The Adelaide 36ers have a double road trip this weekend, taking on the Melbourne Tigers tonight at ‘The Cage’ and take on Townsville on Sunday evening at ‘The Swamp’.

Adelaide had an intense week of training and have prepared for a physical weekend against the two teams.

Adelaide 36ers Chief Executive Officer, Leeanne Grantham said that it has been a good break for the team since their Australia Day eve game against Townsville.

“The team has come back refreshed from a mini break and had a great week at training,”

“We are looking forward to playing Melbourne tonight and Townsville on Sunday afternoon,”

“We have one of the youngest starting five’s in the league and they are constantly improving, which is wonderful to see.”

Both games on the weekend will be telecast on ONE HD at 10.30pm Adelaide time on Friday night and Sunday night and will give the fans an  opportunity to see the team in action.

Fans can also follow the game on live stats on www.nbl.com.au.

The Adelaide 36ers next home game is at 4pm, Sunday February 12, at the Adelaide Arena.

Tickets are available for the home game through www.proticket.com.au and start from $20 for adults.

For information on the Adelaide 36ers, please phone 8345 0900 or visit www.adelaide36ers.com

Free Zumba and group fitness classes will be back in Victoria Square as of next week, presented by Adelaide City Council and Fitness Australia.

The classes will run for eight weeks in front of the fountain at the northern end of Victoria Square from 5.40pm to 6.10pm. Zumba will take place every Tuesday starting February 7th and group fitness classes will be every Thursday from February 9th.

Last year the sessions were an overwhelming success, attracting hundreds of participants each week.

“Given the popularity of last year’s trial program, Council looked at options, including ways of partnering with the fitness industry, to help city workers get their fitness fix,” Lord Mayor Stephen Yarwood said.

“We are thrilled to have Fitness Australia on board with us this year. It’s a great opportunity for people to get their recommended 30 minutes of exercise a day in the heart of the city and best of all it’s free – so there is no excuse not to get out there and get active.”

Both classes will be led by registered exercise professionals from businesses across the city.

“The fitness industry is delighted to be involved with the program this year,” said Joel Perricone from Fitness Australia.

“Over the 8 weeks of the program we are looking forward to showcasing the quality, professionalism and diversity the industry has to offer. Most of all we are excited to be contributing to getting Adelaide active.”

The workouts are suitable for people of all fitness levels, including those just starting out and wanting a little more activity in their days.

Zumba is a fun and exhilarating workout, combining Latin and international music with easy-to- follow dance routines while the group fitness classes will incorporate a variety of cardio, resistance and core exercises.

There is no need to register but participants are asked to turn up to each session 10 minutes early as sessions will start at 5.40pm sharp.

For further information please visit www.fitness.org.au/beactive or call 0431 334 924

The Adelaide 36ers will be in for a hard game at the Swamp against the Townsville Crocodiles tonight.

Having been delayed at Brisbane airport yesterday, the team landed in Townsville two hours late and missed their training slot that evening.

The team will be having a shoot around today in preparation for tonight’s match.

Chief Executive Officer Leeanne Grantham says that the team need to play a strong aggressive game against the Crocodiles tonight.

“Townsville have won their past three games and they are in good form,”

“We don’t have a good record against the Crocs on their home court, so tonight the team can change that.”

The team has its own expectations and are determined to get the win tonight for their own pride and for their fans.

Adelaide will be playing Townsville three times in the next three weeks and tonight have the opportunity to get an advantage against the Crocs.

The 36ers will be playing the Crocodiles at the Adelaide Arena on Sunday 12 February at 4pm for the third and final match between the teams.

Tickets start from $20 for adults and are available from www.proticket.com.au

The Adelaide 36ers Gala Auction will be held on Saturday 18 February, 7pm at AAMI Stadium’s Magarey Room and tickets can be purchased from www.adelaide36ers.com

For any enquiries regarding purchasing tickets for the Gala Auction you can call the Adelaide 36ers on 8345 0900 or email admin@adelaide36ers.com

Sunday afternoon’s round 16 iiNet NBL Championship game will have Adelaide 36ers looking to stop Cairns in their tracks by applying good consistent defensive pressure throughout the game.

Head Coach Marty Clarke says that the team will have a similar game plan to the last time they met Cairns.

“I don’t think that we have to do too much different to our game from the last time we played Cairns,”

“We rebounded well and defended them quite well, we kept them to 72 points,”

“To win tomorrow, the team has to shoot a lot better than the 30% we shot last time.”

