Hey!
We've just had the Tour Downunder come through and finish stage two in
Hahndorf today. It's weird having a major bicycling event happen literally at
the end of our street.
Tour Downunder is the Australian equivalent of Tour de France. We had people
and cyclists from Spain, France, Belgium, Uzbekistan, New Zealand, etc. I've
never been to anything like this before. The coolest thing was that everyone
was cheering everyone. This has been the jolliest sporting event to which I
have ever been.
The police escort waved at everyone. Up until the last lap the bicyclists
would smile and wave. The fellow taking up the rear evidentally was the only
full-time employed cyclist (meaning he had a job as an accountant, rather
than practicing bicycling all day everyday). When the announcer mentioned
this, everyone went berserk clapping when he went by.
For two of the laps the police motorcycle escort came through town at a
somewhat leisurely pace. For the last lap they just whizzed by because the
bicyclists were peddling as fast as the motorcycle engines. Team Chocolade
Jacques from Belgium won today.
When they were handing out the jerseys at the end of today's race, they would
give the various winners a bouquet which they threw into the crowd. The
second fellow who threw the bouquet tossed it my direction. I stood there
staring at it going "Ohmigosh, it's coming straight for me." I held my hand
out to catch it and at the last minute pulled back. I have no idea why I did
that, but the woman behind me who caught it was screaming and laughing. I
don't think I would have been that ecstatic.
Here's some more details:
http://www.tourdownunder.com.au/
Andrew will post my photographs in the next day or two.
Toodles,
Katherine
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E-Mail:
muse@glasswings.com.au
BA (Hons), MFA, PhD
http://www.glasswings.com.au/
Nothing can withstand the powers of love, laughter and imagination
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