Am I on track?

Am I on track?

Monday 10 November 2014

Cycling Australia TdF Team of the Century

To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first participation by an Australian in the Tour de France, Cycling Australia has come up with a great idea - the Australian Tour de France 'Team of the Century'.

Don Kirkham and Iddo Munro were the first ever Australians to participate in Le Tour, way back in 1814.  Since then a further 48 Australians have also been a part of the great race. There are some amazing names in amongst these elite 50 riders.

Cycling Australia have set a panel of experts the task of naming a 9-man Tour de France team from these 50 riders.  But to further complicate - they have split the team into 6 separate roles to be filled!!

So here is my Australian Tour de France Team of the Century, as per the criteria laid out by Cycling Australia.

Two General Classification riders

You cannot overlook our only Tour de France winner for this role - so my first pick is Cadel Evans.  As the second overall rider, legendary Australian cyclist Sir Hubert 'Oppy' Opperman, who raced twice in the late 1920's & early 1930's, would have to be in the team as well.

The great Oppy

Two Domestiques for the GC riders

This is possibly the hardest class of rider for me to pick.  I would lean towards Phil Anderson (who came 5th overall twice in the 1980's), along with Russell Mockridge (who raced in 1955, and was tragically killed before he could show off his huge potential).

Phil Anderson - so wrong but so right...!!

One Sprinter

This one is easy!! The greatest Australian Tour de France sprinter of all time has to be Robbie McEwen.  Twelve stage wins, and three green jersey classification victories, makes him the best choice for this role.

Cadel (l) and Robbie (r), after another Tour de France...

Two Leadout Men for the sprinter

Its somewhat ironic that Robbie McEwen is the sort of sprinter that really doesn't need any leadout men!  Nonetheless, he has the luxury of two domestiques to deliver him to the line.

Probably the best leadout man of the modern era is Mark Renshaw, so he is my first selection here.  The second selection is much harder, and there are probably half-a-dozen choices that could equally work - but I have to make a decision, and will go with Adam Hansen.

Adam Hansen climbing Alpe d'Huez, riding thru 'Dutch corner'...

One All-Rounder

A rider who can sneak stage wins in all-terrain. This is another easy choice from the modern generation of Australian cyclists - Simon Gerrans.  He can win stages in a sprint, or in all types of hilly terrain. A great wildcard in any team.

Gerro!!

One Team Captain

A rider who can galvanize the team, who can draw them together to achieve a goal. And a rider who can lead by example in the mountains and the sprint train. For me, this has to be Michael Rogers.

After watching the way he marshalled his team in the documentary "Chasing Legends" (back when Rogers was racing for HTC-HighRoad), I can't go passed him as a team captain. Just as an aside - if you haven't seen the film, do yourself a favour and get your hands on a copy!

'Dodger' leading the Tinkoff-Saxo train...

Reserves

OK, so this isn't technically a category!!  But there were two riders who I really wanted to pick but couldn't find room for.  The first was Bradley McGee - a cycling legend who could ride in the mountains and leadout the sprints, or be team captain.  I loved watching him race.

The second is Baden Cooke.  An incredibly aggressive sprinter, who 'stole' a fourth green jersey from Robbbie McEwen in 2003.

So that's my team: Evans, Opperman, Anderson, Mockridge, McEwen, Renshaw, Hansen, Gerrans, and Rogers.  Very arguable in almost all selections!! I'm looking forward to sitting around with friends and arguing my selections over a few beers...

Saturday 1 November 2014

The Plan - Phase 1

Its the first of November today, which also happens to be day 1 of 'The Plan'.  Its a long-term plan, with the goals I am working towards a good 14 months away - but you have to start somewhere...

The Overall Goal

What I want to do is get back to racing again. I really miss mixing it up on the bike in a speedy peloton. But what I don't want to do is to just jump back in and take up where I left off.

I've held a Cycling Australia racing licence for the last 10 years or so.  There is no getting around the fact that I have not been competitive in a race throughout that entire time.

Don't get me wrong - I have loved almost every minute of racing I've ever done. Whether I've been dropped in the first few minutes and ridden 95% of the race solo off the back, or wrung myself dry trying to just hold on and make it to the finish of a race, it has been a sensational experience and I wouldn't swap it for anything.

