I thought I'd go in today & catch the last free events in the Games.

The women rounding the boat-houses, fairly early in the morning:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/ooompaloompa123/Melbourne/sport/roadrace/roadrace_4327c.jpg

For those of that don't realize, that's the MCG in the top left corner...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/ooompaloompa123/Melbourne/sport/roadrace/roadrace_4318cr.jpg

Good old King's Domain! :

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/ooompaloompa123/Melbourne/sport/roadrace/roadrace_4340cr.jpg

Waiting for the final run. Sorry, but my next photo was mainly blocked by that hat in the lower centre foreground being raised in ecstasy...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/ooompaloompa123/Melbourne/sport/roadrace/roadrace_4353cr.jpg

The Presentation Ceremony ... again, it was a bit crowded:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/ooompaloompa123/Melbourne/sport/roadrace/roadrace_4368cr.jpg

1 pm: Start of the Men's Race: 135 cyclists: within a couple of minutes there'd been an accident:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/ooompaloompa123/Melbourne/sport/roadrace/roadrace_4380cr.jpg

I actually walked most of the course, some of it several times! Here's the Aussie Team on Alexander Avenue:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/ooompaloompa123/Melbourne/sport/roadrace/roadrace_4419c.jpg

In South Yarra, it was quite a different scene. Lots of tight corners: more than 20 for the course as a whole:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/ooompaloompa123/Melbourne/sport/roadrace/roadrace_4436cr.jpg

This was a residential area, and lots of people had brought out their deck-chairs (and stubbies) for the occasion, but these fans got right into waving the flag:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/ooompaloompa123/Melbourne/sport/roadrace/roadrace_4440cr.jpg

The intersection of Domain Road and Caroline Street was an amazing place to be. One minute they came from the east, and swerved to the north ..

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/ooompaloompa123/Melbourne/sport/roadrace/roadrace_4446cr.jpg

... and a minute later, they came from the west, and swerved to the south. There was an incredible vantage point (fenced off from the roadway) in the middle of the intersection, but I wasn't allowed to linger there.

The Aussie team, swerving south:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/ooompaloompa123/Melbourne/sport/roadrace/roadrace_4448cr.jpg

Buses parked three abreast, presumably to ferry athletes and broken bikes away:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/ooompaloompa123/Melbourne/sport/roadrace/roadrace_4457cr.jpg

Yet another ninety degree bend, this time from Anderson St. into Domain Road (and not the last!):

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/ooompaloompa123/Melbourne/sport/roadrace/roadrace_4461cr.jpg

Big and little kids scrambling for a better vantage point along Birdwood Avenue:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/ooompaloompa123/Melbourne/sport/roadrace/roadrace_4474cr.jpg

Further down the road:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/ooompaloompa123/Melbourne/sport/roadrace/roadrace_4480cr.jpg

The Aussie Team again: exchanging secrets? Given what went on earlier in the afternoon, I was quite surprised they got two medals (and indeed any at all), but then I'm not much of a cyclist.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/ooompaloompa123/Melbourne/sport/roadrace/roadrace_4482cr.jpg

I went home early in an attempt to avoid public transport chaos (I failed, but I got a free trip since connex told me NOT to validate my ticket!). I saw the end of the race at home.

Can't say I found this exercise easy. Apart from having a sore toe by now, my camera takes - maybe a second or two?- to actually take and file the shot, so I got a lot of shots of motorbikes and the back-wheel of the last bike as well. Enjoy!