The Coffee Ride: A winning tip too late from Orica-GreenEDGE boss Gerry Ryan

REECE Homfray and Val Migliaccio reveal all the 2014 Santos Tour Down Under action on track and off.

Cycling champion Anna Meares is going to shave her head for Little Heroes Foundation. Jessica, 11, is quite willing to do the...

REECE Homfray and Val Migliaccio reveal all the 2014 Santos Tour Down Under action on track and off.

GERRY'S HOT TIP TOO LATE

ORICA-GreenEDGE owner Gerry Ryan was a happy man on Wednesday.

A day after Simon Gerrans took the ochre jersey, he told Sydney journalist Rupert Guinness he had two reasons to smile.

Hours earlier, his horse, Greenedge, won Race 7 at Geelong and paid $11 in South Australia.

"Thanks for letting us know," Guinness said.

Ryan apparently replied that he told general manager Shayne Bannan to let everyone know.

Next time, hey.

BLAME CYCLING WEBSITE

IF ANY parents have kids at home driving them crazy with a red vuvuzela they picked up at Wednesday's stage finish at Stirling - you can thank bikeexchange.com.au.

The guys at the cycling website were the official sponsor of the stage and handing out vuvuzelas which made plenty of noise at the finish line.

And here's a tip - they tell us there are more freebies to come on top of Old Willunga Hill on Saturday afternoon.

Cycling champion Anna Meares is going to shave her head for Little Heroes Foundation. Jessica, 11, is quite willing to do the job. Picture: Tait Schmaal.

MEARES GEARS UP FOR CLOSE SHAVE

OLYMPIC gold medallist Anna Meares had an overwhelming response to her fundraising campaign for the Little Heroes Foundation this week.

Meares has vowed to shave her head to support seriously ill children and their families after this year's Commonwealth Games.

The website went live on Wednesday and Meares raised $4000 in one day alone.

Visit http://heroeshq.org/annameares/fundraisers/2014 to help.

SPORTS INSTITUTE ON THE LOOKOUT

IF YOU fancy yourself as a cyclist and you're aged 12-16 then it pays to look out for people from the South Australian Sports Institute at the TDU this week.

SASI - a dominant force in national and international cycling - is hunting for candidates to take part in its talent search program which has produced Rohan Dennis (Garmin-Sharp), Annette Edmondson and Damien Howson (Orica-GreenEDGE/AIS).

SASI representatives are on the tour route handing out flyers. If you're keen, visit www.recsport.sa.gov.au/sasi/sasi-news.html

IN THE HOT SEAT

UCI president Brian Cookson was grilled for 25 minutes by cycling's media on Thursday but that was a breeze compared to what he'll face in Friday's Bupa Challenge Tour.

Cookson - a keen cyclist - has signed up for the 154.5km journey from Unley to Victor Harbor with thousands of recreational riders.

Having flown in from Europe this week, Cookson will be on a loan bike and was given some handy local advice to take it easy up the South Eastern Freeway because it's a long way to Victor Harbor.

Beat Cancer Tour rider James Pan. Picture: Naomi Jellicoe.

BEAT CANCER TOUR RIDER PROFILE

Name: James Pan

Age: 48

From: North Curl Curl, NSW

Bike: Cervelo R3-SL

Why I'm riding: "My wife was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010. The Beat Cancer Tour combines two things that are important to me - riding my bike and funding cancer research".