The rich history of the tour down under

Cycling : 15th Santos Tour Down Under 2013/ Stage 5

The Santos Tour Down Under is an action-packed nine days of world-class cycling with gala dinners, street parties and an amazing atmosphere for riders and spectators, visitors and locals alike.

The event was first staged in 1999 with local rider Stuart O’Grady taking the win. Since then, numerous internationally renowned cyclists have joined the Honour Roll. The event has grown year on year to become the biggest cycling race in the southern hemisphere.

In 2008 the Santos Tour Down Under joined the prestigious UCI WorldTour, the first event outside cycling’s traditional home of Europe to do so. The event is held in January every year, making it the first event on the international cycling calendar.

The Santos Tour Down Under visits some of South Australia’s spectacular beaches, world-famous wine regions and historic country towns before the finale on the streets of Adelaide.

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The elite of world cycling such as Cadel Evans, Marcel Kittel, Andy Schleck and Andre Greipel have all come to South Australia to conquer the roads of the Santos Tour Down Under. In 2017, the world’s top cyclists will once again be back to stamp their authority on the new season.

In 2016 the Santos Tour Down Under saw 795,0000 spectators line the roads of South Australia to watch Australian hero Simon Gerrans of Orica-GreenEDGE take victory for the third time in his career, with more than 39,000 visitors from interstate and overseas. The event generated $49.6m in revenue for the state’s economy and contributed to many communities across the state.

Next year’s Santos Tour Down Under is looking to be just as exciting with new race stages and a wide range of associated events from 14-22 January 2017.

Event dates:

Team presentation 14 January 2017
Santos Women’s Tour 14-17 January 2017
People’s Choice Classic 15 January 2017
UCI WorldTour Santos Tour Down Under 17-22 January 2017

tourdownunder.com.au