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Oscar Friere won Stage Four of the Tour Down Under, and the GreenEDGE boys set up a possible onslaught on Willunga Hill tomorrow and possibly the Tour itself. My tip is still with Michael Matthews, the Australian and Rabobank young gun, just two seconds adrift.
However there was another just as significant event today on the rode to Tanundra. The Challenge Tour.
I travel each year down to Adelaide for the Tour, but just as importantly, for the community ride that takes place on one of the stages.
This year the Challenge was on Stage Four to Tanundra. 12 riders in our contingent enjoyed the well organised event; team names ranged from Shleck Sandwich (ours) to the thought provoking names such as Sons Of Bitumen, Blood Sweat and Gears, Skinny Lattes and a curiously named ‘1 minute 34’.
In a strong show of community support for the Tour more than 7000 riders took part.
Tour de France race director Christian Prudhomme is in Adelaide this week. saying bicycles are everywhere but not in professional cycling. Well they certainly were today.
Why would such a vast number of riders take on the relatively difficult 138 km? They ride for many reasons; some to support charitable causes such as cancer research or to support childhood diabetes, but most ride because we enjoy riding and enjoy the fitness and the camaraderie.
Others want to emulate in some way the Pro Tour riders, taking on a personal challenge to ride the course in similar conditions on the same day as the pros.
Without this level of interest there would not be as much support for the professional riders or the Pro Tours.
In turn the wave of support for our professionals leads to greater interest in community rides.
As Prudhomme puts it, “The crowds are smiling and it is very, very important.” They certainly were today.
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