Earlier this month I was lucky enough to get across to Adelaide for the 2023 Tour Down Under. It was a work trip, but of course a FulGaz work trip is not complete if you don’t bring a bike with you! The Tour Down Under was back in full force as a “proper” UCI road race this year, with many top professionals making the trip to race through the hills.

Adelaide is a fantastic place for road cycling. Our hotel was right in the city centre, but ride five miles and you are at the base of the Adelaide Hills. From there, your options are almost endless.

The weather was dead set perfect too! Top temperatures hovering around 25 degrees and a slight cooling breeze. We rode every morning, caught up on work during the day, watched some highlights in the Event Village in the afternoon, then had a few pop-up events to handle in the evenings. At one of our pop-up events I got to hang with the Voice of Cycling, Phil Liggett. A tough gig, but somebody has to do it!

We attended a couple of organised TdU rides with the Rapha crew, plus caught up with Nathan Hass for a ride and a chat. We rode with Nathan last year also and it’s been a busy year for him as he turns his hand to professional gravel racing. This time he rocked up on his beautiful custom Colnago gravel bike and matching kit.

Image Credit: Troy Templin, Road Bike Action

Following Nathan on a bike is sublime. He is by far the smoothest and most effortlessly stylish rider I’ve ever had the pleasure of riding with. His lines around downhill corners were perfect and I could feel myself improving as I attempted to follow his lead. He is also an all-round genuine great guy and we are lucky to have him as a FulGaz ambassador.

While out in the hills we also ran into Brodie Chapman, another FulGaz ambassador and newly crowned Australian Road Race Champion! Almost every Australian cycling personality was in Adelaide for the week.

Will all that riding and working going on, I didn’t see a single bit of actual roadside racing action!

A lot of people who visit will ride out to the stage starts or finishes, but I was more interested in simply riding my bike with the guys. Honestly I don’t really follow professional racing super closely. I’m not all that fussed on watching racing in person as unless it’s a criterium or time trial, the peloton flash by in a blur and then it’s over. I watched the highlights on the big screen in the Event Village. That’s enough for me.

After every ride I arrived back at the hotel with a decent amount of climbing (and fatigue) in the legs, and a massive grin on my face. It doesn’t get much better than that. Hopefully we’ll be able to get back there again next year!