Stage 4 - Tour Downunder - Norwood to Strathalbyn

Stage 4 - Norwood to Strathalbyn 124km
Also the day of the Mutual Community Challenge ride

Today for something different we decided to go and watch a start of a Stage as we had done a couple of finishes and a hill climb and it has been a great week. So today we went to the start and watched everything at Norwood. The best part was that you walked beside the team line up so it was a great chance to see the riders all getting ready for the stage. I took a lot of pics (as you can imagine) and so this is some of the pics I really liked

I can only imagine what these two could be saying to each other. This is Andre Griepl from Omega Pharma Lotto and (not sure who), Paul Sherwen the commentator is in the background, there were a lot ofmedia doing interviews

Andre Griepl looks relaxed talking to the cycling fans

Womenscycling.net doing an interview with current Young Rider jersey wearer, Michael Matthews

Two Saxo Bank riders, discuss how to program the bike comuter/power meter...(Seriously one was explaining to the other how this particular meter worked....the downside of havig to use new "sponsored" gear all the time........TOUGH)

Giant Bikes belonging to Rabobank. No 43 is Michael Matthews who won stage 3!

Relaxed before the start. Dan Jones from media is filming Cav behind...



Mark Cavendish stil showing some signs of his fall from the two days earlier.......just patches on his head and his legs



Cav's war wounds from his stack.......HE actually finished last yesterday as he was suffering from his crash the previous day, but today is a new day and he has been patched up and is ready to ride

UNI SA - You can see Luke Durbridge wearing the red number signifying the Most Aggresive rider from the day before

The BIkes from the Uni SA team, they dont match or anything, much different to the big Protour team set ups......STILL GO BLOODY FAST THOUGH

Tough riders, patched up and ready to race, posing with the team masseur (probably the most popular person in the team by this stage)

CJ Farquarson, (award winning photographer) from Womenscycling.net is in a prime position to capture the start of the race

This Media bike looks like a comfy ride, there is a whole line up of motorbikes, official jobs, spare wheels, media, all lined up and ready to race!

The start of the race, Race is under control (see the red flag in the lead car), and until the red flag goes, they have to roll out of town behind the lead car.

Griepl starts the race with one of the "Shack" boys

The voice of cycling gets an armchair ride today!