Sky's the limit for Goss; Meyer just about makes it.

We sit here, hung over and tired, corrected. Goss didn't clinch the TDU overall victory after being beaten to the line for stage 6 by Sky's Ben Swift and Greg Henderson. This gave the title to Cameron Mayer by a 2 second margin, but Goss didn't finish off bare-backed, he still attained the sprinters jersey.

Congratulations to Cammy Meyer and his team for this first pro tour race victory of the season, and for also sacking Matt White for acting against team rules regarding sending riders to unapproved (by the team) doctors. The incident took place almost two years ago so we're not sure why it took so long for action to be taken now; we think there will be more to this story very soon.

The TDU produced Australian winners for each category with the greedy Meyer of Garmin getting both overall and young riders jerseys, Goss of HTC getting the sprinters points jersey and Luke Roberts of UNI SA taking the king of the mountains. Congratulations boys on giving us an exciting start to the season.


Special mentions to Cav for coming home last in the lanterne rougue position, no dummies were spat and he finished almost 34 minutes back. Maybe he only races for green jerseys? We don't think you'd like him when he's angry

Greipel didn't manage to retain his title, or even win a single stage. Were hoping here at Wagon towers he is just settling into his new team and his legs are still a bit rusty. Because if his sprinting form thus far is anything to go by, Cave still won't have much serious competition this season.

Tour Down Under Catch Up...Bring on Stage 6!

Stage 4: Camerom Mayer may, er, win the tour, having taken the stage 4 as the 6 man break away managed keep the peloton behind them to the line."It's a little bit of a shock I guess to pull off a stage in the Tour, it's obviously renowned for the sprinters. It's a shock to have the jersey, but I'm thrilled", said Mayer. We think having to wear such an abominate item of clothing would shock us too.

Stage 5: Well well well. Cavendish is occupying the Lanterne Rouge spot again and we can only assume it is so he can expend some saved energy helping Goss win the race tomorrow. Before the race, the Tour Down Under was described as being pancake flat and suitable for the sprinters. Has Cav been having more cavity work done this season, or is it just his legs still coming out of hibernation? Hopefully the latter. We'd better not write him off just yet, like people did last season. We have faith 2011 will be his best yet. Lets just hope he is successful and gets tested positive for something, like a sparkling personality. That would make Cav the complete package.

 

Going into tomorrows final stage, a 90km race; 20 laps of a 4.5mk circuit, the race is perfectly poised for a thrilling finish. The top 6 riders are seperated by only 18 seconds, but our money is on Matt Goss. With the lead out train of HTC then winning the stage, and the race looks highly likely, especially given the 10 second bonus for winning and the intermediate bonus sprints will be highly important too. But we look forward to seeing how it goes. Hopefully this race is a sign of things to come this year, the racing has been excellent so far. But we suspect cycling will feature in the news much more prominently due to off the road investigations. Thanks Jeff.

Stage 3 - Cav plays Chicken and Griepel cant stop griping

Greipel failed yet again to prove to anyone he can win a sprint in a relatively minor tour (let alone a monument) after being beaten to the line by Rabobanks' Mike Mathews. "I am just upset because I couldn't do my sprint like I wanted to." whinged Herr Gripes. We too would be upset if we wanted to win something and couldnt (due to others being better). 

Goss goes back into the leaders horrible tangerine jersey after lousy support couldn't even swap out a flatted back wheel forcing him onto his spare bike with 10km to go. He came home 3rd.

Somehow Cavendish was unfortunate enough to not only have to race whilst battered from yesterdays troubles hurting his neandethalesque body, but he had cars to dodge too. Upon being asked about his potentially lethal experience and if he had to deal with cars and trucks et al he mumbled "Quite a bit yeah, you know, more than you want in a professional race I think." He thinks. Does he really? We here at the 'wagon think that during a professional road race there should never ever ever ever ever ever ever be any none race traffic anywhere near these highly strung athletes. Ever. Especially Cavendish: What happens if he tried to outsprint a car, did a tour de Suisse and caused another horrific pile up. Innocent car drivers could have been killed! Still, it might be better news coverage than watching the current Landis/Armstrong/etc carnage almost engulfing the periphery of mainstream media at the moment.

