New six-day cycling festival to replace Tour Down Under in January and kick-start tourist season

The Tour Down Under will be replaced by a new six-day cycling festival in January and be followed by the Fringe, Adelaide Festival and WOMADelaide.

Men's and women's race directors Stuart O'Grady and Kimberley Conte at the announcement of the Santos Festival of Cycling with Darren Hicks (para-cycling), Meg Lemon (para-cycling), Carlee Taylor (road), Ella Sibley (track), Nat Redmond (cyclocross), Cam Ivory (mountain bike), Tristan Sauders (road) and Dontay Cooper (BMX). Picture: Roy Van der Vegt.

A new six-day ‘festival of cycling’ to replace the Tour Down Under will keep the state’s tourism heart beating and launch into a normal February and ‘mad March’ according to Events SA boss Hitaf Rasheed.

Ms Rasheed on Monday announced the Santos Festival of Cycling from January 19-24 would feature a four-stage road race for Australia’s top domestic teams as well as a track, BMX, mountain bike and cyclocross event.

Like the international race, the TDU’s traditional street parties have also been scrapped for next year but thousands of spectators will be allowed into stage starts and finishes provided they secure a free ticket to comply with COVID-19 protocols.

The men’s and women’s road race will take in the Barossa, Adelaide Hills and McLaren Vale regions, the CBD and feature the traditional hill-top finish on Old Willunga Hill.

Ms Rasheed said the cycling festival would be followed by the Adelaide Fringe, Adelaide Festival and WOMADelaide while “a range of ideas” were being considered to replace the Superloop V8s.

“I think we’re going to have a great summer and start to the year, the reason we talked about wanting to do the Santos Festival of Cycling was to keep the heartbeat of South Australia going and I think that heartbeat will continue into February and March.,” Ms Rasheed said.

“We already know that cycling in SA and Adelaide in January is what people want to see, and we’ve already heard anecdotally of people who are planning to come to Adelaide and enjoy whatever we have.

The international field won’t be in Adelaide for the Tour Down Under which has been cancelled for 2021, but cycling fever will still sweep the city with a new six-day ‘festival of cycling’. Picture: Sarah Reed.

“So we feel really comfortable about the event and absolute confidence people will be excited to join in the Santos Festival of Cycling.”

Men’s race director Stuart O’Grady said the peloton would include teams of seven riders and there would be “a few surprise announcements” later in the week.

“It’s great to get an event up and going and keep the heart beating for cycling, sports and events in South Australia,” he said.

“The four-day, four stage race will take in the Barossa Valley, Adelaide Hills, Fleurieu Peninsula and CBD with a criterium on the final day.

“Racing for the first time in history will take in the same stage starts and finishes and for men and women and both races will happen on the same day which is pretty exciting.”

Women’s race director Kimberley Conte said she expected the action to be fast and exciting.

“As we know from experience from Tour Down Under, the first stage race of the year often has a lot of jittery and nervous riders so we expect to see that even more this time,” she said.

“But they don’t have long to be nervous, Stu has developed a really good course.”

STAGE 1

Thursday, January 21: Seppeltsfield to Tanunda.

STAGE 2

Friday, January 22: Birdwood to Lobethal.

STAGE 3

Saturday, January 23: McLaren Vale to Willunga Hill.

STAGE 4

Sunday, January 24: Victoria Park criterium.

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