With the Tour Down Under starting in just seven days time, riders have been arriving in Adelaide, Australia for the opening race of the 2017 season.
Headline act Peter Sagan has been training in South Australia since just after Christmas, but most teams and riders have only arrived in the last couple of days.
>>> Tour Down Under preview: Who can claim 2017’s first WorldTour victory?
Riders from LottoNL-Jumbo, Movistar, and Trek-Segafredo are among those getting over the jet lag with training rides along idyllic sandy beaches and clear blue skies.
Once the obligatory photo-ops with kangaroos and koalas are over, the racing will get underway, with plenty of riders in the hunt to prevent Simon Gerrans defending his title and picking up his fifth Tour Down Under win.
>>> Tour Down Under 2017 start list
The first event is the People’s Choice Criterium which will take place on Sunday, January 15, with the Tour Down Under itself starting two days later with a 145km stage from Unley to Lyndoch.
#cutealert @petosagan and Katarina cuddle some baby kangaroos! #TDU pic.twitter.com/imKZtJlGw3
— Tour Down Under (@tourdownunder) December 28, 2016
Premier entraînement @tourdownunder ! First training ride in #Australia #UCIWT #ALLEZALM pic.twitter.com/v1PxClxVvq
— AG2RLM Cyclisme (@AG2RLMCyclisme) January 10, 2017
Primer día de 🚴🏼 por Australia 🇦🇺.
Todavía no he visto ningún canguro,pero tampoco había visto nunca este clima en Enero y sí que existe 😂. pic.twitter.com/fME0lwTlbE— Carlos Barbero (@BarberoCbc) January 10, 2017
Besides riding on the wrong side of the road, one of the biggest dangers of #SouthAustralia is falling into "Holiday-mode" 🌞🏖🍹😎 pic.twitter.com/vyr8GsRnZi
— Robert Gesink (@RGUpdate) January 10, 2017
#BORAhansgrohe boys say Hi from Australia @tourdownunder #ridenatural @BORAGmbH @Hansgrohe_PR @iamspecialized pic.twitter.com/RtrN0yEZnK
— BORA – hansgrohe (@BORAhansgrohe) January 7, 2017
Almost ready for Australia #TeamSky #TourDownUnder pic.twitter.com/PDNKsoGsOY
— Marko Dzalo (@marko_dzalo) January 9, 2017
Boys on a roll. #hitsquad #quadsquad #caterpillartrain #perfectcircles #baywatchbods #greenmagic #tightlightning pic.twitter.com/zFYWCfvp6r
— alex howes (@alex_howes) January 10, 2017
☀️ Enjoying sun here in S. Australia – & battling jet-lag! Still 5 days to get used to these (wonderful) conditions at @tourdownunder. #tdu pic.twitter.com/9VhLwbykW8
— Movistar Team (@Movistar_Team) January 10, 2017
The team has arrived for the @tourdownunder (less @peterstetina who's stranded in Singapore) & has adventured out in the heat for training. pic.twitter.com/dUkkQo5gBh
— Trek-Segafredo (@TrekSegafredo) January 10, 2017
