Stirling stunner caps historic Santos Tour Down Under

A stunning day in Stirling has put an exclamation mark on an historic edition of the Santos Tour Down Under (TDU) which has again attracted huge crowds to South Australia.

Australian cyclist Jay Vine clinched his second Santos Ochre Jersey in front of thousands of fans in the picturesque Adelaide Hills on Sunday, joining Swiss star Noemi Ruegg as a dual champion after she won the women’s race for a second time last week.

Over the past 10 days cycling fans lined the roads and filled cafes and restaurants from the Barossa Valley to the Fleurieu Peninsula and Adelaide Hills, and the City of Adelaide Tour Village which was the heartbeat of the Tour in the CBD.

For the first time, all 14 women’s WorldTeams were in the race, making it a truly complete international field as they lined up alongside all 18 men’s WorldTour teams.

The women’s race celebrated first-time stage starts in Willunga, Norwood and Magill, while spectators turned out in force for the first ever stage start in Henley Beach as part of the men’s race.

The hills town of Brukunga has been announced as the winner of the Santos Best Dressed Town Award.

Brukunga held three community workshops and used recyclable materials including tins and egg cartons to decorate the fenceline with flowers, replanted the community garden and used bikes and letters to celebrate the town and the Tour.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Tourism Zoe Bettison:
 
“Once again the Santos Tour Down Under has delivered for South Australia, staging a world-class international bike race alongside a 10-day festival that celebrates the very best of our state.
 
“The event has a touchpoint with so many regions and towns and was warmly embraced by South Australians and visitors alike, with strong crowds turning out right across the route.
 
“The Santos Tour Down Under is one of South Australia’s most important tourism events, showcasing our regions, landscapes, food and wine to a global audience and driving significant economic benefit for local businesses.
 
“Over 10 days, the Tour brings visitors into our regions, fills hotels and restaurants, and delivers a major boost to the visitor economy — from the Adelaide Hills and Barossa to the Fleurieu Peninsula and the CBD.
 
“It’s a powerful opportunity to tell South Australia’s story on the world stage and show why our regions are such compelling destinations to visit and return to.
 
“This strong momentum continues next month with LIV Golf Adelaide, which will again attract tens of thousands of visitors, generate substantial economic impact and reinforce South Australia’s reputation as a leading destination for major international events.”
 
Quotes attributable to Santos Tour Down Under Race Director Stuart O’Grady:
 
“I’m absolutely rapt, there have certainly been some challenges to overcome dealing with weather and open roads but the entire team took it up a notch this week and to see the men’s and women’s riders lift was awesome.
 
“We have increased the difficulty level this year but as we saw after 170km around Stirling on Sunday we still had a large bunch come in it shows how high the quality of the field is and how serious the Santos Tour Down Under has become.
 
“We worked hard on delivering the best race we could and to have all 14 women’s teams and all 18 men’s teams plus our first ever Swiss Tudor team and the national team here, it was a big family effort to put it on and I’m really happy with how it turned out.”
 
Attendance figures and economic impact of the event will be announced at a later date.