FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
The Santos Tour Down Under is the first event on the UCI WorldTour road cycling calendar and takes place each January.
The UCI WorldTour is the competition that the highest level of world cycling, and the Santos Tour Down Under is the first event in the southern hemisphere to be elevated to this level.
It is not only a world-class, international event but an 10-day festival celebrating all things cycling and the state of South Australia. The Santos Tour Down Under offers something for everyone.
UCI stands for Union Cycliste Internationale or International Cycling Union. The UCI is the world governing body for cycling and oversees international competitive cycling events. The UCI is based in Aigle, Switzerland.
The UCI issues racing licenses to riders and enforces disciplinary rules. The UCI also manages the classification of races and the points ranking system in various cycling disciplines including mountain biking, road and track cycling. This applies to both men and women at amateur and professional levels. The UCI also oversees the World Championships.
Stuart O'Grady is the Santos Tour Down Under's Race Director.
Annette Edmondson and Carlee Taylor are the Assistant Race Directors.
The Santos Tour Down Under is held annually, typically in the third week of January.
The next event will be held from 12-21 January 2024.
It is held at this time of year as this is the timeslot allocated to the event by the UCI. Being held in January makes the event the first of the UCI WorldTour calendar each year.
The first Santos Tour Down Under was held in January 1999.
All men's UCI WorldTour teams must compete in the Santos Tour Down Under, and the women's WorldTour teams are invited. These teams, along with the national team, make up the Santos Tour Down Under peloton. Each team has seven riders.
In 2024 there is six men's stages plus a separate city criterium, and three women's stages.
The Santos Tour Down Under is sanctioned by the UCI and is staged according to the UCI WorldTour guidelines.
The Santos Tour Down Under awards four jerseys throughout the race.
The Santos Ochre Leader's Jersey is awarded to the rider with the fastest cumulative time at the end of each stage and to the overall winner at the end of the race.
The ochre colour, introduced in 2006, is strongly associated with Australia and is unique to the Santos Tour Down Under.
The Schwalbe Classic is a closed circuit road race (criterium). It is held as a preview to the stages of the Santos Tour Down Under. Riders do not receive UCI points in this circuit race.
Official Santos Tour Down Under merchandise will be available to purchase in the coming months.
There are many ways to get involved in the Santos Tour Down Under and the Santos Festival of Cycling. You can register for expressions of interest to volunteer as part of the team here.
Yes! We have a number of participation events that will give you the best seat in the house. In 2024, there will be daily group rides across South Australian regions, the return of the Car Park Climb, and race against Richie Porte in our new Willunga Hill Time Trial. Explore all our participation events here.
The Santos Tour Down Under event organisers are continually innovating to make an exciting offering for recreational riders at the event every year.
We have built a program for 2024 which enables cyclists to experience more of South Australia, in a smaller bunch and to be closer to legends, such as Richie Porte.
The Challenge Tour was a much-loved element at the last TDU and while it may return in the future, the 2024 program will feature more variety to suit a broader range of cycling interests and abilities.
We encourage visitors to explore our regions with the cycling community by riding to the race starts and finishes. Explore popular riding trails through our Bike Atlas and participate in our new events such as the Willunga Hill Time Trial, daily Group Rides and Carpark Climb.
Volunteers play a vital part in the running of the Santos Tour Down Under.
Joining the Santos Tour Down Under team as a volunteer is a great way to experience an international sporting event first hand. We have all sorts of roles on offer - there's sure to be something that suits you!
Yes, the Santos Tour Down Under will be shown on television in Australia and around the world.
Broadcast times are published here when confirmed.
The Santos Tour Down Under is owned and managed by the Government of South Australia on behalf of all South Australians.
The Santos Tour Down Under is partially funded by the South Australian Government, with all other revenue generated through corporate partnerships, valued event sponsors and sales from associated events.
The 2023 race generated $66.5m in economic impact to South Australia – up slightly (0.02%) from 2020. This is a number we hope will grow even higher through next year’s event.
In 2023 we had a live audience of approximately 690,000 spectators, and attracted 38,488 visitors from interstate and overseas, as well as a record broadcast audience up 11% from previous years.
Twelve months of planning, negotiations, operational logistics and technical racing requirements by the race director and event team determine where the Santos Tour Down Under will travel.
The Santos Tour Down Under welcomes expressions of interest from host councils and regional towns in South Australia interested in being involved with future events.
Contact the Event Manager from the Santos Tour Down Under team for more information. All towns involved with the Santos Tour Down Under are no more than a 2 hour drive from the city of Adelaide.
