Sunday - Australia Wins Tour Down Under

On our last day in Adelaide, Bill, George and I left at 8 a.m. for one more ride up to the hills east of the city. It was the first time that we had ridden without Kevin, which meant three Americans navigating the left-hand-drive Australian roads. With about 185 miles of riding over the last week, we were pretty confident. It was a beautiful ride, probably the best of the whole trip. Ten miles out of Adelaide, we were in a deep gorge, sheer cliffs rising beside and ahead of us, a rushing stream on the left, winding our way up to the aptly named Corkscrew Road. Here we climbed about 2 miles at 15% constant grade, the most brutal climb I think I've ever done. Of course, at 21 km, Mt. Ventoux was longer, but averaged only a 8-12% grade and Col du Tourmalet was about the same. Some of the climbs in Berkeley (Claremont, Centennial, El Toyonal and especially Marin Ave.), have grades that steep but only for a short distance. This was incredible. About halfway up, four kids on SKATEBOARDS came down from the opposite direction, around the switchback, sideways, one hand down on the pavement – unbelievable. Our reward was a screaming descent back to central Adelaide that went on and on and for mile after beautiful mile. We arrived at the hotel beaming. A great final ride.

Eddie Merckx at Starting Line

We walked the short distance, about four blocks, to the finish line just before noon, and found our places in a reviewing stand just behind the finish line. We had an unrestricted view to the riders who later would be crossing the line. They all arrived at once, signed in and then a number of them gave interviews while the rest found as much shade as they could, as it was already nearly 100 degrees. Eddie Merckx was there again and was interviewed briefly.

The Riders trying to stay cool before the start

The start took place at 1:11 p.m. and there were a total of 20 circuits around the parklands of central Adelaide. So we had that many opportunities to see the breakaway group and the peleton pass right in front of us, while enjoying a sumptuous lunch and all the drinks we could handle.

Finally, the last lap and the finish, which I filmed:

Oh, the excitement when it was announced just after the finish that Simon Gerrans, on the Australian GreenEdge Team, had won the Tour. A great day for the Aussies, who are so proud of their boys.

Back to the hotel around 4 p.m., where I spent a while copying photos from the others and packing. We dined at our favorite restaurant of all the places we ate this week, then a final round of drinks at the hotel bar before saying our farewells to Bill, Robbie and George, who will be on different flights tomorrow. Tony, Chandelle, Cindy, Steve and I will be on the same flight to Sydney, so we'll see each other in the morning, and then Cindy, Steve and I continue on the LONG 17-hour nonstop flight to Dallas tomorrow. We get back the day that we lost coming over here – it'll be a very long day.

All in all, it was a fabulous trip. Such an interesting place: beautiful scenery; great, challenging rides; 10 days spent with good friends who share a love of cycling and with whom I've spent so many happy times over the last four years. Riding up mountains with Bill, my compadre for so many memorable climbs and descents. Adelaide is a beautiful place, with a lot going for it. Spending a whole week in one hotel was a plus – everything was so close to here, in some ways much nicer than the Tour de France with its constant traveling around the country and moving from hotel to hotel. Of course this was a very special trip, essentially arranged just for us, and we all feel so fortunate to be able to do this together. Really unforgettable.

And so, back to New Orleans, back to winter, back to the levee, back to early sunset and work. But Spring is coming and there's the next trip to plan. . . .

Stage 5 - Old Willunga Hill

Since we weren't planning a ride to or from the stage today, George, Kevin and I took a relatively short ride at 8 this morning – toward the beach again, but farther afield this time through some of the other suburbs south and west of Adelaide. We were in pretty heavy traffic most of the time, but saw some interesting areas, and rode down Victoria Street, which was lined with plane trees and mansions.

At 10:30 a.m., we left to drive to the finish line for today's stage, which was billed as the first "hilltop finish" in the TDU's history – at the top of Old Willunga Hill. The drive took about 90 minutes, and we finally arrived at Kevin's boss's house, literally about 100 feet past the finish line and directly across the road from the broadcast booth where the race coverage was being filmed. That allowed us a nice place to park and set up a "barbie" for a lunch of sausage, chicken kebabs and kangaroo meat (truly).

