2008 Tales on Tour
Each day a Tales on Tour newsletter is published featuring all the "behind the scenes happenings" for that day. No-one is spared! At the end of the Tour a presentation is made to the person who has consistently out-performed all others in the "biggest gaffe" classification. The coveted Sheepish Award is awarded at the Tour Dinner on Saturday evening. Tales on Tour: Tuesday 4 November 2008 A little birdie told us that the stork has been visiting the cycling fraternity in the South. Cycle Surgery’s Team Manager, Glen Thomson, left the Tour yesterday in time to welcome a baby boy into the world. Congratulations to Glen and his partner Alice on the birth of their second child.
Lost on Friday; a set of Tour Manager keys. Bruce was a bit busy on Friday and lost is car keys and the keys to his office. Thank you to the kind person who found his car keys now he just needs the keys to his office! I’m sure there will be a reward offered – probably a drink at Te Anau.
Road workers are good under pressure! That’s their new slogan after today’s efforts at Edendale. A big thank you from Tour Management to the Delta staff who did an excellent job of cleaning up the road works in amongst a dust storm minutes before the riders hit Edendale.
The Eastern Southland leg was eventful today besides a couple of crashes, and road works scares at Edendale, the Tour Manager was seen running down the railway tracks towards a train at Mataura. It was noted that Pam seemed more perturbed that the train wouldn’t stop in time for the first bunch of riders, than the fact that Bruce was on the track running toward the train. The good folk at OnTrack had it all under control though and the train driver just wanted a closer look at the Tour.
Jon Bridges was observed in the Velodrome –prior to the commencement of the stage - recording the introduction for tonight’s television coverage on Sky. My informant reckons if he recorded it once – he recorded it more than a dozen times. Bit out of practice Jon? Jim (Dawson) now also knows the script off by heart and was impressed by the patience of the cameraman.
Tess VanDijk from the PowerNet Team support crew gets the courageous award for today. Tess was seen chasing a large dribbling and very growly bull-mastiff down Tweed Street. The dog appeared to have slipped its collar and was quite interested in joining the cyclists in the middle of the street which wouldn’t have been pretty!
A minutes silence was observed prior to the start of the stage today as a note of respect for John and Nancy McHugh from Winton’s Middle Pub. John and Nancy’s son-in-lay passed away unexpectedly on Sunday leaving a young family. Our condolences and thoughts are with the McHugh family – a long time supporter of the Tour of Southland.
Brent Cosgrove needs a ride back to Christchurch on Sunday. If anyone is returning on Sunday and is willing to give Brent a ride (he’s prepared to share driving) please give him a call on 027 27 36 811 (027 Brent 11). Thanks! Woodlands School wins today’s most enthusiastic school award. The students and teachers really got into the Tour grove complete with their own sound system to cheer the cyclists along! They had the music going, the flags waving and there might have even been the odd attempt at break-dancing! You go Woodlands!
Yes okay so the writer of this newsletter nearly caused the finish line to deflate today just as the first bunch came in outside Traffers Tavern in Hokonui Drive. I was only being helpful trying to plug something else in and hey I didn’t know that the plug that I was holding belonged to the rapidly deflating finish line thingy. Hmmm and then what’s more embarrassing - I dropped and temporarily dislodged (broke) Gordon MaCauley’s stage finish trophy - again just being helpful – which I promise will be fixed tonight. So if anyone wants help tomorrow just yell. Truly, only happy to lend a hand!
The PowerNet spot prize winner yesterday was No:100 Garth Cooper from the South West Helicopters Team. Today’s winner was No: 67 Chris O’Connor from Cycle Surgery.
Talking about Chris….we heard today that the Cycle Surgery rider breeds champion poodles and what’s more the lady who does the grooming for Chris’ prize poodles did a deal with him to complete not only the grooming of the poodles, but Chris’ grooming as well. Please contact Chris directly for the grooming specialists contact details.
Wednesday 5 November 2008 The weather was appalling and brutal. Please note to those Teams who wanted more demanding weather than was served up on Monday and Tuesday - you can stop praying to the weather gods now - thanks. Still the snowman on his bike at the Raymonds Gap hill made for some good footage.
