http://www.thepunch.com.au/tags/cycling/ Politics, political opinion, world news, sports news and the latest news and views updated live, daily on The Punch - Australia's best conversation. en Copyright 2012 The Punch penberthyd@newsltd.com.au penberthyd@newsltd.com.au Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Politics, opinion, world news, sports news, latest news, views, Barack Obama, Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard, Nathan Rees, Malcolm Turnbull, Peter Garrett, Barnaby Joyce, Australian, federal politics, opinion polls, election, The Punch, thepunch, punch ExpressionEngine 1.6.7 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 15 http://www.thepunch.com.au/images/punch-logo-rss.png http://www.thepunch.com.au/ 144 70 Politics, political opinion, world news, sports news and the latest news and views updated live, daily on The Punch - Australia's best conversation. Search The Punch keywords http://www.thepunch.com.au/search/ http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/a-sprinter-who-was-never-just-part-of-the-peleton/ The professional career of one of Australia’s greatest cyclists, Robbie McEwen, will come to an end this Sunday afternoon in down town Los Angeles. For the 39 year old Queenslander, stage 8 of the Tour of California will be his last professional race. When McEwen climbs off his bike after a major race for the last time, he brings to an end the palmeres of one our most illustrious riders. While McEwen’s race marks the end of an era, another one is starting half way across the world in Italy. There his team-mates on the Orica Green Edge team are competing in the Giro d’Italia, the first Australian team to ever contest one of the three Grand Tours. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/a-sprinter-who-was-never-just-part-of-the-peleton/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/a-sprinter-who-was-never-just-part-of-the-peleton/#item8530 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 The combined hatred of 4000 cyclists is raining down on one particular cyclist-hating vehicle. The car’s occupants are alleged to have hit the streets beating up Sydney cyclists and chucking batteries at them. But vigilantes online are hunting them down, as news.com.au reports. It’s Tuesday. What’s on your mind? http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/punch-on-open-thread-27-03-2012/ The combined hatred of 4000 cyclists is raining down on one particular cyclist-hating vehicle. The car’s occupants are alleged to have hit the streets beating up Sydney cyclists and chucking batteries at them. But vigilantes online are hunting them down, as news.com.au reports. It’s Tuesday. What’s on your mind? penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/punch-on-open-thread-27-03-2012/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/punch-on-open-thread-27-03-2012/#item8101 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 The combined hatred of 4000 cyclists is raining down on one particular cyclist-hating vehicle. The car’s occupants are alleged to have hit the streets beating up Sydney cyclists and chucking batteries at them. But vigilantes online are hunting them down, as news.com.au reports. It’s Tuesday. What’s on your mind? http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/other-stuff-to-be-angry-about-today-with-chorizo-pic/ That dopey Spaniard. Three-time Tour de France winner Alberto Contador has been banned for two years, and is now officially just a two-time Tour de France winner, after copping a two year ban for drug use. Contador was overnight stripped of his 2010 Tour win by the Court of Arbitration for Sport for testing positive to the banned anabolic agent clenbuterol. The Spaniard says he ingested the substance by eating contaminated steak. Sure he did. The Punch has dined on more than occasion at a delightful tapas bar near our office and we can say with some confidence that both the chorizo and the steak was steroid free. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/other-stuff-to-be-angry-about-today-with-chorizo-pic/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/other-stuff-to-be-angry-about-today-with-chorizo-pic/#item7699 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 The combined hatred of 4000 cyclists is raining down on one particular cyclist-hating vehicle. The car’s occupants are alleged to have hit the streets beating up Sydney cyclists and chucking batteries at them. But vigilantes online are hunting them down, as news.com.au reports. It’s Tuesday. What’s on your mind? http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Warneys-not-the-only-one-who-needs-a-road-refresher/ This is not your typical rant of a cyclist against senseless, inconsiderate drivers or a driver against arrogant, lycra-clad cyclists. But don’t worry, you’ll get your chance to rant at the end. I find myself in a unique position. I cycled a lot – for many years while I was an Olympic rower then a few as a competitive cyclist. I ended up winning the 2009 Tour of New Zealand, then I became the National Time Trial Champion a year later. But due to a head injury I sustained through a fall at a cycling race at last year’s Tour Down Under, I no longer cycle. And I had to surrender my car licence. I’ve recently been through the medical and practical driving test and have got it back after nine months of not driving. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Warneys-not-the-only-one-who-needs-a-road-refresher/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Warneys-not-the-only-one-who-needs-a-road-refresher/#item7557 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 The combined hatred of 4000 cyclists is raining down on one particular cyclist-hating vehicle. The car’s occupants are alleged to have hit the streets beating up Sydney cyclists and chucking batteries at them. But vigilantes online are hunting them down, as news.com.au reports. It’s Tuesday. What’s on your mind? http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/cycling-through-history-to-the-tour-down-under/ Road cycling has been growing in popularity for the past few decades. This week’s Tour Down Under in South Australia is expected to attract hundreds of thousands of people to roadside vantage points throughout the state to watch some of the best riders on the globe contest the opening event of the 2012 World Tour. Yet for the first few decades of competitive cycling, the track was the Mecca for large crowds of cycling fans. Beginning in Europe, but spreading quickly to the United States, Australia and elsewhere, the close action on the steeply banked velodromes captured the imagination of the public. Throughout the first three decades of last century, cycling tracks were built in major cities. In the US, track cycling became one of the most popular sports in the nation. As in Europe, sporting stars and celebrities of the era were regular faces in the stands. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/cycling-through-history-to-the-tour-down-under/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/cycling-through-history-to-the-tour-down-under/#item7528 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 The combined hatred of 4000 cyclists is raining down on one particular cyclist-hating vehicle. The car’s occupants are alleged to have hit the streets beating up Sydney cyclists and chucking batteries at them. But vigilantes online are hunting them down, as news.com.au reports. It’s Tuesday. What’s on your mind? http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/a-new-true-blue-crew-of-aussie-champs/ It is one of the most anticipated events in Australian cycling. For decades, cyclists, coaches and supporters have dreamt of having a national team at the Tour de France and the other great European races. Now, 98 years after Don Kirkham and Snowy Munro became the first Aussies – and the first non-Europeans – to ride in the Tour de France, an Australian team will join the professional peleton. The first appearance of the Green Edge team this weekend at the Bay Criterium series in Victoria had been eagerly awaited for months. Although the Bay Crits are a warm-up series for the Australian Road Championships this week at Mt Buninyong, and the first of the World Tour races, the Santos Tour Down Under the following week in Adelaide, they have attracted the cream of the nation’s cyclists for two decades. As the first races for the summer season, it is fitting that the Green Edge riders are participating in the keenly contested circuit races at Geelong, Port Arlington and Williamstown. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/a-new-true-blue-crew-of-aussie-champs/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/a-new-true-blue-crew-of-aussie-champs/#item7461 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 The combined hatred of 4000 cyclists is raining down on one particular cyclist-hating vehicle. The car’s occupants are alleged to have hit the streets beating up Sydney cyclists and chucking batteries at them. But vigilantes online are hunting them down, as news.com.au reports. It’s Tuesday. What’s on your mind? http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/biggest-moments-of-2011-5-pedal-cadel-pedal/ What happened Cleanskin Australian cyclist Cadel Evans had finished runner-up in both the 2007 and ’08 versions of the Tour de France. After a disappointing 26th in 2010, his hopes of ever winning the thing looked cooked. But the 34-year-old Victorian, who was born in the NT, finally tasted champagne and glory on the Champs Elysees on July 24, 2011. Australians have been tuning in to SBS’s Tour coverage in increasing numbers in recent years, if only to watch glimpses of the French countryside flashing by while drooling over Gabriel Gaté’s delectable dishes. This year we watched not just as interested onlookers but as fans. As mad barrackers for a gritty little Aussie giving it his all, in an event which is truly one of the grand fromages of world sport. It was a ratings bonanza for the “Soccer, Boobs and Soccer” network, with over five million watching in total and a whopping metro share audience of 32.6 per cent on the final stage. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/biggest-moments-of-2011-5-pedal-cadel-pedal/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/biggest-moments-of-2011-5-pedal-cadel-pedal/#item7396 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 The combined hatred of 4000 cyclists is raining down on one particular cyclist-hating vehicle. The car’s occupants are alleged to have hit the streets beating up Sydney cyclists and chucking batteries at them. But vigilantes online are hunting them down, as news.com.au reports. It’s Tuesday. What’s on your mind? http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/australian-cycling-has-a-rich-and-exciting-history/ The Herald-Sun Tour is Australia’s oldest cycling stage race. As a child, I recall watching the Tour riders travel through the small country town of Rosedale in Gippsland where I grew-up. Sometimes there would be an intermediate sprint in the town. On other occasions we would watch the riders racing up the ridge adjoining our property. The Tour marked the revival of competitive cycling after the Second World War. For the first half of last century, track racing and one-day endurance events dominated the cycling calendar. Track racing was extremely popular, as thousands of people flocked to the wooden velodromes to witness closely fought races. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/australian-cycling-has-a-rich-and-exciting-history/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/australian-cycling-has-a-rich-and-exciting-history/#item6924 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 The combined hatred of 4000 cyclists is raining down on one particular cyclist-hating vehicle. The car’s occupants are alleged to have hit the streets beating up Sydney cyclists and chucking batteries at them. But vigilantes online are hunting them down, as news.com.au reports. It’s Tuesday. What’s on your mind? http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/cycling-in-aussie-cities-needs-some-swiss-velocity/ I’m cycling on a side street crossing a major suburban arterial road in Adelaide. At the intersection, I scan left and the traffic is banked up from traffic lights 300 metres away. To my right is a sizeable gap. Off I go. A shiny 4WD accelerates towards me, closing the gap faster than I thought possible, but nowhere near fast enough for panic. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/cycling-in-aussie-cities-needs-some-swiss-velocity/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/cycling-in-aussie-cities-needs-some-swiss-velocity/#item6576 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 The combined hatred of 4000 cyclists is raining down on one particular cyclist-hating vehicle. The car’s occupants are alleged to have hit the streets beating up Sydney cyclists and chucking batteries at them. But vigilantes online are hunting them down, as news.com.au reports. It’s Tuesday. What’s on your mind? http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/let-sport-have-its-moment-in-the-sun/ There has been some debate over the last few days regarding how excited we should be that Cadel Evans won a bike race. First things first… can’t we just enjoy the moment and soak up the celebrations before these arguments kick off? His celebratory champagne had barely stopped fizzing before our collective joy was being rained upon. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/let-sport-have-its-moment-in-the-sun/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/let-sport-have-its-moment-in-the-sun/#item6391 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 The combined hatred of 4000 cyclists is raining down on one particular cyclist-hating vehicle. The car’s occupants are alleged to have hit the streets beating up Sydney cyclists and chucking batteries at them. But vigilantes online are hunting them down, as news.com.au reports. It’s Tuesday. What’s on your mind?