Before the riders arrived, some of us walked about 300 meters down the road, where the crowds were thinner, and we could enjoy the scenery and watch riders like us who were arriving at the top of the climb. I don't know exactly why we didn't do this ourselves, but I guess the logistics just didn't work out.

Back at the finish line, we saw the peleton pass by the first time, and right in front of us they were picking up fresh water bottles before continuing on the last loop. Then the finish: a mad dash between Valverde and Gerrans (a local favorite), with Valverde taking the win. The rest of the riders came in dribs and drabs, stopping right in front of us – they looked exhausted.

After it was all over, we drove home, stopping at a pub along the way for beers. There were a lot of cyclists riding back to Adelaide, about a two-hour ride from the finish, so we were hoping to let most of them get by before we continued. Dinner tonight was at the Adelaide Convention Center, almost directly across the street from our hotel, and it was a special "Legends" dinner that is put on every year. We guessed that there were 2,000 people there. Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen were interviewed first, and then Liggett interviewed Eddie Merckx, who was on his first visit to Australia. They talked about a lot of Merckx's races, his accomplishments, etc., and there was a movie with a lot of old clips. After dinner, Liggett interviewed Matty Goss, a young, very popular Australian cyclist who was second in the World Championships last year. Finally, Paul Sherwen interviewed Robbie McEwen, probably the most personable Australian rider. McEwen announced that the Tour of California would be his last professional race, and that he would not ride in the Tour de France but instead would be there as a technical advisor to Green Edge. Curiously, Cadel Evans, the Australian winner of the 2011 Tour de France, has been a complete no-show all week – not riding, not present. It was great to be in a room full of cycling fans (all dressed up, too) in the middle of this race, and seeing all these legends in person, not to mention a lot of the 2012 TDU riders wandering around. It was also pretty interesting to be an American in a foreign country, in the middle of an event they are evidently so proud of, both for the whole country and the State of South Australia and the City of Adelaide in particular. They're also so proud of the new Australian team, Green Edge, which has done so well and actually has a chance to win the Tour in the final stage tomorrow. Being an American here this week - not such a big deal. Here are a few photos from dinner:

Tomorrow, a ride in the morning, and then the final stage, which is a circuit race in Adelaide just a couple of blocks from the hotel.

The Bupa Challenge

Today, the pros rode 138 km from Norwood, just outside of Adelaide, to Taununda, which is northeast of here in the Barossa Valley, one of the premier wine-producing areas of Australia. They left Norwood at 11 a.m., but at 7 a.m. we rode out of Gumeracha, just a bit along the course, for the Bupa Challenge. This is an annual event where the public gets to ride the same stage as the pros, just a few hours before the peleton. It's much like an MS150 ride – there were some 6,700 registered riders, all outfitted in the same red jerseys.

The course was hilly throughout, with some really nice, long, fast descents. It also featured the climb of Menglers Hill near the finish, which followed about 72 km of riding and was a designated "King of the Mountain" climb in the Tour. It was every bit as steep as some of the Alpine and Pyrennean climbs, but at 4 km it was much shorter. After that, it was a scorchingly fast ride into Tanunda. We hooked onto a paceline about 6 or 7 km from the end and cruised into the finish really fast. I'd forgotten how much fun it is to draft on those long descents – these were fairly straight so it was possible to get right behind another rider – not possible on the really twisty Alpine descents. There's a point, when you're going about 35 mph, where the draft becomes more of a suction just pulling you along. Really fun.

Anyway, after the finish we were directed into a park, where we got lunch, relaxed on the grass for a while, and finally met up with the others, who had driven up from Adelaide. They were in a restaurant just past the finish line, so we joined them there, then went out and saw the finish, although it was very crowded and nearly impossible to get any good photos.

A 90-minute drive back to Adelaide, followed by a two-hour nap, then cocktails and dinner near the hotel capped a long day. The menu at dinner was fabulous – I wanted to try EVERYTHING. The side street where the restaurant is located was closed, so tables spilled out onto the sidewalk and the street. It was a delightful evening, and so nice to be outside for dinner.

