Feels like Tour de France, says Lance

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ADELAIDE, Australia -- The roads were painted with messages supporting Tour Down Under leader Allan Davis, other Aussie favorites Stuart O’Grady and Robbie McEwen, and another asking Lance Armstrong for a kiss. There was a climb up Willunga Hill, where people were lined five and six deep, which prompted Armstrong to say, ‘That was Tour de France-like today. Roads were painted, signs were out, people were out, it was a beautiful day.’

In the finish city of Willunga, there was a festival where local farmers sold fresh fruit (two thumbs up to the white peaches), local crafts (the wooden cheese boards were beautiful and looked very heavy for an international traveler who has to carefully calculate luggage weight limits) and, in the next booth, homemade cheese (two thumbs up for free samples).

There were meat-grilling experts from the nearby city of Hahndorf, which has a large German population who showed their fondness for bratwurst and the barbecue. But why only ketchup and barbecue sauce but no mustard, and why bratwurst in folded white bread instead of buns? Not a criticism, just a question that the puzzled meat grillers couldn’t answer. ‘Just our way, mate,’ one said. Still, two thumbs up.

A crowd estimated at 105,000 lined the course Saturday. Race organizers said that was three times larger than the same stage a year ago. And after the stage, South Australia Premier Mike Rann announced a new cancer research center at the Flinders Centre for Innovation in Cancer will be called Livestrong Cancer Research Centre upon completion in 2011. Livestrong is the motto of the Lance Armstrong Foundation, which is dedicated to raising money for cancer research.

Which is why Armstrong says he is back on the bike, to help spotlight cancer research. Climbing Willunga Hill on his bike is just a bonus.

-- Diane Pucin