By Chris Cameron

Staff writer at Fan Site TeamRadioshack.us

It may have been half way around the world in the harsh southern summer, but it was a fine debut for cycling’s newest team, Team RadioShack. Adelaide, in South Australian, came alive when Lance Armstrong and his new teammates arrived for their first ever competitive pro race, the Tour Down Under.

The team Lance Armstrong, Daryl Impey, Jason McCartney, Yaroslav Popovych, Sebastien Rosseler, Tomas Vaitkus and Gert Steegmans were near the crowd favorites, a great feat considering the current world road champion Cadel Evans was home for the ride. The popularity was even further enhanced when the whole team turned out for the Lance Armstrong's Twitter ride from beach side suburb of Glenelg, a truly amazing event that I participated in along with near 10,000 others.

The Cancer Council Classic, held on the Sunday evening, was the team’s first outing after a short training ride around the suburbs of Adelaide and the presentation of all teams in Rymill Park. We didn’t have to wait long before seeing the new Team RadioShack jersey out at the front on a break, when the teams oldest, lit up the street circuit. I later heard the race director say, “I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw Armstrong out front.”

To the crowds delight, the race was dominated by Armstrong in a break that lasted nine laps.  Johan Bruyneel later posted a tweet showing one of the team’s speedometers at 71 kilometres, others in the sprint finished even faster on the flat coarse.

With a rest day before the first stage Lance attended the commencement of a building that will carry his charity’s name when complete at the Flinders Medical Centre “The LIVESTRONG Cancer Research Centre.”  Armstrong gave an emotional speech before heading back to join the team and prepared for the 2010 Santos TDU.

Stage 1, started in the wine region of the Clare Valley with a crash that included half the field, thankfully none of the riders involved had any major damage and all rejoined the race. Attacks came early in the race, this giving all an opportunity to see where the fitness of Team RadioShack was early in season. They didn’t disappoint, and could be found on or near the front of the chasing peloton riding as a team with all seven in line.

It was only the powerful Andre Greipel who held out the fast finish of Gert Steegmans in the sprint finish to claim second and the Shack’s first podium finish. Armstrong, the next best, finishing 46th, both in the hunt for the overall win.

Stage 2, was a 133 k race from Gawler to the picturesque Hahndorf in the Adelaide hills and proved to be a day that many teams put training plans into action. In the final few kilometres we witnessed one of the great sights in cycling, with Team RadioShack, HTC Columbia, Team Sky, Rabobank and Astana all spread across the road with each team in single file line all pushing for the line. Armstrong and Steegmans featured in the final sprint before the German Greipel won his second stage. Steegmans, Armstrong, Rosseler, Daryl Impey and Tomas Vaitkus all finished the race strongly.

The third stage was possibly RadioShack’s best ride as a team with all seven of the boys finishing the race together strongly as the race did two laps around Stirling. In an early break Sebastien Rosseler lead the race for nearly 40 kilometers. On the final run into the finish line, at Stirling, the team formed inline and attacked the field before Yaroslav Popovych made the break only to be chased down near the finish. The day will be remembered for the extreme heat (40c) that took its toll on the team and the field. Again, all TRS riders finished strongly near the front of the peloton.

The coastal town of Goolwa provided the toughest conditions of the TDU with heat and wind putting pressure on all riders on the road including the 8000 amateurs who tackled the longest stage of the tour. Despite the tough conditions, Team RadioShack again worked well as a team to launch Tomas Vaitkus and Lance Armstrong off the front of the peloton inside the last couple of kilometers.  This was met with great approval from the large crowd gathered in town who cheered as one when the announcement came through on the status of the race that approached the finish line.

It was a brave attack from the Shack pair who were brought back to the field before the sprint finish that included Gert Steegmans who was narrowly beaten and finished fourth.

Willunga is known as the day that defines this race, and this day would not disappoint. Gert Steegmans found himself in an early break before sitting up and waiting for his team. When the riders made the trip over Old Willunga hill, it was Lance Armstrong who rode strongly behind Cadel Evans at the front of a peloton chasing a small breakaway.  Thousands of spectators lined the hill to cheer the riders on in the chase.

The second time over had seen a major change in the race with world road champion Cadel Evens now out in front by himself with a couple of others. Team RadioShack figured strongly near the front of the peloton in a chase that didn’t catch the lead group before the finish. In what is being hailed as the best day of racing ever in Australia, Sebastien Rosseler and Daryl Impey finish strongly in 7th & 18th in the world- class field. Armstrong later said on the stage “to be expected.  Two Spanish guys and Cadel – we all thought they would be the strongest and they were.” “I was a little stuffed on the second time up. It was a hard day. From a spectators standpoint it was a great day!” Armstrong later praised the entire crowd that lined the route and the race in general.

The final stage around the city of Adelaide didn’t throw up any surprises with a sprint finish that again showed sprinter Gert Steegmans (9th) is not far off the pace and will threaten when he reaches full fitness.

Johan Bruyneel later said, "This was the first race for the new team.  First time in new shirts with a new sponsor it looked good.  We had ambitions with Steegmans and every day we tried.  He was second and fourth but Greipel was at another level. We are happy with what we achieved. We had a plan every day but it was not always executed as we expected.  Everybody did his best and don’t forget it’s only January."

When asked how Armstrong did, Bruyneel said, “Lance felt good and had much better condition than last year. He feels better in the bunch and in the team than in 2009.  The most important difference is his upper body which is smaller.  He got rid of a lot of muscles in the upper body.  At the end of 2008 he did so many sports including weightlifting, he had a perfect body to go to the beach not that of a bike rider, all good now."

Although not getting the stage win they desired the debut of Team RadioShack will be considered a success and great launching pad for the year ahead that promises much for the new team.

Upon leaving Australia Armstrong posted on twitter an image and said goodbye and thank you. One response to this post showed how great Lance Armstrong has become, the reply read: “Lance, awesome wot u did 4 Belinda at the airport, jet doors shut ready to take off then you opened them and came out to sign her book – that is the mark of a true Champ and a gentleman – good on yer mate!”

Photo: Graham Watson