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Lance Armstrong Back in Adelaide
Thursday, 14 January 2010
Lance Armstrong Back in Adelaide
One year after making his comeback to professional cycling on the streets of Adelaide, Lance Armstrong has returned for the world debut of his new team, Team RadioShack.
The seven-times Tour de France winner and cancer survivor will compete in the 2010 Santos Tour Down Under, being held from Sunday 17 January to Sunday 24 January.
Arriving at Adelaide Airport late yesterday, Armstrong joined Premier Mike Rann, Tourism Minister Jane Lomax-Smith and Race Director Mike Turtur for a press conference this morning.
Premier Rann says Lance Armstrongs involvement in the Santos Tour Down Under has taken the event to new heights.
Were delighted to have Lance back in Adelaide for this years Tour.
The Lance factor helped the 2009 Tour to draw record crowds, record event specific visitors, record numbers in the public ride and record economic benefit for the State.
It was undoubtedly the biggest sporting event ever held in South Australia and went on to be named Australias Best Tourism Event in the Australian Event Awards in Sydney last October.
This years Santos Tour Down Under has already attracted the best ever field of cyclists and set a new record of 8083 riders in the Mutual Community Challenge Tour.
We hope to see a huge spectator turnout for the Cancer Council Helpline Classic opener on 17 January and for each of the six race stages from 19-24 January.
Lance Armstrong also represents hope to everyone who has been touched by cancer.
His Livestrong message is now global and has an established base here in Adelaide.
Tourism Minister Jane Lomax-Smith says the Santos Tour Down Under is part of the prestigious UCI ProTour circuit.
We made history as the first race outside Europe to join the UCI ProTour circuit and have now locked in UCI ProTour status until 2013, Dr Lomax-Smith says.
Were delighted to have Santos on board as a major naming rights sponsor for the next four years, allowing us to increase our marketing of the event.
Live race coverage on ABC digital radio, mobile phone-accessible web pages and a new Santos Tour Down Under iPhone app will give fans more ways to follow the race action.
Dr Lomax-Smith says Australias Cadel Evans is also a confirmed starter and will compete in his rainbow colours as winner of the World Road Championships in September.
This may be the only chance to ever see two legends compete against one another on Australian soil, she says.
We also have South Australias own Stuart OGrady, last years Tour winner Allan Davis and international champions Oscar Pereiro and Alejandro Valverde.
There will be plenty to see and do over the seven days of the Tour, with regional towns and suburbs on the Tour route staging parties and celebrations.
The Santos Tour Down Under is owned and operated by the State Government.
Last years record Tour Down Under results:
o 760,500 total crowd figures, up from 548,000
o 36,200 event specific visitors, up from 15,100
o $39 million boost to SAs economy, up from $17.3 million
o $226 million in international media coverage value, up from $43 million
o 7127 cyclists in the Mutual Community Challenge Tour, up from 3404 (8083 in 2010)
Click here to download media release.
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Story Published by:Santos Tour Down Under
Article URL:http://tourdownunder.com.au/news--and--media/latestnewsreleases/2010mediareleases/lancearmstrongbackinadelaide
Date and Time Published:Thursday, 14 January, 10