What I really want now though is to actually be someone who enters a race and is competitive. Someone who can mix it up near the front, and actually make some the racing. Someone who on the odd occasion even stands on the podium.  This would be a very new experience for me, and I want to make it happen.

So I've decided that the best way to be a competitive racer is (somewhat ironically) NOT to race in 2015...

The plan is to lay down a tonne of mileage and training time over the next 14 months, and focus exclusively on building myself up to be the best Masters racing cyclist I can be in 2016. Whether that's a competitive cyclist or not remains to be seen - but I'm going to give it my best shot and not die wondering!

Phase 1 begins

That brings up to Phase 1 of the plan, which covers the last 2 months of 2014 - November & December.  These two months are completely unstructured. It doesn't matter what sort of training or activities I do during this time.

What these two months are all about is time and consistency.  The plan is to log as many hours as I can, and to try and do something (no matter how brief) every day.

I can choose whatever activity I want, whatever I think I'll most enjoy on that particular day. It could be cycle-commuting, mountain-biking, a long road ride, running, swimming, weights in the gym, core strength work, or whatever else takes my fancy (or presents itself as an opportunity).

I have a rough goal of logging 50 hours of activity over the two months.  That isn't a hard & fast rule or anything, but just something to work towards...

Let's get to it!

I've already started, with a 1-hour run this morning around my local suburb.  I'm feeling excited, and looking forward to seeing how far I can take myself ability-wise over the next year or so.

I;m looking to sharing the journey with you all. See you out there!!

Friday 24 October 2014

C Grade Cyclist - v3.0

Three weeks ago, I had the last surgery relating to the shoulder I broke back in December last year.  I had the clavicle plate removed from my left side.  Last week, I had my final follow-up appointment at the Royal Brisbane Hospital.

So that's it! No more surgery, no more hospital visits, no more nothing!!  The surgeon advised me not to any heavy lifting or anything 'too strenuous' until the end of this month - but after that, I'm good to go...

Insert cliched "it's a new dawn!!" picture here...  ;-)

The overwhelming feeling I have is one of relief. It's nice to have all that over and done with.  And having gone through this twice now in the last few years, I really hope I don't have to do it ever again!

I have a lot of things whirling through my head now. So many goals, so many possible plans...  What to do?!

I've started drawing together a few ideas of how I'll train & race for the next 14 months (from November 2014 to the end of 2015).  I'm trying hard to make sure I don't over-reach, and keep them all achievable, measurable, and specific.

Not sure how its all gonna look yet. Tossing up between (a) diving back into the cycle-racing deep end, and (b) taking a year off racing to really train hard without pressure, build up a huge mileage base, and crosstrain with both running & triathlon.

Either way, there are plenty of pros and cons.  But I'll have it sorted shortly and start on the next phase of my 'cycling journey'...!!

A couple of things you can expect to see on the blog over the next few months:

I won a bike!! Yes, seriously!!  I was incredibly fortunate to win a brand spanking new Cell Akuna 1.1 from Cellbikes.com.au.  I've had it for a couple of months now, and you'll see a full review for it coming up soon.  But let me tell you this much now - it is probably the best value bike you can buy on this planet...!! I am loving it...  :-)

Intermittent fasting - I'm currently trialling an intermittent fasting protocol.  16 hours of fasting, from 3pm to 7am. I'm doing it 2-3 times each week, on non-consecutive days.  There aren't any particular goals I'm trying to achieve with this, just giving it a try to see what happens (if anything!). I'm about two week s along now, and will give a bit of a write up about it after a couple of months of sticking with it...

That's it for now! Looking forward to finally being able to train again with some sort of purpose. See you on the road...!!




Sunday 29 June 2014

Events 1/2014 & 2/2014: A run & a bike ride...

After a very long event-free 6-months, I pinned a number on twice this month! Certainly neither event could possibly even be considered a 'race' - but they were terrific participation events that were great fun to be a part of.

Event 1/2014 - City2South 14km run

Sunday 15th June was my first fair-dinkum running event in years. Can't even remember last time I entered one of these.

I had been training for 6 weeks (off a base of zero!) with a group called "Hill's Angels" - we were the self-proclaimed 'fat & unfit', and were using the City2South event as motivation to start some regular training again.

Runningwise, we had been guided by Paul Trevethan from RifRev. He had shown us the 'run/walk' technique, plus demonstrated plenty of technique skills & tips over the course of the 6-weeks.