Marty Clarke says that it is important for the team to keep Alex Loughton and Jamar Wilson in check to minimise their impact on the game.

“We kept Loughton to one field basket last time and we need to continue to contain Jamar,”

“Andrew Warren will be watched, especially in transition, as he hurt us with two three pointers last game.”

Children and children at heart can get their faces painted in Adelaide 36ers colours from 3pm-5pm at FanZone, located in the South East corner of the stadium.

A team signing will happen directly after the game, with fans encouraged to bring along memorabilia for the team to sign.

Tip off for tomorrow afternoon is at 4pm and there are still tickets available from www.adelaide36ers.com, with tickets starting from $20 for adults.

The Adelaide 36ers re-match this Sunday against the Cairns Taipans is a matter of pride for the team.

Losing to Cairns in a thriller a fortnight ago, the Adelaide 36ers want to serve some sweet revenge and show the home crowd a good game.

Adelaide 36er Mitch Creek says that the team will be coming out for the win on Sunday.

“Cairns got our number last time and we fell off in the fourth quarter, we couldn’t control Warren and they made some lucky shots,”

“The team is going to be working hard, especially on the boards and boxing out, as statistics show that if we win the boards, we usually win the game, so that is something we will be focusing on.”

Game night captain Stephen Weigh says that the team needs to be prepared for a physical clash on Sunday.

“We have incorporated a few more physical drills into training to pick up our physicality and will bring it to the game,”

“The team will be cautious of Jamar Wilson and Alex Loughton and work on them to limit their contribution.”

Mitch Creek says that it will be good to play former Adelaide 36er and mate Jeff Dowdell.

“If Jeff is going to do any damage, he’s got to jump off the floor first, he’s not the most athletic of players.” he said tongue in cheek.

There will be a team signing directly after the game on Sunday for fans to bring in their memorabilia or get posters signed.

Children of all ages have the opportunity to get their faces painted in team colours between 3pm – 5pm at the Fan Zone area, located in the south east corner of the stadium.

Adelaide 36ers will be playing this Sunday 22 January at 4pm. Tickets are available for the clash through www.proticket.com.au and start from $20 for adults.

For information on the Adelaide 36ers, please phone 8345 0900 or visit adelaide36ers.com

All eyes will be on the towns of Prospect and Clare today as they host the first stage of the 2012 Santos Tour Down Under. Thousands are expected to flock to vantage points along the 149km race route to watch some of the biggest names in cycling compete in the first stage of the first event on the UCI WorldTour calendar.

The wait is finally over for cycling fans as all the action, excitement and festivities of the 2012 Santos Tour Down Under gets under way on the streets of Adelaide today.

One hundred and thirty one of the world’s best cyclists from 19 teams will battle it out from 7pm in Adelaide’s East End in the Down Under Classic.

Events South Australia General Manager Hitaf Rasheed said the 51km circuit race was an exciting start to the eight-day event and the first chance for cycling fans to see their heroes in action.

“Seeing these elite athletes compete in the heart of the city is a fantastic experience and I urge spectators to come early to secure a vantage spot, enjoy a picnic in the park and soak up the atmosphere of the event.”

Thousands of people are expected to flock to scenic locations around the State this week as the Santos Tour Down Under visits the Clare Valley, Barossa, Adelaide Hills and Fleurieu Peninsula.

Prospect and Lobethal will host race starts for the first time, while the Santos Tour Down Under returns to the wine region of Clare and the seaside town of Victor Harbor.

For the first time in the event’s 14 year history, the penultimate stage, Jayco Stage 5, on Saturday, January 21, will finish at the top of Old Willunga Hill.

Down Under Classic Action

·         5.00pm – Santos Tour Down Under official team presentation – teams are introduced to the public in Rymill Park by Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen.

·         7pm – Down Under Classic, 51km – Adelaide’s East End.

For more information about the Santos Tour Down Under visit www.tourdownunder.com.au

Image: Cyclists with native animals at the Tour Down Under Village. Photo by Santos Tour Down Under / Regallo

A huge crowd of more than 7000 cycling enthusiasts will participate in the 10th Bupa Challenge Tour next Friday.

The popular recreational ride, held during the Santos Tour Down Under, will cover 138km from the Parade at Norwood to Tanunda in the Barossa.