The hardened Southlander supporter award goes to the mother and child (aged 4ish) who were standing waititng for the Tour to pass in-between Tuatapere and Colac Bay. They could hardly stand up in the wind but seemed quite cheerful. Thanks goes to Ailsa Tangney and Lynley "Chips" Hall from PowerNet who managed to find a PowerNet lip gloss to give the young enthusiastic cyclist as memento of the Tour. After his thoroughly disgusted look they explained that cyclists use lip gloss to keep thier lips moist and soft. So.....if in years to come we see in the Tour a young man with particularily shiny lips - this is where the myth started.
The Police motorcade got a lucky break yesterday as it was too cold for Lynley "Chips" Hall to ride on the motorbikes. Lynley was convinced that the motorcade riders were "Jon and Ponch" from the 80's hit show Chips who patrolled the highways in LA. Yes - Lynley doesn't get out of the office much.
The PowerNet spot prize winners today were: Stage 4 No: 114, Nick Atkinson, Energy Smart Team and Stage 5 No: 76 Nick Lovegrove, Hudson Gavin Martin Team.
Thursday 6 November 2008 Thankfully today dawned without hail, there was snow on the ground, but no hail. By the end of the day at the top of the Crown Range we were almost in t-shirts - well maybe that was just the Southlanders.
Did you know that a certain Tour Manager delighted in the size of the public conveniences at Frankton and even invited Tour Officials into the same for a meeting. Gosh that really is working closely together.
Congratulations to Lloyd and Lesley Smith who became the very proud grandparents of a lovely little girl yesterday. Congratulations also to the proud parents Mark and Annie, who have yet to name their daughter. In the interim Lloyd has affectionately named his granddaughter Dolly Dot.
Thanks to the company who were felling trees just before the Frankton Bridge. The company rang Bruce early in the day to check what time the Tour would be through so that they could ensure that the road was clear and swept of debris. Their courtesy was very much appreciated.
We only heard of one oops today - a certain Tour Official - who will not be named but who drives a maroon (that's purple in "man" language) Honda - locked his keys in his car when marshalling at a corner today. It only happens when you are kilometres from anywhere too!
Apparently Robin Reid of RaboBank has a secret admirer. A Tour Official was given fruitcake yesterday from a member of the public with specific instructions to deliver the cake to Robin at the end of the stage at Winton. RaboBank Team if you didn't get cake last night ask Robin to fess up about his secret admirer!
Chris Sutton from Avanti visited the Tour today. Avanti is a new sponsor who came on board this year to sponsor the CUE TV / Sky Television coverage. Cheers Chris and welcome. When asked what he thought of the Tour, Chris commented that he was "glad that I am not riding and I now know that my place in cycling is in a van and waiting at the finish". Yes many of us agree and I'm sure that thought might have crossed some of the cyclists' minds yesterday as they rode through Raymond's Gap in the hail and wind. Anyway Chris was pretty stoked to be on Tour to see the Subway Avanti Team win the Team Classification today.
It has been noticed that some cyclists are making quite a fashion statement with regard to thier glove choice. A Fulton Hogan rider modelled a striking shade of lime green washing up gloves with fluted edges yesterday (bet they were warm though) and a PowerNet rider today tried to better the "glove war" by wearing an arresting pair of oven gloves. They looked particularily good when it warmed up, waving from his pockets on his back. One wonders what tomorrow will bring.
The spot prize winner today was No: 103 Matt Douglas from the Southern Institute of Technology Team. Friday 7 November 2008 We had four seasons in one day today. It started off very cold and wet, progressed into sleet showers and wind and ended in sunshine in Te Anau. Congrats to Comm 4 "The Goose" who spent several minutes on the tour radio instead of his PA asking riders to move left to enable cars to move through. There is always one each year isn't there? Pam was "preparing" Dominique Rollin (Delmaine Team) to receive the Sprint Ace jersey prior to the presentations at Te Anau. Pam unzipped his team vest to find nothing underneath. They both looked at each other in horror and Pam pulled the zip up so quickly Dominique was nearly punched on the chin! Gosh Pam there have been quite a few requests from various sources asking how they can interview for your job after witnessing your "dressing" skills.
The PowerNet spot prize winner today was No: 93 Jonathon Atkinson, Riverside Rentals. Please note that the function for tomorrow night is completely sold out.
That's it for today so far - any further news pass it on! |