As a quick aside - this was all done for free, and I'm incredibly grateful for the way Paul generously shared his knowledge.  There is a wealth of information on their website, including around 150 short 5min videos on all aspects of running. It is well worth checking out - its probably the best free running resource you'll find on the interwebs...

I set out on the day with a few goals. Firstly was to finish, secondly was to get under 100min, and thirdly (my superstretch goal) was to sneak under 90min.  I set myself up with a 2min run/1min walk strategy, which seems to be my current 'sweetspot' for my longer runs.

The short story is - it was a fantastic day!  Weather was perfect (cool & sunny), course was picturesque and a little testing, and I felt terrific.  I was able to stick to my race plan extremely well.  According to Strava, my pace slowed fractionally around the halfway mark (just as we entered the University of Qld grounds in St Lucia), which did correspond with how I felt at the time.  But I managed to pick up again in the last quarter and finish strongly.

Long socks are cool - just saying...

Most importantly - my finish time was 1hr:29min:28sec - I beat my 90min goal by the slimmest of margins! I was ecstatic, and it topped off the day nicely for me.

The evidence...!!

For those thinking about doing a running event - I can highly recommend the City2South. Incredibly well organised along a great course. I'm planning on making it a yearly event for me.

Event 2/2014 - MS Brissie to the Bay 50km bike ride

The next Sunday I was waking up early and pinning on a number again - but this time for a bike ride, much more my usual style...!!

This ride was about supporting my wife through her longest ride ever. She was attempting her first 50km, and so I was saddling up to escort her through the event.

It had been a very long time, probably almost 10 years, since I had done one of these big 'charity ride' type events.  I have to say it was much, much better than my memory of them - I was super-impressed by the organisation and how well they catered for and supported the riders.

The course was a 50km loop, starting from & finishing at Musgrave Park in South Brisbane, and hitting its halfway mark on the Wynnum foreshore. Most roads were 'open' during the event, but police had cordoned off and/or were supervising a few of the busier choke-points.

Again, this was a terrific day.  I had a great time cruising through the 50km on my mountain-bike with my wife, and we completed the course in just over 3 hours.  I would definitely do this event again, I had a great time.

What's next?

No idea!!  I'm still running regularly, and am starting to cycle-commute again too.  I'm keen to enter another running event - I'll probably have a crack at the 10km Bridge to Brisbane in September.  Plus I'll hit up another big community bike ride event too - maybe the Brisbane to Gold Coast 100km, or Robbie McEwen's Gran Fondo on the Gold Coast.  I'll see how my training goes...



Monday 9 June 2014

May 2014 Review

Where have I been, what have I been doing, what's going on...??  Questions which I'm sure have been for from your mind...  (ha!)  I've got some updates, but for now let's get back into 'normal programming' with a look at my numbers for May...

May Mileage:
Running - 92km
Cycling - 66km

Yes, I know - running!! Don't judge me...!!

There is a background story to this.  After wallowing around for 5-ish months, feeling sorry for myself and my sore shoulder, gaining weight, and generally feeling angry about being injured - an unexpected opportunity suddenly presented itself.

The Brisbane Times online news website, which sponsor the 14km City2South fun run, put forward an interesting proposal.  They wanted around 25 people who were unfit and overweight, who could commit to training for the City2South run, and would turn up at training every Wednesday morning before work.  And all this only 6 weeks out from the event!

I decided that this was the incentive I needed to kickstart myself back into a regular training routine.  I put forward an application, and was accepted by the leader of the group.  Now, I just had to remember how to run!!

Training has gone surprisingly well, and I've actually really enjoyed it so far.  Under the advice of Paul Trevethan from RIFREV Running (who has led some of our training sessions), we have engaged a run/walk strategy.  It has worked extremely well to-date, and I'm a convert to this method of starting off running.  No injuries so far, and I've been able to do some decent mileage.

At this stage, my long runs have been 2 minutes run/1 minute walk. This usually equates to around a 6min 30sec overall average pace (give or take).  On race day, I'm planning to push that a little and use a 3 minute run/1 minute walk strategy.

As I write this, the City2South is only a week away.  I'm feeling really good, have trained consistently, and am looking forward to the event. I have three goals for the event:
1. Finish!
2. Stretch goal - Finish the 14km in under 100 minutes
3. Super, highly unrealistic stretch goal - Finish the the 14km in under 90 minutes

What's next?

