Strongest Field Yet for Santos Women's Tour

The 2017 Santos Women’s Tour will feature a record 17 teams and see renowned international cyclists racing on the streets of South Australia.

A total of 102 cyclists will compete in the event, with 11 UCI women’s teams to be joined by six domestic teams.

The lineup includes 2016 Santos Women’s Tour winner Katrin Garfoot (ORICA-Scott), a bronze medalist in the time trial at this year’s UCI Road World Championships and a stage winner in the 2016 Tour of Qatar.

Also competing is current Australian road cycling champion, Amanda Spratt, the 2015 Australian road cycling and mountain bike champion Peta Mullens (Hagens Berman Supermint), 2016 Tour of California stage winner Kirsten Wild (Cylance), South Australian Annette Edmondson (Wiggle High5) and South Australian Tiffany Cromwell, stage winner of the Giro Rosa (Canyon Sram).

Santos Women’s Tour race director Kimberley Conte said the event field is stronger than ever.

We are thrilled to be hosting these outstanding athletes in South Australia,” she said.

This is the first opportunity on the 2017 UCI calendar for riders to prepare for a stage race involving multiple days of racing at the highest level. Adelaide is once again taking center stage in the international theater that is World Cycling.”

Minister for Tourism Leon Bignell said women’s sport was vitally important to the South Australian Government.

“In this year’s Budget we pledged an extra $10 million for women’s change rooms at sporting venues as well as extra money to grow the Santos Women’s Tour,” he said.

“As well as the Santos Women's Tour, we have a growing list of incredible events including the women’s T20 cricket, the ISPS Handa Women's Australian Open Golf and the International Netball Quad Series.

“There has been a huge amount of interest in the Santos Women’s Tour since it started. We have worked hard to elevate it to be part of the UCI international calendar as a 2.2 class race. We want to grow the women’s race to be as big as the men’s TDU.”

Along with Katrin Garfoot, Peta Mullins and Annette Edmonson ,fans can look forward to seeing riders such as Annemiek van Vleuten (ORICA-Scott), who sustained three broken vertebrae and concussion after a fall in the Rio Olympics road race and returned to racing just a month later.

Santos Women’s Tour teams and their nations of origin are as follows:

• Ale Cipollini - Italy
• Canyon Sram - Germany
• Cylance - United States
• Drops - Cycling Great Britain
• Hagens Berman Supermint - United States
• High5 Dream Team* - Australia
• Holden* - Australia
• MaaslandsterVeris CCN - Netherlands
• Mercedes Adelaide Blackchrome* - Australia
• New Zealand National Team - New Zealand
• Orica-Scott - Australian UCI Team
• Specialized* - Australia
• NSWIS Sydney Uni* - Australia
• Sho-Air Twenty20 - United States
• Total Rush* - Australia
• United Healthcare - United States
• Wiggle High5 - Australia
  *Domestic teams competing, with the remainder UCI and national teams.

The Santos Women’s Tour will be held from 14-17 January and features two city criteriums, along with stages in the Barossa and Adelaide Hills.