Tour Down Under (2011) Photos Jan 16 - 23

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BMC Racing's Alessandro Ballan has let his hair grow out since the Giro d'Italia Route Presentation last October	Focus is the bike sponsor for Team Katusha	Someone should tell Saxo Bank's Richie Porte that he won't be fetching water bottles this year
QuickStep has added Francesco Chicchi and Gerald Ciolek to their sprinting prowess this year	Josè Garcia Acosta is now a Movistar	Many of the Movistar riders rode for Caisse d'Epargne last year
Omega Pharma-Lotto's new signing, Andre Griepel, will now have a chance to compete head-to-head with his former teammate Mark Cavendish	Griepel doesn't draw nearly the same level of attention as Cavendish. Maybe that will change this year.	Leopard-Trek's Stuart O'Grady looks like he's heading out for cyclocross training
Fellow Aussie and previous Tour Down Under winner, Michael Rogers, has switched to Team Sky this year	Katusha's national champs Serguei Ivanov and Aleksander Kuschynski	Mark Cavendish polishing his new helmet
Previous winners of the Tour Down Under posted on the steps of the Adelaide Hilton Hotel where all the teams return to each night during the event	Past world champs BMC's Alessandro Ballan and RadioShack's Lance Armstrong heading out	An absolutely gorgeous day for a summer ride in South Australia
BMC spending some quality time thinking about the upcoming season	Serguei Ivanov seems to enjoy having his picture taken	Same colors, but new uni for Lampre and its new co-sponsor ISD. Manuele Mori modeling the new team kit for 2011.
Garmin's Tyler Farrar is competing at his first Tour Down Under? The 2011 Garmin kit looks similar to Cervelo's kit last year and Team Sky's current kit.	Cavendish getting ready to roll for his training ride. Scroll down for press conference photos.	Radioshack's Johan Bruyneel probably talking about his dislike for the UCI radio ban rule
Cashing in on Lance's "Last Pro Ride"	Did you know U.S. and Aussie dollars are now worth the same?	Trek had its bikes on display at the Lance Armstrong press conference
Lance will lead RadioShack for the last time next week	Lance Armstrong press conference
Another angle on the press conference		HTC press conference. That's Kiwi Hayden Roulston in the nice New Zealand national champ's jersey
HTC's ride for this year	Mark Cavendish will most certainly be in the spotlight again next week	Cavendish press conference with team coach Kristy Scrymgeour who grew up in Australia
	Cavendish will once again have a strong team behind him ... or in front depending on how you look at it	Cavendish has a lot to smile about compared to this time last year

Stage 1:   Mawson Lakes → Angaston  Full Results and Report

Astana's Simon Clarke (AUS) and the rest of the break grabbing musettes in the feedzone	Just like the Cancer Council Classic finish on Sunday, RadioShack's Robbie McEwen came 3rd in the sprint finish.	New Zealand National Champ and HTC rider Hayden Roulston anxious to get rolling again after puncturing and waiting for neutral support
The sprint finish in Angaston	HTC's Matt Goss leading the way to the line again...	The Cancer Council Classic winner takes the first stage of this year's Tour Down Under
L-R: 3rd Robbie McEWEN (Radioshack), 1st Matt GOSS (HTC), 2nd Andre GREIPEL - (Omega Pharma-Lotto)	Everyone was looking to the world's best sprinter, Mark Cavendish, as the man to beat at this year's Tour Down Under, but it's now his teammate Matt Goss...	... who is now the focus of attention

Stage 2:  Tailem Bend → Mannum  Full Results and Report

A big crash developing behind the leaders with 100m to go during a mass sprint on a road that doesn't seem to be wide enough. There were also several other crashes in the final kms.	The final moment of the stage 2 sprint finish in Mannum ahead of the crash	Sky's Ben Swift (GBR) wins Stage 2 ahead of Robbie McEwen, right, who becomes the new race leader. Rabobank's Graeme Brown, left, was third. Don't confuse Omega Pharma-Lotto's Jurgen Roelandts crossing 5th for teammate Andre Greipel, who was involved in the crash.
The photo finish for second place won by Robbie McEwen	Team Sky also won two stages (Henderson and Sutton) at last year's Tour Down Under	Swift is a good name for a sprinter
Vacansoleil's Alberto Ongarato crossed with an extra wheel after the crash as Radioshack's Lance Armstrong looks on	HTC's Mark Cavendish was one of the crash victims during the mayhem in Mannum	HTC and event staff attending to their star
Third and second on the first two days moves Radioshack and Aussie Robbie McEwen into the Ochre Jersey

