Apres Velo Blog

January is the most exciting month in Adelaide because it's the month when the boys and their bikes arrive.
Everyday the excitement builds as the teams arrive through Adelaide airport !
About 7 days before The Tour begins, I start carrying my camera everywhere I go - just in case I see a team out & about on their training rides. The Cancer Council Classic - The excitement is almost at boiling point. I can't even sleep the night before it starts !
The morning of the classic, we packed our standard TDU kit (that we have carried with us, us being Dad and I since about 2007)
"The Backpack" contains water supply to survive long walks in the dry Adelaide heat, the programme, which starts off very clean and flat and ends up doggy eared and drawn on. And finally the most important thing - stuff to get signed !
In the morning, my Dad raced in his veteran race and was on the front every lap & got 4th (cut off by C grade).
After his race we got to Cancer Council Classic quite early, to get a good seat ! The first voice I heard over the sound system was none other than my absolute favourite rider - Robbie McEwen. Though admittedly and little grumpy he is a very talented bike rider.
Just like every year, the 1st lap is AMAZING! I love the wind as they wizz past, at what seems like 100km/h and every year I forgot not to stand so close ! The sky team didvery well at this Classic, winning their 1st pro tour event at their debut.
Stage One - The only time of year I don't mind getting up at ungodly hours is Christmas and The Tour Down Under.
Stage One was no different, Dad and I were up at what people his age call ' a sparrow fart' which still perplexes me alittle.
We drove to Clare, which was a strange place to hold the offical start but I thought that would definately mean less people...Boy ! was I wrong. That would have to be the most people that have EVER been in Clare at one time. Huge amounts of people swarmed around Lance Armstrong while he sat in a van with the door closed and the windows up(?). Strangely there was no one around our home grown champ - Cadel Evans, Dad & I waited by his WORLD CHAMPION bike for him to come over. I had, in my hot little hands, a 1980 collectors world champion cap for him to sign (Dad always sent me to get things signed because he figures I have more chance of getting it than he does). Cadel came over, signed my hat, I was so nervous I barely spoke and I had a photo with him (Dad was very jealous) !!! After the start, Dad and I took off and tried to beat them to the feed zone. We just made it (after walking about 4kms)!
We watched as they went past (got hit with a drink bottle) and we collected a team Sky feed bag which Dad was very proud of.
We, after walking 4kms back to the car, took off again, while trying to find the commentation on the radio, we also were tryingto beat them to the finish line and we made it with plenty of time to spare.
There was, again, thousands upon thousands of people at the finish, and being from little ol' Adelaide, I'm not used to that many people. The Jolly German Machine, Andre Griepel, won this event with no trouble and as much as I love my Aussie riders, you just can't go past someone like Griepel. (other stages to come soon) !!!