Cadel Evans was the last member of the BMC team to arrive in Adelaide for the start of the Tour Down Under, which officially kicks off on Sunday with the Cancer Council Helpline Classic (not counting towards the overall). The part of the team not racing in Australia is gearing up for a training camp in Santa Rosa, California.
Evans had a comparatively short journey to the start of the race, as he has spent his time in Australia since November. He enjoyed the training near his hometown, he said on his twitter account. "Last ride on the Great Ocean Road for eight months :o( .... won't miss all the broken glass though, neither will my Conti's!"
He arrived at the team's hotel Friday evening. "I am enormously pleased to be joining my new team," Evans said. Together with his new teammates, Evans wasted no time and went on a three-hour training ride Saturday morning.
George Hincapie was the only one to miss the spin. He opted to join his friend Lance Armstrong at a charity ride, which was attended by several thousand people. Hincapie rode in his US Champion jersey and a matching blue-white-red colored bike.
Evans watched a recap of the event later that day. "Watching Lance on the news.... I don't know if Premier Wran considered riding with LA would win him any more votes," he joked on his twitter account.
Evans also stated that later in the day they would be meeting with some of their equipment suppliers. "I think we're going to be VERY well equipped this year." Other "equipment" that race organizers will bring by later in the evening include kangaroos, koala bears and snakes - albeit more for good luck then to any race benefits for the riders.
Santa Rosa
The riders who aren't racing in the Tour Down Under are gathering in Santa Rosa for a camp to prepare for the season. The riders are scheduled to arrive Saturday for the 14-day long camp. It is also a chance for everyone to receive the new gear, which has already arrived in California. The clothing sponsor of the team is Hincapie sportswear, which is no surprise as George Hincapie rides for the team.
The 40 boxes filled with jerseys, shorts, gloves, socks and other things needed for training and early-season races are not the entire team's outfit, as another 40 boxes have been shipped to the team's Belgian address.
The riders can also look forward to the their new team bikes, SLC01s and racemaster SLX01s. Four mechanics under Chief Mechanic Ian Sherburne are already working overtime to set up the bikes according to the measurements taken earlier for every racer.