For the first time ever since he was first hosted in 1999, the Tour Down Under has become part of the ProTour calendar, as a new event outside Europe (that never happened yet). The race's route is quite the same as last year's, with an extra stage (up to a total of 6) and the traditional flat "parcours" towards the Willunga Hill on the penultimate day (January 26th).
To be on the level such a race requests, we're sending a quite powerful team as Thomas Dekker will make his debut (58). Graeme Brown (65) and Tom Leezer (64) will be aiming to get good spots within the best 10 sprinters of the race, while Will Walker (64) will be our main contender for the GC. The team is completed by: Michiel Elijzen (56), Matthew Hayman (58, with no spot of his chute at the Aussie champs), Dimitri Kozontchuk (51) and Gerben Löwik (65).
(22/01) Tour Down Under - Stage 1: Mawson Lakes > Angaston
No place for foreigners: Brown stands on "grown land"
Considering the amount of top sprinters who came to South Australia to take part on ProTour's first round, none would have expected an Aussie to win, even when Robbie NcEwen declined to take part on the race for the first time since its foundation. Nevertheless, Rabobank's Graeme Brown made the day of all spectators at the final straight on Angaston by outsprinting - not without any suspense - Erik Zabel (Team Milram) and Tom Boonen (Quick·Step) to claim his first win of the season and take the leadership of the 2008 Tour Down Under.
Brown's win was the result of a huge team strategy over the entire stage. Netherlands's Gerben Löwik was Graeme's "bodyguard" for the first half of the stage, where a KOM climb plus loads of uphill and downhill slopes could break the rhythm on weaker sprinters' legs. Plus, young leadout man Tom Leezer did an amazing work to put the Australian into the right way to the victory. Brown came early from Aaron Kemps and Erik Zabel, while Boonen and Italy's Daniele Bennati (Liquigas) came too late to overcome the home rider.
A poor Nvidia GeForce 7300 GT, taken almost free on a computer shop I found by chance at Madrid's downtown a couple of weeks ago. Probably not the best one, but CHEEEEAP (20 €).
@ Addy: Thx a lot; don't worry on your post's situation, I had to re-post the 5th issue to correct some errors-
A poor Nvidia GeForce 7300 GT, taken almost free on a computer shop I found by chance at Madrid's downtown a couple of weeks ago. Probably not the best one, but CHEEEEAP (20 €).
@ Addy: Thx a lot; don't worry on your post's situation, I had to re-post the 5th issue to correct some errors-
And still nice, nice!
Ojee, screenshot i meen screenshots.
On the story: you didn't mis the season start. Keep it up!
You have got to give this guy credit because he is actually on hard unlike the other noobs who are on easy/normal where yo can ride off the front on 10% effort! I salute you sir!
(23/01) Tour Down Under - Stage 2: Stirling > Hahndorf
Stuart O'Grady sneaks it away on the tables; Brown remains on the lead
A heat wave, which is making his way through the South Australia region during the start of the summer at the Southern hemisphere, might seem to be affecting Graeme Brown's sense. The leading sprinter of the Rabobank squad thought he had won the second stage into the little village of Hahndorf, but, surprisingly, national champion Stuart O'Grady took it from his hands to grant his first victory in yellow-green colours for the 2008 season. Brown will remain on the first place in the 2008 Tour Down Under though.
Graeme's lose against his countryman might perfectly seem a lack of attention towards the contest on the sprint. The Aussie rider from Rabobank did not think so; "I was being clearly the strongest and, when I saw the 300-meter barrier at the side of the road and none trying to overcome from any sides, I thought it was done. I simply didn't expect that last strike from Stuart [O'Grady]", Brown told to the media while waiting for his turn on the podium ceremony to come.
Previously, the peloton showed no interesting for any fight before the sprint, probably because of the hot temperatures reigning over South Oz all over the day. An early break featuring leader's teammate Gerben Löwik (Rabobank), local star Chris Sutton (Slipstream - Chipotle) and Martin Müller (Team Milram) gained some gap over the peloton, mainly controlled by the Lampre and Quick·Step squads. Saronni's riders appeared to be working for Alessandro Ballan, even though last year's winner of the Ronde van Vlaanderen wasn't a real sprinter.
After a late attempt by Dutch youngster Thomas Dekker (Rabobank), cracked down shortly after the attack at the 10km mark, the peloton messed up in order to guarantee a confusing sprint, with several rush slipstreams going over the final straight at Hahndorf. Tom Leezer did again a great job for his leader, but Brown could not succeed on the way he did the day before. Another chance will come for everyone tomorrow, on a new opportunity for the fastest men.
Wait, because you celebrated, O'Grady didn't celebrate?
If that does happen on purpose , it's pretty cool
The preceding post is ISSO 9001 certified
"I love him, I think he's great. He's transformed the sport in so many ways. Every person in cycling has benefitted from Lance Armstrong, perhaps not financially but in some sense" - Bradley Wiggins on Lance Armstrong
Just wondering how far out you can sprint from on the new pcm as it looks like it is 1.5-2km out tat makes it alot closer unlike 3km out where you cannot overtake the computer on hard unless you have alot better sprinter or similar stats.
Smitho wrote:
Just wondering how far out you can sprint from on the new pcm as it looks like it is 1.5-2km out tat makes it alot closer unlike 3km out where you cannot overtake the computer on hard unless you have alot better sprinter or similar stats.
it's just like the previous PCM: you can sprint from any place, but if you "just go", you're out in the wind and probably won't win
The preceding post is ISSO 9001 certified
"I love him, I think he's great. He's transformed the sport in so many ways. Every person in cycling has benefitted from Lance Armstrong, perhaps not financially but in some sense" - Bradley Wiggins on Lance Armstrong
(24/01) Tour Down Under - Stage 3: Unley > Victor Harbor
Nervousness shakes the peloton; Rabobank wins again
A last bump of wind made Dutch neo-pro Tom Leezer reach his first win as a ProTour rider as he took the victory on a thrilling stage, the third on the 2008 Tour Down Under. The 23-year sprinter came through a bunch of Milram riders, led by former Alessandro Petacchi's launcher Marco Velo, to triumph on the flat portion between Unley and Victor Harbor. Graeme Brown came into the 40-man group on the lead to keep the yellow jersey. No time gaps were taken into account for a second, 60-man group, a minute behind the leaders at the finish, and thus the general classification may not vary apart from the bonification seconds.
Leezer explained, in perfect English-speaking, how much the wind did affect on the stage's outcome: "At the start of the stage, Sánchez told us to mind the gaps on the group and not to leave any of our teammates to get stucked on the back, since the wind was being really gusty from the start. After Hammond was finally chased, I could see, just a couple of meters behind me, how [David] Millar and [Domi]Nique Rollin were falling and making a second group to get formed. Fortunately, we missed that crash and I could lead Graeme to sprint, he somehow could not follow me though, so I went for myself and got the win after the Milrams had to go to the right side when the wind hitted us," Leezer said.