A total of 7036 cyclists – including hundreds of international and national visitors, will celebrate the 10th year of the ride.

Nearly 5000 participants will leave from the Parade at 6.30am on Friday, January 20, to challenge themselves on the full distance.

Hundreds of other riders will join the riders on shorter lengths from Gumeracha, Mt Pleasant and Tanunda.

This year’s ride covers the Bupa Stage 4 route of the Santos Tour Down Under, just hours before the professionals tackle the same route.

Cycling fans have the chance to get up close and personal with cycling royalty during the race with five-time Tour de France winner Eddy Merckx, who arrived in Adelaide this morning, competing in the 33km Tanunda to Tanunda stage.

The Belgian cyclist, who is considered the greatest and most successful cyclist of all time, is in South Australia as a special guest of the Santos Tour Down Under.

Santos Tour Down Under Race Director Mike Turtur said it was inspiring so many people would be out there on their bikes celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Bupa Challenge Tour.

“The ride has grown from humble beginnings to become a hugely popular event and a highlight of the Santos Tour Down Under calendar each year,” he said.

“The great thing about this ride is that it doesn’t matter if this is your first time riding in the Bupa Challenge Tour or you are an avid cyclist and have participated in all of them. It’s just about getting on your bike, having a go, having fun with your mates and challenging yourself.”

For this first in the event’s history, entrants in the ŠKODA Breakaway Series’ Bupa Challenge Tour have the chance to tackle two ŠKODA King of the Mountain climbs.

For many people the Bupa Challenge Tour is also an opportunity to give back to the community with abound 500 people “Riding for a Reason” and raising money for the Cancer Council SA in their fight against cancer.

The 2012 Santos Tour Down Under will be held in Adelaide and regional South Australia from 15-22 January 2012. For more information visit www.tourdownunder.com.au

The Adelaide 36ers will be taking on the New Zealand Breakers tonight in Auckland for the round 15 iiNet NBL Championship.

After last playing the Breakers at home in round 5 and losing by 9 points, the 36ers are looking to bring a strong game to the court.

Chris Warren says that it has been a rough season on the court for the Adelaide 36ers and that the team has faith that they can make a good run home.

“Our run is coming and we want to win some back to back games, the club hasn’t won any back to back games for a long while and we want to start tonight.”

Marty Clarke says that the team is looking to play a tight game against the Breakers and try and stop playmakers CJ Bruton and Cedric Jackson from impacting the game.

“The team has to play tight defence for the whole match and win the rebounding contest down both ends of the court.”

Tonight’s game is only telecast in New Zealand and will not be available in Australia.

Fans who would like to keep up with the action tonight, should go to the NBL live stats page on the NBL website www.nbl.com.au. Alternatively for fans with iPhones, they can download ‘The Official NBL’ app from the Apple App Store to keep up with the latest information.

Adelaide 36ers next home game is on Sunday 22 January at 4pm. Tickets are available for next Sunday afternoon’s clash through www.proticket.com.au and start from $20 for adults.

For information on the Adelaide 36ers, please phone 8345 0900 or visit adelaide36ers.com

The city will host the Down Under Classic this Sunday, giving locals the chance to get up close and personal with some of the world’s best riders.

The action will begin from 4.45pm in Rymill Park for the official team presentation before the 51km Classic takes part in the East End from 7pm to approximately 8pm.

The winning riders’ jersey will be presented after the race at the Ochre Presentation Podium near the finish line.

The Tour starts and concludes in the city so head into town and get involved in all the cycling action!

Road restrictions this week:

To accommodate the set-up of the event there will be various road closures in place, starting with Rundle Road, between Dequetteville Terrace and East Terrace in the city, which will be closed from 10am Thursday 12^th January to 3pm Monday 16^th January 2012. Pedestrians will still be able to access and cross the road.

The following road closures will also apply on Sunday 15^th January, from 6am to midnight:

• East Terrace between Botanic Lane and Pirie Street
• Bartels Road between Dequetteville Terrace and East Terrace
• Laneway into Adelaide Bowling Club, west of Dequetteville Terrace
• Rundle Street between Frome Street and East Terrace
• Grenfell Street between Tam O’Shanter Place and East Terrace
• Vardon Avenue between Rundle Street and East Terrace
   

There will be numerous parking restrictions in place and motorists are advised to read all signs before leaving their vehicles.

The co-operation of motorists and pedestrians is appreciated.