Five reasons to include the Santos Tour Down Under in your holiday plans
Looking to make some fun holiday plans this summer? With activities and events for everyone, the Santos Tour Under will definitely have your covered.
If you need more convincing, here's five reasons why you'll want to include the TDU in your holiday plans:
1. You'll watch history being made as the start of the UCI WorldTour calendar kicks off
The Santos Tour Down Under is the opening race of the UCI WorldTour calendar – the pinnacle of world road cycling – and it starts right here in Adelaide, South Australia.
Find a spot along the race routes and watch history in the making as the world’s best male and female cyclists race through South Australia competing for the coveted Ochre jersey and earning points that will be crucial to the remainder of their UCI WorldTour season.
2. Get up close with the world's most elite cyclists
South Australia is the place to be if you want to see the world’s best riders in action. When the riders - the same ones that race the Grand Tours like the Tour de France and Giro D'Italia - aren't racing, they're wandering through the Adelaide City, exploring the City of Adelaide Tour Village or training in South Australian regions. The Santos Tour Down Under is one of the only races where you can get up close with world champions and Australian legends.
Over the years the likes of Peter Sagan, Oscar Freire and Phillipe Gilbert, Tour de France champion Cadel Evans, and big international names like Tadej Pogačar, Jasper Phillipsen, Simon Yates, André Greipel, Geraint Thomas, Luis Leon Sanchez, Erik Zabel, and Alejandro Valverde, as well as Aussie heroes like Richie Porte, Amanda Spratt, Caleb Ewan, Grace Brown, Ben O'Connor and Jai Hindley (just to name a few!) have competed since the race's inception in 1999.
3. It’s summer in South Australia
So if you’re in Australia and love the spectacle of elite sport and the world’s best athletes going head-to-head, the lure of the Santos Tour Down Under is undeniable. If you’re not an Aussie – or live in the cold north at this time of year, South Australian needs to be on your holiday destination list.
Not only do you get to see the pros in action, but many of the stages take you to South Australia’s world-famous food and wine regions – the Barossa and McLaren Vale – as well as the popular towns of the Adelaide Hills and the picture-perfect Fleurieu Peninsula and Murray Rivers Lakes and Coorong regions.
There's nothing quite like summer in South Australia, so exploring our stunning beachside towns like Port Willunga, Aldinga Beach and Victor Harbor is a must.
There's something for the whole family to experience while adventuring around South Australia.
4. You can join the ride
Don’t let the professionals have all the fun – the Santos Tour Down Under has fun for riders of all ages.
Test your legs on the Garmin Willunga Hill Time Trial or explore more of South Australia on one of our daily group rides.
Get the whole family involved and register for our Family Ride where you'll ride alongside former Santos Tour Down Under winner and International Time Trial Champion Rohan Dennis, as he is joined by his own family at the start line.
5. Experience the largest festival of cycling in the Southern Hemisphere
The City of Adelaide Tour Village is home to the largest Festival of Cycling in the southern hemisphere - it's free to enter and there's something for everyone to get around.
For cycling fanatics, you can check out the team zone - the only WorldTour race that gives fans unprecedented access to the world's best riders. Here, you'll get up close the the team mechanics to see how the best in the business look after the world’s most expensive racing bikes.
There's also the largest bike expo in Australia featuring the latest technology and innovations from the biggest brands in cycling, a live podcast zone, a recovery zone and so much more.
For kids – we've got a dedicated kids zone packed full of fun and interactive activities to keep them entertained like our 'Follow the Ochre Trail' show bag and treasure map. There’ll also be kids crafts and some great prize giveaways throughout the event.
