Tyler Farrar borrows fan's shoes and bike to finish Tour Down Under stage

My nephew is a Cat A racer in Adelaide, and is always picking up incredible bikes for a fraction of the price we'd pay in the UK. He says it's because the local Mamils spend up big, get bored, and then buy the next new thing. The overall market is smaller so these near new top spec bikes go for a pittance. He has a hugely enviable stable of bikes as a result....

When I was down there last year his local high street had an ultra-high-end Mamil bike shop, and a low-end shop selling basic kid's bikes and low-end first bikes. Nothing in between, and seemingly nothing made locally, bar a few very new custom builders. There's a very active club riding scene because of the Adelaide Hills which are right behind the city and abound with 400-500m climbs and descents.

The bike is a De Rosa Protos, with a discreet paint finish, is made in Italy, can be made to custom geometry spec and is the same frame the Nippo Fantini team ride on. I noticed a picture with Farrar off the bike afterwards and almost admiring it, it is reputed to be the stiffest frame on the market. I wonder what his Cervelo felt like afterwards.

Aside from the mess over wheels and bike rules why haven't the UCI banned that haircut yet?  Reminds me of the question - 'How you you fit a man's ponytail under a helmet?' 'Easy. Cut it off.' 

I didn't fight in two world wars to have to watch long haired hippies - some with silly beards and vulgar tattoos - riding in the pro peleton. 

No wonder Tyler's so accident prone. Maybe he can't see where he's going. 

Please please please stop these autoplay video ads. Brutal.

Australians and New Zealanders (particularly the former) get a lot of grief here for their attitudes towards cycling but in my experience to a man they are all proper nice guys/girls (unless you confuse an Aussie for a Kiwi or vice-versa). Way to represent the antipodes, mates.

Also, that seems like a DeRosa King XS, right? Just above the UCI weight limit, then. Would've been fun if it was a bit below it.

Double post

Bet he wished he had picked up an electric assist bike

So Porte gets penalised for taking a wheel from another rider last year but Farrer is OK to take a bike from the general public?

Also, is it possible for Tyler Farrer to ride a bike and not crash?  I wonder if he falls off his seat with the same regularity.

Great story - please the officials practised a bit of common sense. Eugène Christophe must be spinning in his grave at the though of how easy modern day riders have it! 

I hate speedplays as well, although this seems to be a pretty drastic means of getting out of wearing them. Bloke was 40+. No surprises, "Vets is where all the good stuff is". I am in the same glasshouse. Australians (and I am one - just don't live there anymore) seem to have a prediliction for overpriced Italian bikes - when I visited at Christmas, I saw a far higher proportion of Pinarellos, Bianchis, Colnagos than in the UK. Seems marginally unfortunate given most (all?) of the frames begin their life closer to Australia (in Taiwan or China) than Italy.