Tour Down Under 2009

[Mot]

Popped into the Tour Village after work for a second time this week, a lot busier than yesterday. Great atmosphere inside, I want a new bike now.. Took some photos:

[itsaghostcar]

very exciting stage today! Am keenly following the updates

[familyguy]

Interesting to see the mechanics not using clamp-type workstands on the CF.

Maybe one year I'll get down there, lucky buggers you Adelaide lot. Gotta have something to make up for the other 50 weeks I guess.

Jim

[muggah]

very exciting stage today! Am keenly following the updates

Me too!! I hope they can stay away. It sounds like mayhem with the crashes, breaks and the peloton splitting in two!! Shame we can't see it

[rustychisel]

Interesting to see the mechanics not using clamp-type workstands on the CF.

Maybe one year I'll get down there, lucky buggers you Adelaide lot. Gotta have something to make up for the other 50 weeks I guess.

Jim

They never do. Clamp the front forks and the bottom bracket is cradled... very stable and good, you can even tilt the bike up onto it's forks the access the underside. I'm trying to source one.

Yes, this stage seems to be the big one! A big one? I'm stuck in an office and the race is blowing apart.

[Tale]

Just back from today's the King of the Mountain hill. Lance was in the lead bunch and he looked STRONG going up the hill - the other days he has given the impression of "hey, this is cool, I'm back!" and today his aggression was like "I never left". It's windy and a lot cooler and I think he'll do well in this stage.

Every hill I climb, I meet people who are riding in the amateur stage tomorrow - there's 7000 of them. I didn't know about it till I got here and I haven't bothered to sign up, so I'm riding around wine tasting today instead

More photos soon.

[Tale]

Stage 2 (yesterday) second time through Hahndorf.






Now Stage 3 (today) on King of the Mountain hill:

Oops my camera missed Lance - he was near the front of the lead bunch. This is the back of that bunch:


This is what passed for a peloton today.





There were a lot of stragglers with escorts after the peloton due to the earlier crash. A couple of team cars with them:



In other news, I snapped a gear cable last night and the local bike shop in McLaren Vale fixed it for me before today's stage - the owner is a great guy, good to chat to.

I needed a new cycling shirt and wanted a lighter-coloured one so it doesn't heat up in the sun. All he had was Astana, so everywhere I go now I get "LANCE, YOU'RE HERE!" etc

[Ant.]

The peloton was BRUTAL, not letting any break away work. Another day, another sprinters finish.

[Aushiker]

They never do. Clamp the front forks and the bottom bracket is cradled... very stable and good, you can even tilt the bike up onto it's forks the access the underside. I'm trying to source one.

They have caught my attention to. If you find a good source please to post the details.

Thanks
Andrew

[Aushiker]

G'day

Thanks for sharing your photos Tale. Great work.

Regards
Andrew

[itsaghostcar]

For those who might be interested, Johan Bruyneel is tweeting from the car during the race

http://twitter.com/johanbruyneel

[RICHARDH]

Sooooo...... does anyone want a Pro Log computer program ?

[Tale]

Checking in from the road - got some good photos today at Willunga and some crap ones from yesterday at Barossa Valley, but no time to sort and upload until tomorrow night.

Looks like Allan Davis will win the race unless he crashes on Sunday, but I've gotta say again I was very impressed with Lance Armstrong's stage today. He crept up and up on the hills, and finished in the first bunch behind the sprinters. His comeback year is looking good.

Saw poor bloody George Hincapie stop with a flat tyre on the second U-turn through Willunga, to add to his team being decimated in the stage 3 crash. And poor bloody Robbie McEwen looked like he's suffering and finished several minutes behind the winners (a big bunch of slow-arse European riders was with him).

The last two stages have finished very split-up. There have been multiple bunches, minutes apart, each with their own police escorts.

Biggest disappointments of the Tour: Milram and Lampre teams and one of the Cofidis riders, who always come last/near-last.

Most impressive effort of the Tour: the hundreds, if not thousands, of spectators who ride out from Adelaide EVERY DAY to each stage, and back again, in addition to doing Friday's 145km ride and going up and down hills to find vantage points. I've done a lot of riding myself here, but nothing near their achievement.

It's been an amazing atmosphere. Be proud SA, this has been immense - the only thing I can compare it with for Aussie event excellence is the Sydney Olympics.

[AUbicycles]

Sooooo...... does anyone want a Pro Log computer program ?

Well, if all goes to plan with Allan Davis then we will have no winning entries - I will then randomly pick a winner for all participants.

