People's Choice Classic

Warning: this post contains pictures of cycling - lots of it. I make no apologies for that at all, but just so you know...

Waiting for the start in a somewhat silly (but free) Skoda sunhat

The 51km People's Choice Classic is the forerunner to the Tour Down Under. From the gun (do they start the bike race with a gun?) Jens Voigt (Team Radioshack Leopard Trek) and Damien Howson (UniSA Australia) were off. They raced round at the front for several of the 30 laps of the 1.7km circuit.

Jens Voigt said he didn't contest any of the sprint points to give the young local rider his due. He also made some quip about just wanting to prove that he still had the legs, even if he was racing against someone half his age.

Damien Howson

Jens Voigt

The Team Sky boys seemed to be having fun - laughing and joking and not taking it all that seriously.

Edvald Boasson Hagen

Ian Stannard - my new favourite rider

The Sky Train from behind

It got pretty busy in the peleton.

After it was all over, we walked back through town and saw the cyclists pedalling past and, of course, stopping at the red lights, where it seems they were given helpful advice by passing pedestrians.