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I think Hotham, Falls Creek, Mt Buffalo and whatnot are the exceptions to that rule. Hotham is a 30k climb. The victorian Alps are higher than most mountains in England, and the weather is changeable.
Even in Adelaide now the mornings are around 10 only. Last night was snow and 0 degrees on Hotham. If you get stuck there, puncture, bonk or whatever and you're in a t-shirt and an emergency bivy, Falls Creek could turn to Shit Creek pretty swiftly, I'd assume.
pascalo-
It's not the climb you get cold on, it's the descent.
Hotham is ~25k, which is like the Tourmalet except it only goes to 1800m and the gradients are less steep. Compared to the UK the roads are better so you get the descent over quicker and the temps are generally warmer than EU/UK and US.
My first post on the matter was "so long as you don't have to stop..."
Like I said, uncomfortable but not race-ending.
Lets find out if he buys more clothes...
hippy
I'm not talking about meeting his family, I'm talking about picking up cold weather gear. You only need cold weather gear if you stop moving (or slow down enough you can't generate heat). He was carrying beanie and a jacket. Aussie descents aren't long so it's not like you freeze riding downhill.