Stage 3:  Unley → Stirling  Full Results and Report

Radioshack's Robbie McEwen arriving for his first day in the Ochre Jersey; however, he would give it up at the end of the day	We haven't heard anything from Garmin-Cervelo's Tyler Farrar results wise so far, but he appears to be enjoying his first Tour Down Under nonetheless	New doping allegations never seriously faze Lance Armstrong
Mark Cavendish is still in the race despite a hard crash yesterday. He's hoping to recover over the next couple days and contest a finish before his first Tour Down Under is over.	A fisheye view of the start in Unley	Cruising along a narrow Australian road
The uphill finish in Stirling has been used before and this year's winner was young Michael Matthews of Rabobank. Another win for the Aussies. André Greipel (Ger) Omega Pharma-Lotto was 2nd and Matt Goss (Aus) HTC was third.	The reigning U23 road race champ from last October now has a Jayco stage win and his first ProTour win very early in the season.	Matt Goss is back in Ochre with a 2s overall lead on Andre Greipel and 4s on Robbie McEwen

Stage 4:  Norwood → Strathalbyn  Full Results and Report

Bjarne Riis forcing a smile at the start in Norwood. After most of his riders left to form Leopard-Trek and then the ill-timed signing of Alberto Contador to fill the void, Saxo Bank's director had a tough off-season.	Radioshack's Ben Hermans and Liquigas-Cannondale's Simone Ponzi were first to the top of Checkerhill early in the race before the main break got away	HTC failed to protect Matt Goss' precarious overall race lead today
The rest of the peloton cresting Checkerhill	One of the riders in the five man break, Rob Ruijgh (Vacansoleil), was caught before the finish, but it is wasn't from lack of effort	A rare break succeeds at the Tour Down Under. Cameron Meyer (Garmin-Cervelo) wins ahead of Thomas de Gendt (Vacansoleil). That's Laurens ten Dam (Rabobank) coming up the right for third. The rest of the peloton (blurry in the background) crossed 24s back.
All stage four winners thus far at this year's Tour Down Under are less than 25 years old. Cameron Meyer, aged 23, joins Goss (24), Swift (23), Matthews (20).	Another Aussie stage win...	... and the third Aussie to wear the Ochre Jersey. Cameron Meyer will take a 10s lead (healthy by Tour Down Under standards) into the Queen stage tomorrow.

Stage 5:   McLaren Vale → Willunga  Full Results and Report

HTC-Highroad's Mark Cavendish signing in at the stage 5 start in McLaren Vale	Cavendish and Sky's Geraint Thomas discussing their war wounds under the hot summer sun	Gorgeous scenery on a beautiful day; the peloton made two passes of Aldinga Beach early in the stage
The fans waiting on the big climb of the Tour Down Under, Willunga Hill	Euskaltel's trio of Miguel Minguez, Gorka Izaguirre and Ivan Velasco Murillo drove the pace the first time up Willunga Hill	No successful break today. A sprint finish coming at ya.
close-up	Movistar's Francisco VENTOSO (ESP) leading the charge to the line	It's either Francisco VENTOSO (ESP) - MOVISTAR or stage 3 winner Michael MATTHEWS (AUS) - RABOBANK. Lets go to the photo-finish photo...
Francisco VENTOSO wins by 6 inches. That's Matt Goss crossing third to move within 8s of the overall lead which belongs to Cameron Meyer	The 28 year old Spaniard breaks the string of young British (Commonwealth) winners at this year's Tour Down Under.	He's not a household name, but Francisco Ventoso is not uncustom to receiving the winner's kisses. His palmarès.

Stage 6:  Adelaide (Criterium)  Full Results and Report

Riders from Quick Step, Liquigas-Cannondale, Lampre-Isd, Vacansoleil-DCM, BMC gathering for a photo-op prior to the final stage on another beautiful day in South Australia	All eyes were on race leader Cameron Meyer as he signs in one last time	Lance Armstrong and the Radioshack pre-race meeting
Both Lance Armstrong and Mark Cavendish were the focus of attention prior to this year's Tour Down Under, but neither rider was a major factor when the racing started	The Ochre Jersey anxious to roll	After Garmin-Cervelo teammate Matt Wilson instigated the main break, Cameron Meyer bided his time in the peloton hoping that sprinter Matt Goss wouldn't gain the bonus seconds he needed to take back the race lead on the final day
HTC-Highroad bringing the race back together for a sprint finish and a possible win by Matt Goss	The sprint unfolding with 200m to go and Team Sky on the wheel of HTC's Mark Renshaw	Sky's Ben Swift takes the sprint finish ahead of teammate Greg Henderson. Matt Goss (left) lunged for what turned out to be third which wasn't good enough... he needed at least second place.
Team Sky saves the day for Garmin-Cervelo's Cameron Meyer by taking the 1st and 2nd place bonus seconds from Matt Goss	Announcer Paul Sherwen in the midst of the Sky/Swift post-race celebration	Across the street, the Orche Jersey and his brother were celebrating too
Ben Swift adds the final stage winner's hardware to that of his stage 2 win earlier in the week. Today's win also moved him onto the final podium for 3rd overall	Cameron Meyer is...	Your 2011 Tour Down Under winner... by just 2s the narrowest margin of victory ever at the TDU
Lance Armstrong had the final say, this being his final international professional race. His three appearances Down Under have been a boon for the race.