I've got the City2South 14km run in mid-June.  Plus I'm going to be riding with my wife in the Brissie to the Bay 50km bike ride a week later!  I'll just be cruising that on my mountain bike, helping my wife to get through her biggest bike ride to date.

From there - who knows? I'll see how the body is feeling, and look to set a few new goals to work towards...



Tuesday 11 February 2014

Product Review: Chia Pods (Mango)

Superfoods and surfing - what an awesome combination! No wonder I was powerless to resist when I saw the new ad on TV for Chia Pods being endorsed by surfing superstar Kelly Slater...!!

Buy whatever this man tells you to buy!!  ;-)

OK, well maybe I'm not that easily sucked in.  But the ad did enough to peak my interest.  I'm always interested in new things to try, and these new Chia Pods looked like they might be worth a swing past my local supermarket for a test run...

What is Chia?

Chia is a seed, and lays claim to being a superfood due to relatively high levels of Omega 3, fibre and protein compared to other plant-based foods. A quick google search shows its a huge favourite amongst health and diet personalities.

Does that mean its great and deserves its 'superfood' status? Well, I'm not a nutritionist, so you need to do your own research there.  But it does appear to at least be a nutritionally sound food that you could safely add to your diet.

What's a Chia Pod?

So onto the focus of this review!!  Chia Pods are a pre-prepared bowl of Chia seeds, mixed with coconut milk and (in my case) mango pulp for flavour.  When I ducked into my local supermarket, they also had banana flavour and vanilla bean flavour.

The Pods come as convenient single-serve bowls, and include a surprisingly sturdy orange spoon to eat it with.  Pop off the lid, and you are greeted with, well, I'm not sure how to describe it - so here's a picture:

Looks like, ummm, mango chia?

It looks a lot like a chia seed pudding.  The smell was definitely one of mango, but what made me happy was that its a very natural mango aroma - definitely not fake mango (which can be pretty distinctive!).

How does it taste?

More important than anything is the taste. Life's too short to suffer through inedible foods, no matter how good they are for you!  There are plenty of tasty and healthy snack options out there, so any new products need to hit the flavour mark.

The moment of truth... Incoming!

Let's get this out of the way first - I really, really liked the Chia Pod. Yummy, delicious, tasty. A double thumbs up from me!

Its a difficult texture to describe. It is definitely light, maybe a bit gel-like. Perhaps a little like tapioca, but in texture not taste.

The chia seeds themselves are very bland. They are one of those foods that are a great carrier of flavour without having any themselves.  So my mango-flavoured Chia Pod had a very pleasant, light mango taste. Very easy and enjoyable to eat.

Nutritional Info

For those that love their numbers - my mango Chia Pod had 149 calories.  This was made up of 9 grams of fat (including 3g of Omega 3 and 1g of Omega 6), 13g of carbs (including 11 g of sugar), 6g of fibre and 3g of protein.  A full analysis can be found here.

The Final Word

A small snack without too many calories that tastes great - all good.  But the best thing about this product is its incredibly simple ingredients list - chia seeds, coconut milk, and mango. That's it, nothing else. For me, that elevates it above many other 'convenience foods' that have added sugars, flavours and preservatives.

The only pressure point for this product is the price.  I paid $3.60 for my Chia Pod at my local Woolworths supermarket.  Not cheap, and possibly expensive depending on your budget.  If money is no object, then buying this is a very easy decision.  If you are on a tight budget - then use this as inspiration for buying bulk chia seeds and trying to 'make your own' at home!

The Final, Final Word!

Thumbs up!  Buy it and try it - you won't be disappointed.  Makes a fantastic mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack that is genuinely good for you.

Saturday 1 February 2014

A February Challenge... #everydayfeb

Its been almost two months since my criterium-racing accident, and so its been almost two months since I've done any meaningful exercise.  This simply won't do!

If I wait until I can actually get cycling properly again, a few months will have passed of inconsistent training and I won't have made any meaningful gains.  Common sense therefore dictates that I need to expand my repertoire to include other activities.

A challenge is born...

So for the month of February, in an effort to start getting back into an exercise and training mindset again, I'm setting myself a challenge - do some sort of exercise or physical activity every day for the month of February.

