed water so I headed the way the riders had come from. I was aiming to cover about 35km in about 2 hours and I would make it to the finish before the riders at Mawson Lakes.

So after a refuel I was off with about 30 other riders heading where I thought was the finish.

First mistake.

I came to a fork in the road and could have gone left or right.I headed left and down gorge road which was a great descent but took me too far south. Second mistake. So after getting some more directions and then getting lost again third mistake, and getting more directions and yes getting lost again fourth mistake, I made it to Mawson Lakes to see this............


So after missing the finish I now had 40 kms to travel to get back to Balhannah. It had been 35 deg all day and I was hot and ready to get off the bike and in the pool.

So I got the Google maps out again and was off, all was going well until I missed a turnoff, fifth mistake, so I backtracked and headed up Coach Rd which was a tough climb when you have done a 100km in 35 deg. Lets just say I was less than impressed when I got to the top and Google maps said turn left but it was a dead end. Sixth mistake, trusting Google maps.

It was a good view of the city on the way up.

So now it was back down and up Greenhill Rd for the climb back to Balhannah.

I was surprised to still see a smile here in this photo, I guess it was because I finally knew where I was and how to get home.

So my first day watching a professional road bike race was over, I had ridden over 120kms spent 8 hours outside in 35deg heat and seen the riders once for all of 10 seconds. And I still thought it was great.

What a week so far

I have now seen 3 stages of the Tour Down Under and all I can say is wow. It has been awesome, the atmosphere in the towns has been great. My legs even feel good after 270kms in three days.

I have my ride from Ararat to Warrnambool tomorrow for a holiday on the long weekend, so check back early next week for a stage by stage update of my adventures.

Tour Down Under

I have managed to get the week away from the office and am heading over to Adelaide early on Tuesday to follow the Tour for 3 days, which I am really looking forward to then getting the train to Ararat and then riding down to Warrnambool to meet the family for the weekend. So there will be plenty of riding and lots of water as the forecast is for 36deg each day.