Legends Descend at the Santos Tour Down Under this January
Some of the biggest names who have helped shape the Santos Tour Down Under’s history will descend on South Australia this January to join 25th anniversary celebrations.
Fans will have the opportunity to see these cycling legends at public and corporate events, with further details to be confirmed in the coming weeks.
Join these legends this January:
André Greipel
Greipel really is the Santos Tour Down Under’s André the Giant. Boasting an unequalled 18 stage wins at the event, the German made an immediate impression from his very first Santos Tour Down Under in 2008, where he claimed the General Classification and four stage wins.
He returned to the top of the GC winner’s podium in 2010, and has since become synonymous with success in South Australia. The sprinter also has a phenomenal 22 stage wins in the Grand Tours to his name, including 11 in the Tour de France.
Cadel Evans
If there was ever an Aussie hero to embrace, Cadel Evans stole the show at the 2010 Santos Tour Down Under, where he returned to his home country sporting the famous ‘rainbow jersey’ reserved for world champion. The next year, Evans would become the first Australian to conquer cycling’s greatest feat – winning the Tour de France. A ten-time Santos Tour Down Under competitor, the Territorian finished twice on the podium in 2014 and 2015. Evans will be at Legends’ Night Dinner presented by Telstra.
Amanda Spratt
Nicknamed ‘Spratty’, Amanda Spratt has risen from BMX champion in her youth to a record holder in the women’s Santos Tour Down Under with three overall wins. From the inaugural event in 2016, the Penrith-born rider has competed in seven Santos Tour Down Under races. She is also a three-time National Road Race Champion and boasts stage race wins in Europe.
Stuart O’Grady OAM
Stuart O’Grady OAM’s association with the Santos Tour Down Under is as lengthy as the event itself. The Inaugural champion in 1999, O’Grady claimed a second crown in 2001. He raced in 13 editions of the Santos Tour Down Under and is now building another legacy as Race Director. The South Australian is an Olympic gold medallist, a Paris-Roubaix winner, and dual stage winner in the Tour de France. Fans will see O’Grady throughout the event, starting with the team presentations in the City of Adelaide Tour Village (Victoria Square/Tarntanyangga).
Richie Porte
Richie Porte is known as the King of Willunga Hill – and for good reason. He claimed an unmatched six successive stage wins up the gruelling climb, using his impressive power-to-weight ratio to charge up the final kilometre. A proud Tasmanian (Porte was known to wear a necklace in the shape of his home stage, handcrafted by a jeweller in Launceston), he claimed two overall Santos Tour Down Under titles, along with victories in major European races including Paris-Nice, Volta a Catalunya, Tour de Romandie, Tour de Suisse and Critérium du Dauphiné.
Although plagued by several nasty crashes throughout his career, Porte had a taste of the Tour de France podium when he finished third overall in Paris in 2020. He will be speaking at Legends’ Night Dinner presented by Telstra.
Mark Cavendish
Mark Cavendish - the ‘Manx Missile’ - is regarded as the greatest sprinter of all time. Having broken cycling legend Eddy Merckx’s 48-year-old record of 35 stage wins in the Tour de France just before retirement, Cavendish will come to the Santos Tour Down Under as an identity carved into the sport’s identity. A World Road Race Champion with stage wins in all three Grand Tours, Cavendish will be seen in both public and corporate events, including at the City of Adelaide Tour Village during team presentation on Friday 17 January, where he will sign autographs alongside current riders. He will also feature in a hosted Q&A as guest of honour at the Legends’ Night Dinner presented by Telstra.
Grace Brown
Boasting the rainbow jersey from the recent UCI Road World Championships following time trial and team relay victories, Grace Brown is an integral name in the Santos Tour Down Under. A six-time competitor in the race, the Victorian claimed the overall prize in 2023 after winning individual stages in 2019 and 2023. She is a four-time National Time Trial Champion and a gold medallist from the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Robbie McEwen AM
A 12-time entrant to the Santos Tour Down Under, Robbie McEwen AM was a fundamental part of the event during the 2000s. A 12-time stage winner, McEwen finished on the podium in 2004 and 2006 and claimed the sprinters jersey classification on three occasions. Internationally, he also won the Tour de France’s sprinters jersey classification three times and was considered the fastest sprinter in the world at his peak. He has 12 stage wins in both the Tour de France and Giro d’Italia.
Michael Rogers
Michael Rogers etched his name into the Santos Tour Down Under history books after winning 2002’s edition on a fan’s bike. Cruelled by a mechanical issue on the final stage, fan Adam Pyke became an instant hero, lending his own near-identical Colnago to Rogers. The New South Welshman went on to claim the unlikeliest of victories, triumphantly catching the peloton and the General Classification title. His record extends to stage wins in the Tour de France and Giro d’Italia, along with stage race wins in the Tour of Belgium and Tour of California. A ten-time competitor at the Santos Tour Down Under, Rogers will share his incredible story at Legends’ Night Dinner presented by Telstra.
Pat Jonker
A legend of Australian cycling, Patrick Jonker finished his career as a professional cyclist with a fairytale ending – hoisting 2004’s Santos Tour Down Under trophy after his final race. The moment cemented his status as a pivotal figure in the event’s history. A two-time Olympian and five-time Tour de France competitor, Jonker now leads small groups on mountain bike adventures in the Himalayas, with profits going to local guides and porters.
Daryl Impey
Daryl Impey will forever be known as the first (and so far only) back-to-back winner of the Santos Tour Down Under, after reaching the event’s mountaintop in 2018 and 2019. The South African has raced in South Australia ten times. He has also worn the yellow jersey in the Tour de France and has claimed nine National Time Trial Championships in his home country. Upon his retirement in 2013, Impey described his Santos Tour Down Under wins as special because of his relationship with the race over many years.
Mike Turtur AO
Mike Turtur AO is intrinsically linked to the Santos Tour Down Under’s history. The inaugural Race Director held the role until the end of the 2020 race, becoming globally recognised for his dedication to the event. Before taking on the Race Director role, Turtur won an Olympic gold medal on the track at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics in the 4000m Team Pursuit, and doing so with a broken wrist!
