It's January - It's the Tour Down Under

 Only for cycling enthusiasts

The 25th edition of the Tour Down Under came to Victor Harbor today. Stage 4 saw the riders start from Adelaide, head down the coast, then inland for a ways, then onto Encounter Bay - and the finish line in Victor. 

I watched the race on TV for the first couple of hours. 

Then collected friend Sandy and we set off to claim a good vantage point for when the riders arrived in Encounter Bay. We settled in as the crowds started to gather. I even had my cowbell ready to ring.

Everyone is getting excited - and then we spot the helicopter telling us the riders are nearly here.

And then the police bikes arrive, letting us know that the peleton will be coming on the right side of the road - that's the side we are on!!!!. 

And here come the first four riders, slightly ahead of the peleton. We're cheering madly as we get our first glimpse of them after they've ridden over 100kms already and still more to go.  

And then the peleton arrives a couple of minutes after. (We were later told that they were racing down the hill towards this roundabout at 104kph!) Check out the cameraman perched on the back of the bike.

They're getting closer.

Within two seconds they are upon us and whizzing by so close. Ringing a cowbell and trying to take a photo with a camera at the same time is not to be recommended. The first one isn't too bad. 

The others were taken in a blur of lycra and the whizzing of wheels as they shot by right in front of us.

It was easier to get the stragglers, a mere 20 seconds behind the others. 

And then it was bottoms all the way as they disappeared around the bend. 

I marvelled at the cameraman who not only has to aim, focus and take the photo, but he does this standing up on the fast-moving motor bike! 

We had a 45-minute or so break now as the riders rode into the countryside and up a steep hill in the Hindmarsh Tiers before wending their way back to the finish line at Victor. We chose to move to a different spot for our second glimpse of the riders, but away from the finish line as we knew it would be packed. A bagpiper made the time go a little quicker.

And finally, here they come.They are on the other side of the road from us now, and really strung out. But boy are they travelling - something my photo does not show. 

There's a break, then another smaller group goes past. This part of the road is not so crowded with spectators but the ones here are cheering and ringing their cowbells.

I get Sandy to ring her cowbell for an action shot.

And then I get my bottoms again. 

And finally, three weary riders. They'd ridden 157.2kms in just over 4 hours.

We picked up our belongings and headed for home. Another Tour done for us.

Change of plans

Post-Christmas, we have been wonderfully indolent. Lazy days reading, eating, chatting with friends, dozing. This weekend we felt it was time to do something more energetic. So Steve planned a trip that would take us north along the Fleurieu Peninsula coast to Blanche Point on the Gulf St Vincent where we would explore the beach and generally do a lot of walking.  Here's a glimpse of our destination, courtesy of David Shang photos.

Well ... we reckoned without the Tour Down Under women's cycling race. We arrived at Aldinga then went to turn further north to our destination only to be greeted by signs that said Event and Road Closed. Disappointed, we did what anyone else would do - we went over the road to the cafe and ordered coffee and cakes (hot chocolate for me). I have to say the orange and almond cake I had was the best ever! So all was not lost. We then explored the beach in front of the cafe. While not the golden sands we were expecting, the beach offered the chance for a bit of a stroll after our one-hour car trip.

Hmm. A change of plan was needed. We headed east to Wilunga, a lovely town we have often visited, not far from McLaren Vale. Settled in 1839, the town still has a goodly amount of buildings that evoke memories of days long gone.

I enjoyed strolling along popping into the shops that held some gorgeous items...

... and some quirky ones.

Captions read' Life is a cabernet' and 'Good things come to those who bake'. 

Next, I decided to concentrate on things I saw that give Wilunga its special character. 

A seat on the footpath embellished with broken pottery.

A 'sunny' spot.

A watchful owl.

Because the men's Tour Down Under cycling race was set to start in a day or so, there were lots of local cyclists about. 

I got quite excited when I spotted the international Ineos team clad in their distinctive orange gear, cycling up the hill with coach in tow. So excited, I forgot I had my camera. But Steve was ready when a rider from Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale rode by! 


And now for some nature: a gorgeous crepe myrtle, scarlet geraniums, and a photo that Steve took that I rather like.

So it was a lovely day out after all, although not quite as energetic as we had planned.