Farrar Borrows Bike to Stay in Race

Tyler Farrar got into trouble during stage three of the Tour Down Under near Adelaide. He crashed during a sprint and ended up in a ditch, and his bike was wrecked. But a kindhearted spectator came to the rescue, handing over his own bike and shoes so Farrar could finish the race.

Farrar was travelling at speeds of over 40mph when he came off the road during the 139km stage in south Australia, and was left bloodied and bruised. He was assessed by medical staff, and looked set to continue, but a few miles down the road realised his bike was in no fit state to continue. The support team had driven off, and it looked as though Farrar was finished – but for the intervention of Anthony Tooman, who was following the race roadside.

Tooman, 42, told the Adelaide Advertiser: “We could see him on the side of the road, and asked: ‘Do you need a wheel?’ He said: ‘No, the wheel is not going to cut it.’

“Then it went to: ‘Well, what pedals are you running?’ He was on Speedplay and I was on Shimano, and as soon as that was decided it was just: ‘Well, you might as well just take everything.’

“Then the next question was: ‘What size shoe are you?’ He was a size 43 and I’m a 44, so we swapped shoes, he jumped on my bike, we gave him some water and … see you later.”

Farrar crossed the finish line 13min 7sec behind stage winner Simon Gerrans, and would ordinarily have been disqualified from the tour. Normal race rules ban outside assistance.

But the chief commissaire considered it an exceptional circumstance and took into account that Farrar was not in contention to win the stage or the race. Farrar, 31, will be allowed to start stage four.

A statement read: “Race officials have confirmed Farrar will be allowed to continue the race as an exception to the rule because a bad crash with several other riders involved created a hectic situation which meant neither his team car nor the event’s neutral service vehicle was in a position to provide assistance.”

The six-stage race concludes on Sunday.

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Ken Judge 1958 - 2016

Former AFL player and coach Ken Judge has died after a long battle with cancer. Judge had battled myeloma, a rare cancer of the blood plasma cells, and had suffered a relapse in 2012.

The Hawks and Eagles have led the tributes to Judge. “The club sends its condolences to family and friends of premiership Hawk and former coach Ken Judge, who has passed away today,” Hawthorn posted on Twitter.

After a distinguished career in Western Australia for WAFL side East Fremantle, Judge made the move to Melbourne and played 72 games for Hawthorn between 1983 and 86, winning the club’s ‘best first year player’ award on the way to becoming a member of their ‘83 premiership team.

He also played in Hawthorn’s losing 1984 and 1985 grand final sides but missed selection in their 1986 Premiership team. The half-forward then played 17 games for the fledgling Brisbane between 1987 and 1988.

Judge went on to coach Hawthorn from 1996 until 1999 and West Coast in the 2000 and 2001 seasons, leading those sides in a combined 133 games. After coaching Judge moved into radio commentary and was part of the ABC team calling last season’s Grand Final, in which Hawthorn won their third consecutive Premiership.

Hawks team-mates Robert DiPierdomenico and Terry Wallace remembered Judge as a skilled team-mate and someone who thought deeply about the game. “He had a wicked sense of humour but, when he delivered the ball, you knew exactly where to go and he would hit you on the chest,” DiPierdomenico told SEN radio.

Wallace also noted that Judge was one of the keys to Hawthorn becoming a premiership team. “He was the finishing touches to us,” Wallace said. “We made a preliminary final in 1982, we were ready to take the next step and he had a terrific year in ‘83 and was able to be part of that premiership team.”

Former Hawks teammate Peter Schwab paid tribute on Twitter. “Ken (Judgey) it was a pleasure to play with you and coach with you but the greatest pleasure was our friendship - you will be so missed,” Schwab said.

Parkin and Blues great Stephen Kernahan, who captained the ‘95 premiership team, said Judge made a big impact in his season at Carlton. “Ken was a ferocious competitor ... he was the agent provocateur through 1995,” Parkin told the club website. “We had a fair few ‘yes men’ around the place but Ken was never a yes man. He always had an edge.”

Kernahan said an ill Judge was a popular figure at last year’s 20-year premiership reunion. “The bottom line was that Ken was a really good bloke. His loss is just shattering,” Kernahan said.

Judge died on Friday, which was his 58th birthday.

#RIP

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Crikey! Michelle Breaks Payne Barrier

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Australian Michelle Payne has become the first female jockey to win Australia's most prestigious horse race, the Melbourne Cup.

The New Zealand-bred Prince of Penzance won despite being an outsider, with French horse Max Dynamite second and New Zealand horse Criterion third.

Frankie Dettori was banned for a month and fined A$20,000 (£9,338) for careless riding on Max Dynamite.

Payne said winning was "everybody's dream as a jockey in Australia".

"My sister and I had a feeling I was going to win, and it turned out exactly how I thought it would," the 30-year-old told reporters.

Only the fourth female to ride in the Cup during its 155-year history, she added: "It's such a chauvinistic sport, I know some of the owners wanted to kick me off."

She praised Prince of Penzance trainer Darren Weir and owner John Richards for their support but said: "I want to say to everyone else, get stuffed, because women can do anything and we can beat the world."

Red Cadeaux broke down before the finish line with an injured leg, but officials said they did not believe the injury was life threatening.

Jamie Spencer was suspended for 14 days for causing interference on British-trained Big Orange, who finished fifth.

Time of her life: Ms Payne said every Australian jockey dreams of winning the Melbourne Cup. She said she started when she was five

Michelle Payne said she had been dreaming of winning the Melbourne Cup since she was five years old

Payne, who has fought back from life-threatening race injuries during her career, said she hoped her win would inspire other women: "It's a very male-dominated sport and people think we [women] are not strong enough and all of the rest of it, but it's not all about strength.

"There is so much more involved, getting the horse into a rhythm, getting the horse to try for you.

"It's being patient and I'm so glad to win the Melbourne Cup and, hopefully, it will help female jockeys from now on to get more of a go. We don't get enough of a go."

Japan's Fame Game had been a firm favourite to win Australia's biggest race, but it was Payne who rode to victory, beating odds of 100-1.

Michelle Payne celebrates her winning ride on Prince Of Penzance to win race 7 the Emirates Melbourne Cup with brother and strapper Stephen Payne

Michelle Payne celebrates her winning ride on Prince Of Penzance with brother and strapper Stephen Payne

The Payne family is steeped in Australian racing. The youngest of 10 children, Michelle was raised by her father on the family farm in Victoria after her mother died when she was just six months old.

Eight of her nine siblings have also been jockeys, but none has won a race as big as this.

For the Australian owners of Prince of Penzance, a horse that cost just $50,000 (£25,000; $36,000), it was a lucrative day as they will take home almost A$3.6m (£1.7m; $2.6m) in prize money.

Dubbed "the race that stops a nation", the Melbourne Cup is the world's richest two-mile handicap race, worth A$6.2m ($4.2m; £2.9m).

Eleven international horses were among the 24 in the race. Only one of the local starters, Sertorius, was actually bred in Australia.

Meanwhile, vets have reportedly operated on three-time Melbourne Cup runner-up Red Cadeaux.

Racing Victoria said earlier the horse had a suspected fetlock injury to his left foreleg.

"On-course veterinarians have splinted and stabilised the horse's leg and he has now been transferred to the University of Melbourne Veterinary Clinic at Werribee to undergo further assessment," it said in a statement .

Last year's cup ended controversially after two horses died.

Pre-race favourite Admire Rakti died after finishing last, while seventh-placed Araldo was put down after fracturing a cannon bone.

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