Tour Down Under – Stage 1

January 18, 2011

I'm sitting here in the media center at the Hilton feeling a little bit guilty. A mad rush of photographers and journalists just arrived back after a long day following the race. Now the bulk of their work begins. Some of these reporters have multiple stories to run with extremely tight deadlines. I couldn't imagine the stress of trying to come up with something under pressure like that.

Me on the other hand, I just had a spectacular day on the bike taking-in sections of the race. This morning I bumped into the guys from SoleDevotion who took me out on some phenomenal roads including the “Corkscrew” and “The Gorge”. The biggest bike race of all during the Tour Down Under is the Punter’s Race. Everything starts out as a civil ride, but inevitably someone gets excited after the PROs go by, begins half-wheeling, and then GAME ON. In my opinion, there’s no better way to experience the Tour Down Under. It’s hard justifying my existence here in the media center, but it’s hard to pass up the free beer and wi-fi.

It’s apparent that Matty Goss is the man to beat this week. It’s no surprise that Greipel is doing very well (in second place today), but I think many have written-off McEwen. He got third place again today and I think he’s in for a great result if the stages keep finishing in bunch kicks. It’s also great to see local boy Mitch Docker only 7 seconds back in GC. Simon Clark, another local Melbournian and one of the most understated riders in the peloton (now with Astana) isn’t too far back at 7 seconds in GC as well. Angel Madrazo is sitting in obscurity comfortably in 87th. He certainly is consistant!

On another note, the best way I’ve found to follow the Tour Down Under if you’re on the move is with their iphone app. It incorporates Google Maps, live updates, images, etc. Search ‘Santos TDU’ in iTunes or the App Store.

Photo courtesy of Veeral Patel. Check out his awesome new O’nev cycling photography website.

Local boy Mitch Docker currently sitting in 4th. Photo courtesy of Veeral Patel

Jack Bobridge and his new Australian National Championship jersey. He’s the only one with Garmin-Transitions distinguishable from Team SKY. Photo courtesy of Veeral Patel

Photo courtesy of Veeral Patel

Luke Roberts smashes it up the KOM! Photo courtesy of Jarrod Partridge

Photo courtesy of Veeral Patel

Thanks for the ride guys!

Thanks to Nick and Stu, once the pro riders went by our ride quickly turned into a smashfest!

Will Jo Hogan be part of the GreenEDGE women’s cycling team? I dare to say yes!

Like I said….smashfest

Photo courtesy of Veeral Patel

Photo courtesy of Sirotti

Photo courtesy of Veeral Patel

Photo courtesy of Sirotti

Photofinish. No one had a chance! Goss, Greipel, McEwen, Sutton, Viviani, Feillu, Ballan…

“Cooked” Photo courtesy Veeral Patel

tags: tour down under 2011

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Anonymous

No sign of Garmin in the sprint. Is Tyler Farrar looking fit?
I’m with you Ct and am hoping to see the Robbies at Retiree shack take on whoever is sitting on the Rickshaws back wheel.
http://topsy.com/www.cyclingtipsblog.com/2011/01/tour-down-under-stage-1-2/?utm_source=pingback&utm_campaign=L2 Tweets that mention Tour Down Under – Stage 1 — Topsy.com

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by CyclingTwips, Amy Bradley and others. Amy Bradley said: RT @staytrueracing: Good ride today with Wade WallaceRT @cyclingtips Tour Down Under – Stage 1 http://bit.ly/hd9Mdz [...]
http://www.jonxmack.co.uk Jon X Mack

Love these posts Wade, nice work!
Vincent. F

Great picture of Baden Cook, Good job Wade always enjoy your posts
Vincent. F

Great picture of Baden Cook, Good job Wade always enjoy your posts
Gus

Awesome shots and great article. And the Glossary was pure Gold!! This stuff makes up for me not being there!!
Dmwahs

As long as we keep getting these pics and commentary, don’t feel bad about spongeing up teh freebies courtesy of teh TDU! Also, have you hooked up with any of the Adel groups? There’s a few of them and this might be their chance to get some air on the CT post?
nick2

Wade – make sure you ride up “old norton summit” road and then go on to the look-out at Mount Lofty – it’s not far out of town and a great scenic climb!
Matt

Is there a good place to get info on ace places to ride for Adelaide? For instance, if you are travelling to the race with your gf and want to go out for a ride in the morning or if you want to prepare for a day of drinking wine next week….
Mark

Wade where have you ridden and where do you plan to ride? It would be great to hear your opinion on how some of Adelaides rides compare to those more mountainas route options you have in Vic. I suppose they will never be as tough but the convenience factor is probably a plus.