Swift-ly does it, leaving Cav in stitches. Lance, again. Tour de San Luis.

Sky's young buck Ben Swift managed to avoid the final 3km carnage and out sprinted Radioshack's vet paceman/jester Mcewen to the line. Cavendish and Goss both went down, with Cav looking like he'd had a night on the tiles back in Douglas. Unfortunately for Greipel it seems both Goss and Cav will be fit enough to ride the remainder of the tour.

Good to see a strong finish from 'Wagon fave Romain Felliu. If there is any justice in the peloton his Vaconsoleil team leader Ricco-ck will crash arse first onto a bollard or fence post sustaining awfully debilitating but none life threatening injuries allowing Felliu or Hoogerlands to take the captains armband. Pleeeeease.

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It seems the inverted iceberg shaped pedastal of honesty and integrity Lance has been teetering on for a few years now might soon give way. Yet more allegations about to published in Sports Illustrated (we didn't realise they did more than swimsuit editions either) Here is a preview of a larger article to be published on Jan 24th, with more allegations of Armstrong using a Ferrari (not the cars) to go faster. Since Lance will have re-retired his ego and his legs, he should have plenty of time to come up with reasons or excuses to refute the claims made by all these other people. We here at the Broom Wagon just don't know what to make of the Armstrong saga. Is it really possible that the greatest TDF rider of all time was doped? Or was it possible he was clean? Both arguments are entirely plausible. Doping involves too many traceable elements, and we don't mean in pee, blood or hair. The doctors, the emails, phone calls, text messages, meetings, payments. Its surely all too easy to be sold out by anyone of the people involved, which leads us (and desperately wants) to believe Lance rode, and won clean. Though we should also say that if Lance is proven guilty of having doped, it will be the last straw before his fall from grace. We don't know Lance, and the closest we have been to him is about 3ft from him at the 2009 TDF Annecy time trial, but we suspect, like he proclaims, he won't be 'losing any sleep'. And neither will we.

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Why is it that whilst I look out of my window onto another severe frost, there are people getting paid to ride bikes in really lovely places. By lovely I mean warm. Like in the Tour Down Under, and also just across the South Pacific ocean the Tour de San Luis is underway. Whilst not a Pro Tour even we find its worth tracking as some pro tour teams are taking part: Liquigas, Ag2r and Movistar. Stage 1 was taken by Roberto Ferrari, no relation to the above mentioned Dr. we hope. Stage two featured a mountain top finish, that sounds rather exciting. What a shame its not on any media over here in the Shire.

Stage 1 to Gossy Gossy Gander and bye bye Roid.

When, will I, will I be famous? Matt Goss can answer that with his legs. Very soon. Four wins in two weeks now for Cav's teammate, but where was Greipel? 4 Seconds back. A looong time at a sprint finish. Goss shouldn't have too many worries about being cold during tomorrows stage, he'll be wearing at least 3 jerseys the greedy devil.

How about those new Euskaltel helmets then? Very snazzy. When viewed from above, which will be mostly never, they reminded us of something Munch might paint. Have to say during todays break away how old fashioned the Euskaltel bikes looked too. Shallow dish rims, skinny tubing. Like being back in the 80's.

Best hair in the peloton? Obviously goes to Matty Perget. Such lavish, luscious flowing locks. Aaaaah. Now Pellizotti's cut his mane off this is the bonce to watch we reckon.

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It seems Roid Landis has finally accepted he is hated by so many people that he can't find a job, and doesnt want to race anymore anyway. Boo hoo. His drug cheating was so bad he couldn't get into the now defunct pro-cycling rehab team that was Rock Racing. Bye bye.