More Tour Down Under

A keen fan!
O'Grady, followed by Hincapie and Armstrong.

Tour Down Under Stage 5

Yes, this is Australia, and yes, that's Lance on the right, and Budgie Smugglers on the left!

Tour Down Under Stage 3

Some photos from the start, in Unley, South Australia

Seen Lance up close (plus those other Astana legends Bruyneel and Yates) - mission accomplished!

That Bike - the 30 hr paint job, and it's nice!

About to start - click on image for big screen. Hard to believe this many people to see the START of a bike race in Australia.

Robbie and Lance roll by - best of buddies?

[Scoop] Dura Ace Di2 for TT bikes

A Rare Day

CCC - Race Report Feb 17,1999

Due to the volatile weather conditions coupled with the diluted number of

entrants due to the Australian Track Championships currently being held in

Perth, the Handicapper decided to combine the A & B grade fields. The

Criterium was raced under black skies and strong cold winds prevailed, after

rain fell earlier in the day and looked like dampening the evening

spectacle.

The combined race boasted 40 riders. Many of the B grade riders had a look

of determination and wry, nervous smiles since they were playing with the

big boys and would be delighted to upstage the A graders.

Gareth Paton took a flyer on the first lap and stayed there for two only to

never be seen again. A couple of laps later and the big gun himself, Matt

Hayman decided to show his visiting older brother (watching from the crowd)

what he was made of and launched a brave solo attack into the roaring E/SE

gale.

The bunch was working hard to try and reduce the deficit without success.

Meanwhile looking back through the bunch, the peloton resembled a pan of pop

corn, rudely spitting and popping riders out the back, off the side and all

over the road. The gaps were reminiscent of an ever decreasing gradient on

a topographical map and growing by the second.

By the ten minute mark the bunch would be reduced to 20, with virtually no B

graders left in the peloton. The frenetic pace continued, predominantly set

by the Catalyst team, meanwhile Matt Hayman was DRIVIN' with all the gusto

of a locomotive. What was taking five guys to do the work of on the front

of bunch was being belted out by one, and what's more he was pulling away

(reminiscent of Big Mig putting time into 22 chasing teams, while he single

handedly plundered his way through the Belgian Ardennes, the day before the

first time trial in the 1995 tour, with Johan Bruyneel in tow)

At the sixteen minute mark Dylan Cooper and Steve Blackburn took matters

into their own hands and moved clear of the main field in pursuit of Hayman,

although realistically he was so far clear it would take a tradgedy for

Hayman to be beaten.

The procession continued through the incessant winds and the threatening

clouds and the top three positions remained unchanged. The major changes

were being made in what was left of the main field which was now numbering

barely more than 10.

In the end it was Hayman who ran out a huge winner, by about half a lap

before the two up sprint between Blackburn & Cooper. The sprint was very

tight, almost a dead heat, though the judges awared the second place to

Blackburn. In the main sprint, it was the inspired Jeff Dau who took the

sprint from John Forrest.

Combined A/B Grade (40 starters)

1 Matt Hayman (Rabobank)

2 Steve Blackburn (Bike Shed)

3 Dylan Cooper (ACT AS)

4 Jeff Dau (Lonsdale)

5 John Forrest (Catalyst)

6 Denis Mungoven (Catalyst)

7 Brent Miller (ACT AS)

8 Gerry Elias (CBF)