THE 2021 SANTOS TOUR DOWN UNDER DATES ANNOUNCED
The 2021 Santos Tour Down Under will kick start the international men's and women's racing calendars.
The Santos Women's Tour Down Under will be staged from 14-17 January 2021, followed by the Schwalbe Classic on 17 January, and the six-stage men's Santos Tour Down Under from 19-24 January.
The 23rd edition of Australia's Greatest Cycling Race will see the UCI WorldTour peloton cycle throughout Adelaide and the surrounding regions, with routes to be announced later this year.
Meanwhile, The Santos Tour Down Under has celebrated 2020 with increased visitation and support to the Adelaide Hills communities affected by the devastating bushfires. The message from regional towns was loud and clear; despite the impact of the bushfires, the Adelaide Hills was open for business and welcomed thousands of visitors.
A new race route, hosting the Schwalbe Classic in the heart of the City of Adelaide, increased crowds and welcomed 95,000 fans into the CBD. The day delivered action packed activities for fans and families including the final leg of the Women’s Schwalbe Stage 4, the City of Adelaide Tour Village, Santos Paracycling Wheel Race, Westpac Mini Tour for Kids and Westpac Family Ride.
In the face of testing times for Australians, 779,362 spectators turned out to cheer on the world’s best cyclists as they raced 1,304 kilometres throughout the state. This year’s event attracted 44,801 event specific visitors from interstate and overseas who travelled to South Australia just for the Santos Tour Down Under, creating 742 full time equivalent jobs and generating an economic benefit of $66.4 million.
Hitaf Rasheed, Executive Director, Events South Australia said the Santos Tour Down Under is an event that continues to create jobs and drive visitation. She acknowledged that although the catastrophic bushfires impacted overall results slightly, the crowds who turned out for 2020 race was a true testament to their passion for the event and support for South Australian regions.
“In a difficult time for all Australians, we’re really pleased with the outcomes the 2020 event generated. These outcomes should be celebrated by those services and companies who contribute directly to the event. These include hundreds of volunteers, our state emergency services including SAPOL, CFS and SES, our event partners, including our naming rights partner Santos and host councils,” said Ms Rasheed.
“We were proud of the role the Santos Tour Down Under was able to play in a very difficult time for South Australia.
“The Adelaide Hills region featured in six of the ten road stages, with visitors embracing the message to visit and spend, particularly in affected towns.”
The international television broadcast showcased the Santos Tour Down Under and South Australia to 190 territories across five continents and millions of viewers around the globe.
The visibility of the event broadcast was vitally important to show the world that South Australia was open for business during the devastating national bushfires.
Kevin Gallagher, Managing Director and CEO, Santos said that as the naming rights sponsor they were pleased to continue to invest in the Santos Tour Down Under, contributing to a successful event for South Australians.
“Santos was proud to contribute additional support behind the Santos Women’s Tour Down Under to facilitate a national broadcast for the first time, live streamed on 7plus, while also encouraging the first Santos Paracycling Wheel Race at the 2020 event,” said Mr Gallagher.
“During tough times for our state, the Santos Tour Down Under brought people to SA, created local jobs and provided an important shot in the arm for the local economy.
“The Santos Tour Down Under is uniquely South Australian and as a South Australian company, Santos looks forward to supporting another edition of the world class event in 2021.”
Note: The Santos Tour Down Under is working to deliver a full program for the 2021 race and will monitor the situation as it relates to COVID-19.