Cheers
Christopher

[Boognoss]

10 mins to go until Stage 6 on SBS (the whole thing rather than just highlights). Wish SBS televised each stage live like they did for the TdF .

[muggah]

Woohoo, good to see a QLDer bringing home the GC It would have been nice to see a break stay away for one stage at least - the sprint finishes are exciting but 6 consecutive days of them the novelty begins to wear off

A Q about pro racing: When riders in a break ask for the chopper to be moved away from them - is this so the peloton can't tell how far up the road they are, or is there another reason??

[Tale]

A Q about pro racing: When riders in a break ask for the chopper to be moved away from them - is this so the peloton can't tell how far up the road they are, or is there another reason??

If that's the reason, it wouldn't have helped much today. I was in the middle of the course, cycling around to get the best vantage points, and for about 1/3 of each lap the break and the peloton could tell where each other was due to the long U-turn.

The break was very, very good and Quick Step was very slow when they tried to rescue Allan Davis - it took a move by the rest of the peloton to actually make any difference for him.

One rider who stood out in the break was Christian Knees from Milram. I criticised them yesterday for lagging behind in every road stage, but I could recognise him because I've seen him riding back chatting to spectators after other stages. He was often at the front of today's break doing all the work and is clearly a sprinter/criterion talent, not a road stage rider.

In my Adelaide hotel room after a few days camping in McLaren Vale, going out for dinner, then sorting my photos to post here if I have the energy

[Tale]

From Friday's stage finish at Angaston in the Barossa Valley, just to show I was there. It was a day for the community challenge riders - I hadn't registered so I felt like I didn't belong when I rode around. Should have stayed in McLaren Vale and gone wine tasting!

[Tale]

OK these are from the Saturday stage in Willunga - it was the best road stage for the crowds. Willunga was a U-turn twice, then they opened up the barriers and the course went up Old Willunga Hill twice, which is a good winding climb.

Both Armstrong and Bruyneel said the crowds and craziness on that hill was just like the Tour de France. It was the highlight for me too - I even rode up and down the hill 3 times on my steel touring bike with a pannier attached and felt good

On the way to Willunga from McLaren Vale - beautiful bike path between the vineyards.


These festive Tour cars always went at the front of the field, about 20 mins ahead of the race.


First pass on the U-turn.



George Hincapie gets a flat fixed (instant replacement of entire back wheel).



Cops on mountain bikes did a lot of climbing and sometimes got the biggest cheers


The riders climb Old Willunga Hill (two passes) - best hill of the Tour. This is the 50-second break by Bobridge and Klimov mentioned by Bruyneel on Twitter:


Lance Armstrong's in the middle of this group.


More from Old Willunga:






Allan Davis throws his bouquet into the crowd after being kissed by hot Aussie chicks.


Caught the sunset from West Beach, Adelaide, after an awesome day.

[Tale]

And finally, pics from stage 6 - criterion yesterday in North Adelaide.





Halfway round on the final lap:


Had the time of my life following this race, hope to be back many times in the future and will definitely ride the Community Challenge next time. Well done South Australia, the atmosphere and organisation of this awesome event was right up there with the Sydney Olympics.

One more day in Adelaide - I'm gonna spend it walking around central and north Adelaide, seeing the sights and eating gourmet food. This is the most bicycle-friendly city in Australia, absolutely loved riding around here, but I need a rest day

[itsaghostcar]

A Q about pro racing: When riders in a break ask for the chopper to be moved away from them - is this so the peloton can't tell how far up the road they are, or is there another reason??

I think Lance asked for the chopper to be moved away because it was getting too close and creating some turbulence. It's hard enough on a small breakaway without the extra obstacles

[Aushiker]

I think Lance asked for the chopper to be moved away because it was getting too close and creating some turbulence. It's hard enough on a small breakaway without the extra obstacles

The wind was causing havoc and the chopper was just adding more wind according to the press reports I read of Lance's comment.

Regards
Andrew

[stevos]

the wind on the victor stage was really bad, they had a veterens race before hand and people were being blown off their bikes. Lance didnt want even more wind than what they allready had.

[RICHARDH]

Did you have to get the seconds right?

[RICHARDH]

My pick is Allan Davis 15 sec. Would love to see Stuey win but i reckon the later he gets in his career the more his focusing on Flanders and PR. Armstrong will win a stage im guessing probably the Willunga stage or maybe the stirling stage. Would be bloody awesome if Jack Boberidge wins a stage aswell.

Well, if all goes to plan with Allan Davis then we will have no winning entries - I will then randomly pick a winner for all participants.

Cheers
Christopher

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