A good ride I enjoy is;
- Start up Gorge rd, then corkscrew, keep heading up Montacute Rd to Marble Hill, continue on til you get to Woods Hill Rd, follow that til the end and you get to Greenhill rd, chuck a left and go down to Carey Gulley, then left onto Deviation Rd at the end of that turn right and head into Lobethal, leave Lobey towards cudlee creek, when you get to Fox Creek Rd turn left again and head back to Lenswood, finally chuch a right back onto Adelaide to Lobethal Rd and head all the way back down Norton Summit into the city. Its a great loop.
Mark

Matt it depends where you are staying and how many Km’s you want to get in/how much time you have?
Ajmit3

Good report Wade – but I’ve got a way off topic question … if I may .

I think some of the SoleDevotion guys have Fondriest TF2′s ? Can anyone tell me what they are like and what they’ve heard about them? I’m considering getting the TF2 …
Nicholas

Do you have any information on what jersey that it that says “Stay True” on the collar?
Guest

Sole devotion team kit
Tim

Veeral’s Black and White shot is incredible. Composition and framing just awesome.
Rommel_C

From queenstage:
http://queenstage.tumblr.com/post/2816461855/i-am-not-on-board-with-this-bieberification-of
http://www.BrandWorld.com.au/ Priestie

Was great watching Robbie chase wheels for the sprint, shows the experience of the man.
Look out for Feillu too.
Matt

I am staying in the city, so anywhere out of there. Anything from 1-2 hours up to 3-4 hours would be great. Just looking for 2-3 ‘must do’ rides really.
Mark

The ride i posted below is a good one, you can shorten it by going up Norton Sumit Rd (not old Nortons Summit Rd) anywhere in that region is good. You can go to Mt Lofty Via Woods Hill Rd, then come back down Via Marble Hill/Montacute Road. YOu could do that loop in 2.5 hours from the city.
SupermanSam

What happened to the ‘pretty boy’ sprinter image? I thought it was all a 2 minute sprint at the end then the chocolates…?

All this hard work super-domestique stuff can’t be good for Cookie’s complexion…
SupermanSam

Agree, write him off at your peril. He hasn’t had a lead out man/train for years and still gets in there. Those other sprinters are a long way back…Who was the first Leopard rider across the line?
Hardo

The soleDevotion kit looks ace… maybe a few of the pro-teams may wish to visit their designer… I hear “edgy green” is the new black. :p
http://www.BrandWorld.com.au/ Priestie

Romain Feillu was the Leopard rider. He and his brother older Brice are a couple of PRO’s whom have been around for a few years but have not had a big break. Both have raced for Vacansoleil and Agritubel, Brice Feillu had a good year in ’09 with a leg numbing attack up one of the mountains in the TdF but not a good year in ’10 with Vacansoleil. Romain is more of a sprinter, Brice is a climber and has some balls like Gilbert ~ both slim fish, good riders, will be handy domestics and to chase a couple of tour stage wins for the Schlecks. (Brice not racing the TDU)
http://www.BrandWorld.com.au/ Priestie

Romain Feillu was the Leopard rider. He and his brother older Brice are a couple of PRO’s whom have been around for a few years but have not had a big break. Both have raced for Vacansoleil and Agritubel, Brice Feillu had a good year in ’09 with a leg numbing attack up one of the mountains in the TdF but not a good year in ’10 with Vacansoleil. Romain is more of a sprinter, Brice is a climber and has some balls like Gilbert ~ both slim fish, good riders, will be handy domestics and to chase a couple of tour stage wins for the Schlecks. (Brice not racing the TDU)
SupermanSam

How about a product review from Malachai?
http://www.worldspinner.us/tour-down-under World Spinner

Tour Down Under – Stage 1…

Here at World Spinner we are debating the same thing……
http://www.BrandWorld.com.au/ Priestie

Apologies, Romain Feillu was not the Leopard rider. Romain riding for Vacansoleil. O’Grady was the first.
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Ajmit3

huh ?
http://twitter.com/bethanykeats Bethany Keats

The role that you take as a member of the media is a very good one and you absolutely deserve to be there. I think it’s great that you report the experience and the feel of it rather than a sterile report as most of our kind do – I think that sort of personal reporting is integral to establishing cycling within more mainstream fields as it helps to endear the sport to the average person and portray the excitement.

I also completely agree about the beer and wifi although I was gutted I couldn’t tuck into the beer. I think more media rooms need to be so well stocked.
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