Fabian Cancellara is a guest of honour at the Santos Tour Down Under 2020 Legends’ Night on Saturday
Fabian Cancellara says he owes his appearance at the Santos Tour Down Under to his good friend, incoming race director Stuart O’Grady.
Cycling
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If ever the SA Tourism commission wanted to sack the controversial ‘Old Mate’ campaign, Santos Tour Down Under special guest Fabian Cancellara is ideal to spruik the goodness of SA.
Now retired Cancellera, 38, is in the state for the first time before he will be honoured at the Santos Tour Down Under 2020 Legends’ Night, at the Adelaide Convention Centre on Saturday.
His glowing report on SA couldn’t have come at a better time given the mood after the recent bushfires ravaged many parts of the state.
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Swiss based Cancellara won four individual time trial world titles and a hat-trick of victories at the Paris-Roubaix.
He is also the reigning Olympic road race gold medallist and had seven stage wins at the Tour de France.
“I will go home and not only talk about “oh it’s been a nice week and I have seen the riders,’’ he said at Woodside before the start of stage 2 on Wednesday.
“I will go home and say listen “the bushfires, in Europe everyone was thinking all of Australia was on fire” but that’s not the case.
“There’s a lot of trash out there but look I will go back and tell them I have seen a lot of South Australia, this is what it’s about.
“Even the travel (from Switzerland to Adelaide) they were saying “it’s a long trip and you can’t do this.
“Now I can say “when you go to Australia for a week, you can do it.”
“These are the messages I will be taking home, of course the race and the people I have met.”
Cancellara reiterated that he owed incoming new race director Stuart O’Grady all the gratitude for introducing him to the Tour Down Under and South Australia.
“I had the honour to be at Yalumba (in the Barossa Valley) and saw the story about it,’’ Cancellara said.
“(Wednesday) we’ll have a barbecue at Stuey’s (O’Grady’s) place with old friends and I feel appreciated to be here.
“This is my respect to Stuey and all the years I have been with Stuey (as teammates).
“I’m supporting him and this is also my thanks to him,
“On the other hand now the experience the race, the fans, just people how they’re riding bicycles and what Adelaide and Tour Down Under has created, it is really nice.”
Originally published as Fabian Cancellara is a guest of honour at the Santos Tour Down Under 2020 Legends’ Night on Saturday