Tour Down Under
The Tour Down Under (known as the Santos Tour Down Under through a partnership arrangement) is a cycling race in and around Adelaide, South Australia. It is traditionally the opening event of the UCI World Tour and UCI Women’s WorldTour.
| 2024 Tour Down Under | |
| Race details | |
|---|---|
| Date | January |
| Region | South Australia |
| English name | Tour Down Under |
| Nickname(s) | TDU |
| Discipline | Road |
| Competition | UCI World Tour |
| Type | Stage race |
| Organiser | Events South Australia |
| Race director | Stuart O'Grady |
| Web site | www |
| History | |
| First edition | 24 January 1999 |
| Editions | 24 (as of 2024) |
| First winner | Stuart O'Grady (AUS) |
| Most wins | Simon Gerrans (AUS) (4 wins) |
| Most recent | Stephen Williams (GBR) |
The event was established in 1999 with the support of then Premier of South Australia John Olsen as part of an effort to strengthen the state’s sporting calendar after the Australian Grand Prix moved from Adelaide to Melbourne, Victoria. Since that time it has been owned and managed by the South Australian Government through Events South Australia, the events division of the South Australian Tourism Commission. It experienced rapid growth in its first two decades, becoming the first race granted UCI ProTour status (now UCI WorldTour) in 2008 and the first event of the UCI World Ranking calendar in 2009.
The Santos Tour Down Under takes place each January and features stages suited to sprinters, climbers and all-rounders. Its 2021 and 2022 editions were cancelled after organisers were unable to accommodate both the needs of international teams and local quarantine and border management requirements due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2024 Santos Tour Down Under will take place from 12-21 January.
Like other UCI WorldTour races, the men’s race attracts all the top UCI teams, as well as a national representative team made up of riders without full-time professional contracts. In 2023 the Santos Tour Down Under women’s race joined the UCI Women's World Tour – the highest level of international road cycling competition.
Men’s and women’s teams traditionally consist of six riders. The rider with the lowest cumulative time after each stage is honoured with the ochre jersey. Similarly, leaders in the sprint, mountains and youth classifications wear jerseys to signify their positions in those standings.