Photos from 2012 Tour Down Stage 1
Tuesday, January 17: Prospect - Clare, 149 km
Before the start Eddy Merckx and BMC team owner Andy Rihs chat.
Looking really fit, Robbie McEwen heads to the start.
As does Oscar Freire
Geraint Thomas
Simon Gerrans
Matteo Montaguti
Graeme Brown signs autographs before the start.
Euskaltel riders sign in
Sirotti got a nice shot of the peloton coming down the road.
Eduard Vorganov, Marcello Pavarin and Rohan Dennis try to get away.
A long panorama shot with the pack spread across the road.
The peloton rounds a corner.
Marcello Pavarin being chased.
Jens Voigt followed by José Ivan Gurierrez, Alejandro Valverde and José Joaquin Rojas (in Spanish champion's jersey).
Saxo riders Takashi Miyazawa and Sergio Paulinho
Garmin-Barricuda rider Andreas Klier
Eduard Vorganov
The finish is near, Petacchi seems to have timed it just right.
But André Greipel (Lotto) pulls a rabbit out of his hat.
The finish, Greipel barely beats Petacchi