in my late teens i timed myself on the bike over 200 metres – top speed – 30mph.

last night the professionals had a warm up. 30 laps of 1.6 km. they averaged 50kph – my best speed over 200m was their maintained speed over 50 km !

the speed was maintained by breakaway groups including one with lance. the pelaton caught all the break aways and two laps from the finish a black line suddenly appeared out of the mass. team ‘sky’ had grouped all five riders in a line with the bloke out the front just going full speed with his mates in the jet stream. suddenly a yellow line of team columbia took the lead – they won more races than anyone last year. close to the finish the three remaining ‘sky’ riders hit the lead and went over the line for an ‘easy’ win. after a victory lap the winner talked to the media and he wasn’t even breathing hard !
hooly dooly – aerobic fitness supreme.

you will often find in the lead up to the tour downunder, many of the overseas based teams would head out for a few training rides in the hills surrounding Adelaide, just getting used to the roads and sunshine… many of the local sozzzie riders would often hang off the back to get a chance to ride with the stars, or if one were cheeky enough, you’d ride at the front and act as tour guide. On one of these rides with the Italian Saeco team, the small group of riders were cruising along the coast at just under 40kph with me hanging on with a heartrate of close to 140 when the professional cyclist alongside asked what my HR was. I told him… he said Ok, I must be picking up your transmitter (sometimes happens in a tight bunch).

his HR was 80 btw.

off to watch the king of the mountain.

scenes on menglers hill before the race – amateaurs – mad cars – race approaching – uphill from where we stood – the view

a three man breakaway up the hill (one visible here) – followed by the pelaton and – near the finish the pelaton has caught the breakaway but the pelaton has split into two.
you hear it here first – sbs tonight at 6pm.

cool shot with young Tim Rowe getting away there for the KOM!

tdu starts in gawler this morning – i will go down and swell the numbers.
cyas

walking past the hilton on our way to the tour village in victoria square we saw cadel evans get out of his car and try to go into the hotel. he was mobbed by 20 autograph hunters. poor guy was 20 metres from home but had to sign his name for 30 minutes before he was allowed in.

mobs of people in town of a friday night and i’ve become a country boy. crossing the road with cheek by jowl humanity i nearly came to grief on a piece of elevated kerbing. snakes, lizards and swooping wedge tails are easy but these hidden city obstacles are nasty LOL.

the tour is over.
the pro riders were serious this year.
seeing that peloton of 130 riders moving at 60+kph towards the finish line is impressive. they must generate a cyclone of wind and the riders at the rear would be swept along.

pepe said:

the tour is over.
the pro riders were serious this year.
seeing that peloton of 130 riders moving at 60+kph towards the finish line is impressive. they must generate a cyclone of wind and the riders at the rear would be swept along.

the draft is awesome…. great fun being in a pro peloton.