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Santos Tour Down Under
The first stop on the world cycling calendar, the Santos Tour Down Under kicks off the cycling year in exhilarating style.
The Santos Tour Down Under was first held in 1999 and has grown year on year to become the biggest cycling race in the southern hemisphere.
The week-long event brings the top ProTour professional cycling teams to race on the streets of Adelaide and regional South Australia each January. Up for grabs are important UCI ProTour points and the Santos Tour Down Unders Ochre Leaders Jersey.
In 2008, the Santos Tour Down Under joined the prestigious UCI ProTour; the first event outside cycling's traditional home of Europe to do so. The UCI ProTour brings together the most prestigious teams and the best riders in the world to compete in the best races.
The Santos Tour Down Under achieved another major coup when cycling legend and cancer survivor, Lance Armstrong, decided to make his comeback to professional road cycling at the 2009 race.
Some of the very best in road cycling have competed at the Santos Tour Down Under during its eleven year history. Tour de France winners Lance Armstrong, Oscar Pereiro, Alberto Contador and Carlos Sastre have all raced in Adelaide, alongside Aussie legends Stuart OGrady, Robbie McEwen, Cadel Evans and Allan Davis.
Not just a bike race, the Santos Tour Down Under is a festival of cycling, with a range of associated events and festivals that create a massive party atmosphere across South Australia. Amateur cyclists can also get involved in the action, with the Skoda Breakaway Series, which gives people the chance to ride part of the ProTour race route.
The Santos Tour Down Under invites the whole state to the party, by taking the race through South Australian regions. The race typically starts and concludes with exciting Adelaide city street circuits, with Stage 1-5 being held in regional South Australia. The Santos Tour Down Under provides a significant contribution to the state's tourism industry, and showcases the attractions of South Australia to the world through global television coverage.
The Santos Tour Down Under is owned and managed by Events South Australia, a division of the South Australian Tourism Commission on behalf of the South Australian Government.
Find out more about the history of the Santos Tour Down Under:
Santos Tour Down Under Honour Role
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Story Published by:Santos Tour Down Under
Article URL:http://www.tourdownunder.com.au/tour/aboutthetdu
Date and Time Published:Thursday, 4 June, 09