Tour Down Under

I returned home from Adelaide yesterday and it sure was a big eleven days following the Tour Down Under. In the eleven days that I was away I rode 909km, I thought this was a big effort. For me the most memorable part was meeting some of the best riders in the world. I was able to rub shoulders with people such as Adam Hansen (Lotto Belisol), Richie Port (Sky Pro Cycling), Jurgen Roelandts (Lotto Belisol), Marcel Seiberg (Lotto Belisol), Cadel Evans (BMC), Calvin Watson (Trek Factory Racing), Jens Voit (Trek Factory Racing), Marcel Kittle (Giant Shimano) and that is only naming a few.


Adam Hansen who went on to win the King of the Mountains classification is a Cairns boy as well and after going to the tour for four years now, he now knows who I am. When I arrived home at the airport yesterday, Adam was there as well because he was visiting his mum. I was sitting down waiting for mum as she had gone to get the car and as I turned around I noticed Adam walking over to me. He said good luck for the next year and he also said, "I might see you at the end of the year, maybe we can train together?" I was absolutely over the moon! It may not happen but it was the fact that he suggested training together. These words made my Tour Down Under.

I think it was a fantastic week and the amount of riding that I got in made it even better. It was my biggest year at the Tour Down Under and during that week I had a block of four days where I rode 479km. The whole week was really good and I'll be back down there next year to do it all again.

Me with Adam Hansen and Jurgen Roelandts.