This activity really can be anything - cycling, running, power-walking, stretching, squats, planks, yoga, gym-work, long walks with the dogs, mountain-biking - pretty much anything that will have a positive effect on my body (and mind).

To keep myself honest and accountable, I'm going to tweet what I do each day with the hashtag #everydayfeb.  If I was smarter and wittier, I could think of something catchier. But I'm not, so I haven't...  If you think of something better, please don't tell me - it'll simply highlight my deficiencies in this regard...!!

Love love love this ad - it'll be my inspiration for #everydayfeb

Feeding the challenge...

As part of this month, I'm going to put some extra focus on clean, healthy eating.  I do eat pretty well normally - plenty of fruit and vegetables, lean meat a few days a week, not too much refined sugar or processed food - but I'll be aiming to raise it a notch and be a little more conscious of what I am eating.

I'm not going to be fanatical about it.  But I'll stick with my general principles and use this to support my #everydayfeb activity.

Baseline stats

I weighed in this morning at 84kg.  That's 3kg above what I was when I had the accident two months ago, and around 5kg more than I really want to be.  So I'll be aiming to slowly and gradually bring my weight back down to where I want it.

Let's go!

Feel free to join me.  Adjust and alter the challenge to include/exclude whatever you like, come up with your own goals and activities, and start the journey with me.  Best of luck, and let's see where this takes us...!!

Wednesday 29 January 2014

Diagnosis & Prognosis...

Its hard being a cyclist when you can't ride your bike.  Missing the beautiful summer months has been very difficult - both mentally and physically.  So what exactly was the injury that has kept me off the bike so long...??

Obviously, as previously posted, I came a gutser on the last lap of a criterium in early December.

The emergency doctors were a bit surprised at the amount of damage I'd done, and were saying that the injury was presenting more like a motorbike accident! I did point out that I'd been racing though, which probably accounted for some of that.

The main concern on the night of the injury was that my shoulder was, well, growing! It noticeably swelled, even while in Emergency.  The doctors were a little concerned, and so they kept me in overnight to make sure I was ok.

I went home the next day, with an appointment slip for surgery in my hand. They'd be plating the distal fracture in my left clavicle.

Surgery

Two weeks later, surgery day came along at Royal Brisbane Hospital (RBH).  I must have been pretty out of it during the consults in Emergency, as it was only now I discovered the extent of the injury.

I got wheeled into the pre-theatre waiting area, and one of the surgeons came out to see me for a chat:

Surgeon: So you understand the plan for today?
Me: Yep - plate up the collarbone...
Surgeon: Well, that's not entirely right...
Me: Uh, what??

So as it turns out, the broken clavicle was only of secondary, minor concern to the doctors.  The main issue (by far) was that I'd pretty much shredded some of my shoulder ligaments, which meant the bones had 'popped up' and needed to be drawn back into place.

To do this, they basically needed to use what they call 'tight-rope', wind it around the bones, and tighten them back up under tension.  The clavicle would only be plated if they could do this first, main part successfully.

I was caught a little off-guard by all this - but no point dwelling on it, the surgery needed to be done!  After a chat with the anaesthetists ("wow, another cyclist - I think every patient today is a cyclist...!!"), I was wheeled in, knocked out, and rebuilt...

Recovery

My only point of comparison was my first shoulder break a few years ago.  The recovery post-surgery this time - even though the injury and surgery was much more serious - has been appreciably better and quicker.  I had much more movement in my shoulder, and the pain (after the first few days) was much less.

I was on Endone (oxycodone) for the pain, but managed to ditch that after a week or so.  It was fantastic stuff, but I don't like using pain meds so was happy to be able to get off it relatively quickly.

Post-surgery follow-up

I headed back into the RBH at two weeks & six weeks post-op.  All the dressings and staples were removed at the two week mark, which was a relief to get done (and surprisingly painless too!).  Unfortunately, I was instructed to keep using my sling until the next visit.

At the second visit 4 weeks later, I had x-rays done. The surgeon was extremely happy with how the bones were healing, and with the free movement I had in the shoulder.  I was then handed over to the physio for a brief chat about some initial exercises to do for a couple of weeks - I needed to take it easy, particularly while the muscles were a bit wasted.

What's next?

Next steps now involve physiotherapy.  I do have another follow-up visit with the surgeon in a month or so, but that's more just a precautionary check-up to ensure nothing has gone wrong.