Here are some photos from the ride:

Thursday Rest Day in Adelaide

Today we took a break from the Tour Down Under and enjoyed a relaxing day in and around Adelaide. We began with breakfast at 8 a.m. and then left at 9 a.m. for a short ride west to the beach. The path was really delightful, winding along a river through central Adelaide and then the western suburbs. It finally reached the beach, where we turned south and rode down to Glenelg, where the nonriders were meeting us in the van. The water was cool and clear – beautiful shades of green and blue. We spent some time swimming and lazing in the sun, then rode back into town, this time eschewing the bike path for a pretty busy street that was more direct. Riding on the left now seems pretty normal, and with all the cyclists in town for the TDU (we are EVERYWHERE), I think the drivers are being extra courteous.

After cleaning up and having a very late lunch, we made a quick visit to the Museum of South Australia, where there was a really interesting and extensive exhibition of Aboriginal art and tools. Sounds dry, I know, but it was very, very well done, especially the tools. From there we took the free tram up to the "TDU Village," which is open every day after the stage ends. There were tents set up with all the major bike brands showing off their latest technology, so, of course, we spent a lot of time examining the new toys. Trek was showing some of their top-end models with wireless speed and cadence sensors built into the rear stay, both inside and outside, and I was most taken by that little detail.

There was lots of eye candy around. Many of the manufacturers had entire fleets of bikes there, and were offering the opportunity to take one out for a spin around Adelaide. We weren't in our riding gear, so we could only look longingly at those.

Just across from the Expo was the big tent where we had dinner last night. Inside were booths where team mechanics were cleaning up and adjusting the bikes after today's stage. There were also more sponsor booths in and around that. The number of hats, water bottles, jerseys, reflectors, bags, etc. etc. etc. that we've accumulated over the last few days is truly staggering.

Directly across from there is the Adelaide Hilton, which is the official TDU hotel, so we walked over there for a beer before dinner. The lobby bar was very lively, all cycling fans. We saw Michael Rogers sitting a couple of tables over, and some of the Saxo riders came in and lingered for a while. From there it was off to supper at Cos Restaurant, and all agreed it was one of the best meals so far. Heavy on meat for a change. Tomorrow is the Bupa Challenge, and we'll ride the last 102 km of the stage a few hours ahead of the riders. We have heard that anywhere from 6,000 to 9,000 riders will participate – all wearing the same jersey! – so it should be interesting. We have to leave the hotel at 5:00 a.m. in order to get there in time for the start, and then we'll hook up with the rest of the group at the finish in Tanunda.

Wednesday - from Lobethal to Stirling

On the way to the start of today's stage, we stopped at Hahndorf, a little German town near Adelaide. It looked charming, but we were a little early and just a few shops were opening up. We stayed for only about 30 minutes before heading to Lobethal for the start. Everything was lined up down the main street, and behind the starting line we found two lines of team cars and vans between the barricades. These vehicles contrasted with the Tour de France, where the teams have multiple cars with custom paint jobs – not to mention the behemoth team buses. Here, nearly all of the vehicles (save the ones for a couple of the Australian teams), are Skodas provided by the TDU, all sporting identical paint jobs and team stickers on the doors. Each team probably has two cars plus one support van. Anyway, we spent quite a while wandering up and down the line watching the teams getting ready for the start.

Jens Voigt giving an interview before the start

After the start, the teams made a loop of about 35 km before coming back through the main street, so we waited around, did some souvenir shopping and had a bite to eat. Once the peloton came through, we jumped in the van, parked just a block away, and made a mad dash to the "King of the Mountain" point, about 10 km outside of town. Here we saw the peleton at the end of a pretty tough climb, after they had slowed down quite a bit. . .

From there, Tony, George and I got on our bikes and made a short ride of only about 20 km to the finish line, at Stirling. A really beautiful ride, with a great descent and some challenging hills. The countryside was lovely, and the agapanthus were, again, in full splendor at every turn.

We got to Stirling in a crush of people and bikers, detoured around the crowds, and managed to get on course just past the finish line. There, we saw the peleton come through for the second of three circuits.

Eventually we found the rest of the group and walked down to a point just past the finish, where we waited for the riders to arrive. We saw Phil Liggitt standing directly across from us, and Tony found a riding buddy of his from Bathurst, so we chatted with him until the riders came by.

