Tea Tree Gully Council and businesses hope the Tour Down Under will return to Modbury in 2015

BUSINESS leaders in Adelaide's north-east want Tour Down Under organisers to re-route the race through their home suburb.

Sfera's Park Suites and Convention Centre general manager Michael Sfera hopes Tea Tree Gully Council's bid to ho...

BUSINESS leaders are urging Tour Down Under organisers to give Tea Tree Gully Council another shot at hosting a stage of Australia's premier cycling race.

The council has lodged an expression of interest with the SA Tourism Commission to hold a stage of the 2015 Tour Down Under, after missing out on a hosting gig for this week's big race.

Traders who spoke to the Leader Messenger last week said they hoped the event would return to Modbury, saying it would help boost the local economy.

Thousands of people had flocked to Civic Park for the Stage 4 start last January.

Tea Tree Gully Council misses out on stage of the Tour Down Under.

Sfera's Park Suites and Convention Centre general manager Michael Sfera said local businesses had benefitted from being in the Tour spotlight.

"We had tourists and even locals stay at our hotel last year so they could catch the cyclists," Mr Sfera said.

"If they were successful, the economic benefits and the benefits of putting Tea Tree Gully on the map certainly outweigh the cost."

He said pop-up stalls and other events should be set up to encourage more people to attend, if the council was chosen to host a stage.

"I did find that once the athletes left (in 2013), people left, so businesses didn't really benefit as much as we could have," Mr Sfera said.

TELL US BELOW: Would you like to see the Tour Down Under return to Modbury?

Modbury Plaza Hotel general manager Nick Rodgers said he expected the event to be even bigger if the council was given a second attempt.

"There wasn't enough activity around last year, so if there was more planned events happening around the area, I think more people would turn up and stay," Mr Rodgers said.

Cafe Buongiorno co-owner Sam Raslan said his business would get behind the Tour again if Modbury played a part next year.

Gully Mayor Miriam Smith said the council would welcome a stage start or finish and traders' ideas would be taken on board if the bid was successful.

"If we have the opportunity be involved in 2015, the nature of the activities would be dependent to the stage allocated," she said.

Events South Australia general manager Hitaf Rasheed said applications would be assessed in coming months.

"Council applications to host Santos Tour Down Under stage starts and finishes are assessed on their merits," she said.

TELL US BELOW: Would you like to see the Tour Down Under return to Modbury?