AUSSIES cleaning up in Ponferrada !

Flying the Aussie Flag high repeatedly , on Sunday and Monday , as Aussie Cycle Racers scored Silvers in the Team Time Trials on Sunday , then Golds to Macey Stewart and Campbell Fakemore on Monday , meant the rest of the week was somewhat of a wait , until " Gerro " scored the Men's Elite Silver on Sunday minutes to finalise the Medal Tally , just before the heavens opened !

That week flashed past and now i am trying to recall all the high points . Surely there was more , as i seem to recall , that there was a Silver for Caleb Ewan and also another , then 2 Bronze for Oz , one to Anna-Leeza hill who Shared Macey's podium and one to Michael Storer , some where during the week ? Could be i have it wrong but i think 2 Gold , 3 Silver and 2 Bronze was a pretty handsome haul ?  ( Still working on it ) !

With the Sunday Team Time Trials , it is a shame that the World will not recognise that BMC , winner of the Mens is the Team of Cadel Evans and Lulumon , winners of the Ladies event is the work of that Aussie Powerhouse , Kristy Scrimageour , who led by example when an aussie Champ. !

With this in mind , i sent @briancooksonobe , a tweet , after trawling the " UCI.ch website " to discover a " National Medals " List !  After wasting time and 32Mb on all those pretty pictures , i came up empty handed . Of course Brian has not replied ! Guess he was overdoing it when he smiled on the Sunday , after i called " Smile " to get that photo . Not sure i have seen too many other photos with a smiling President ?

Will be back with more for this post after a trawl through a few more sites .

On the Sunday after the Elite Men's race , i was looking to find the 2 Austrians from Schwaz , at their Hotel , but , instead found a bruised and deflated Dan Martin . He showed off the damage from the crash during the race . Met his Father also , who said he would bounce back .

Sunday's Victory at the " Lombardia " , where he accelerated from the back of the pack , certainly demonstrated that fact !

Good on you Dan !

ORICA RAMPANT in Team Time Trial ! Maillot Jeune Result .

Ecstatic Aussie Fans beseiged the Team Pullman after the AUSSIE Team once again upstaged the Cycling World ! Saturday after the team had crossed the finish line , they rode back down the parcours , without even noticing the team Pullman as they passed .With the Pullman being jammed in the Finish line Gantry until the race passed the 3 km point , Orica Team had stolen that day's headlines !

Simon Gerrans in taking the Victory from Peter Sagan , the expected winner of the Media , added more lustre to the team's efforts in the 2013 Tour de France . This 100th edition has produced surprises with a German , then a Belgian and now an Australian winning the " Maillot Jeune "! Not only did the Aussie Team win the Team Time trial today , they al.so took the 1st & 2nd Podium Places . Simon Gerrans in YELLOW , not something he expected , nor meeting Prince Albert of Monaco , amongst the guests on the Podium .

More to be added !