Team CSC hopes to win a stage at the Tour Down Under:"Our tactics today were all about getting some kilometers behind us after a long break and other that that to reach the finish line without mishaps and the Criterium does not count in the overall standings for this race after all. There was a crash a few kilometers before the finish and after that we decided to play it safe the rest of the way home," explained CSC sports director Scott Sunderland, who was extremely satisfied with the outcome of the recent training camp in Australia.

"We've managed to train a lot down here ahead of Tour Down Under and I think, the riders are all looking good, which is great. But we're not meant to be on top form this early in the season, so I'm not promising any major results, but I do believe we could get a stage win though," added Sunderland after the 50-kilometer Tour Down Under Classic.

21 year old Simon Clarke (SouthAustralia.com/ AIS cycling team) rides for the . Uni SA/ Australian National Team during this weeks Tour Down Under. In his daily riders diary at http://tdu2008.cyclingfever.com/simon.html Clarke said after yesterdays Tour Down Under Classic: "With about 15 laps to go Rabobank took control of the front of the race to ensure that no more attacks were successful." Clarke continued by saying: "Once the race took this turn it was obvious that this was going to be a bunch sprint finish, so we then focused on looking after our sprinter Allan Davis."

Gerolsteiner's Peter Wrolich wrote on his personal website peterwrolich.at : "From the start it was a very fast race. You could see that the Australians are feeling good and highly motivated in their home county."

Bernhard Eisel (Team High Road) said on his personal website eisel.com: "Today was a first test case. At January 22 it will get really serious with the first stage of the Tour Down Under."