In all, we saw the start of the stage, picked up the peleton along the route, AND saw the finish too. A good day for sure! After it was all over, we stopped and picked up a sandwich for me, as I hadn't really eaten anything since breakfast. Tony rode back to Adelaide and I took the van, but I was sorry that I did, as there were hundreds of bikers on the road back to Adelaide. Even the pros were riding along – it was faster that way than waiting for their team vans, I guess. At one point, one of the Française des Jeux riders grabbed onto the van and rode, chatting for a minute while his teammate raced us alongside. At a traffic light, one of the Lotto riders was chatting with a boy who looked to be about 12 on a small road bike, and he was probably in seventh heaven. It would have been good fun to have been in the midst of that.

Dinner tonight was a special deal that was part of the "Club Tour" package – at the "village" in downtown Adelaide across from the Hilton where most of the teams are staying. First, there were a lot of exhibitors and the obligatory jersey purchase(s), then dinner for about 100 people. After dinner, Mike Turtur (TDU race director) and Paul Sherwin spoke to us for about an hour and answered questions. It was pretty informal – some talk about their experiences in pro cycling, then each told a great story about one of their memorable races. They also shared a bit about race radios and the TV coverage – or lack thereof of anything besides the Tour de France. It was all really interesting, and we were sitting directly in front of them, which was nice. They were both very unguarded, a little off-color sometimes, and very entertaining. Afterwards, back to the hotel for nightcaps. Overall, a long and eventful day. Tomorrow we are promised a casual schedule and probably no viewing of the race; it is our one opportunity to see a bit of Adelaide, including the beach.

At the Start in Lobenthal

Wednesday Morning

The heat was the big story yesterday – many conflicting reports as to HOW hot it got, but it was well over 100 F in any case. Today we've got some milder weather in store, and are leaving shortly for Hahndorf, which is southeast of here. The plan is to visit the town, then have a ride and end up at the finish line in Stirling.

First Official Day of TDU

Today was the first official day of the Tour Down Under, featuring a 149 km stage from Prospect, just outside of Central Adelaide, and running north to Clare. The weather forecast was for clear skies and a high temperature of 40 C, or 104 F, although we learned later that the high had actually been nearly 44 C, or about 110 F.

After breakfast, we started out in the van for Gawler, about 40 km north of Adelaide, and from there Bill, Tony and I rode out with George and Kevin for a 60k ride (about 37 miles) through the countryside. It was a pretty hilly ride, arid and extremely windy, taking us past some vineyards and horse farms, and over a couple of short but very challenging climbs. These included one about 2/3 of the way through that featured a 10-12% grade for about a mile. The weather was the real challenge, though. I finished my one water bottle, plus another that I bought at a store along the way, plus all of Kevin's as we got near the end, and then nearly two liters in the van. It was really tough for all of us, but all survived. That kind of heat is tough anytime – but we're not exactly acclimated to it in January.

Once we finished up, we were already late for an appointment with a helicopter for a peleton flyover, so we piled into the van and tore down the road toward Kapunda. We were making good time until we reached a roadblock, where it turned out that the riders were expected to pass shortly. George went up to talk to the police officer and then waved us up toward the front just as the motorcycles, official cars and then the peloton came by and turned left onto our road. They waved us across onto the back of the procession and from there we followed right behind the riders into Kapunda, with spectators waving at us the whole way.

In Kapunda we somehow managed to find the helicopter still waiting for us, even though we were 30 minutes late, and it took us out in two separate groups for a short flight to catch up with the race, and then over the caravan and the peleton. The ride was great – over the arid, brown landscape, finally finding the race and hovering over the peleton as it streamed through the countryside. Unlike the Tour de France, there was only one official helicopter and ours, so we were able to get pretty close for a great view.

The photos don't really do it justice. It really was so exciting to see it from that vantage point. After we landed, we found a pub there in the town and had some beer (it being 3:00 p.m., after all). I don't think the locals in the pub had seen out-of-towners in a VERY long time. Finally we headed back to Adelaide for another long, delightful dinner. Yet another great day for the books.