The physio (from the last post-op visit) has said I can start back on a stationary windtrainer again once we tick over into February. Although she did say that was only if I managed to not fall off that too...  ;-)

I'm not a huge fan of using trainers.  I have a magtrainer I bought second-hand when I was injured last time, but I only used it a few times.  Since then though, the Sufferfest videos have emerged - so I might buy a couple of those and give it another whirl...

I'm desperate to get back on the bike again, but am committed to making sure I follow the advice from the surgeons and physiotherapists to get the best long-term outcome.  But hopefully that will mean sooner rather than later!!








Monday 20 January 2014

Tour Down Under 2014 - preview & predictions

The Tour Down Under (TDU) is far from the most prestigious event on the international cycling calendar, despite its status as one of the top tier World Tour events.  But for Australian cycling fans, it is held dear as our own little Tour de France.

Being in the 'wrong hemisphere' means as cycling fans we are used to viewing the professionals while trying not to fall asleep on our couches. We have to try and not cheer too loudly either, as the rest of the house is fast asleep...

As a result, and due to its placement during the summer school holidays, the TDU is hugely popular here. Many fans make a pilgrimage to Adelaide, the capital of the state of South Australia, while others enjoy watching the racing with the sun still up.

The Race Itself

The TDU is a 6 stage race in South Australia.  That doesn't include the People's Choice Classic - a pre-race criterium held two days before stage 1 that all competitors participate in.

In recent years, the race has been a sprinters' paradise.  German powerhouse Andre Greipel has feasted on the many flat stages, racking up stage wins and plenty of World Tour points.  This year, however, the stages are little bumpier.  Certainly not mountainous - far from it - but enough to level the playing field a little and give the roulers a chance to win.

The Battles to Watch

Andre Greipel (Lotto-Belisol) vs Marcel Kittel (Giant-Shimano)

Two of the very best sprinters in the world, both hailing from Germany.  The result from the People's Choice Classic (Kittel first, Greipel second) shows that they came to Adelaide to win.  Will be fascinating to see who can dominate and take early season bragging rights.

Greipel & Kittel sprint to the line during the People's Choice Classic

Cadel Evans (BMC) vs Richie Porte (Sky)

Two Aussies at opposite ends of their careers - Cadel having achieved so much already, and Porte on the cusp of stepping up as a Grand Tour contender.  Both riders are targeting the Giro d'Italia this year, and the TDU provides us with a tasty entree to this battle.

In reality, neither are probably particularly worried about each other this week.  But as a spectator you can't help but feel that this race will be the first shot in a long 2014 battle between these two great competitors.

Caleb Ewan (UniSA) vs Public Expectation & Potential

Still a teenager, and set to join Orica-Greenedge late in season 2014, Ewan has bucketloads of potential.  Many are expecting, probably unfairly, that he'll be able to match the World Tour sprinters in Adelaide.

I'm a huge fan (already!) of Ewan, and am looking forward to seeing how he goes against the big boys.  But let's let the young fella enjoy the experience, rather than suffocating him with any more expectation...

Team Drapac vs The Race Organiser

Stepping up to the Pro-Continental level in 2014, Drapac Cycling Team have had a long running battle to win a spot (as a Continental team) in the TDU.  They have finally gotten their coveted spot, and will be looking to justify it with a showy performance over the 6-day event.

Who Will Win?

The obvious choice is Simon Gerrans (Orica-Greenedge), who showed with his strong win in the Australian Road Nationals last week that he is in terrific early season form.  He will be tested though by the likes of Cadel Evans and Richie Porte, who will be looking to rack up some early season victories to bolster their own confidence leading in to the northern hemisphere spring.

Was the Aussie Road Nationals podium a preview of the TDU podium?

For the other big names, like Frank Schleck (Trek), Robert Gesink (Belkin), and Jurgen Roelandts (amongst others) - well, we'll have to wait and see if they are treating the TDU as a week-long training camp, or as an early season target race.

Summary

Australia's chance to briefly be the focus of the world cycling community.  Home viewers can watch all stages live on the Nine Network's free-to-air digital channel 'Gem' - check your guide's for details.

Don't miss this chance to watch fantastic cycling at a civilised hour - I'll be glued to the set watching as much as I can. I'll be cheering loudly for Cadel for the overall, and young Caleb Ewan for a couple of confidence-boosting performances in the sprints.  Enjoy!!