Tour Down Under

Infobox Cycling race
name = Tour Down Under
current_event =



date = January
region = Adelaide, South Australia
english = Tour Down Under
localnames =
nickname =
discipline = Road
competition = UCI ProTour
type = Stage race
organiser =
director = Mike Turtur
first = 1999
number = 10 (as of 2008)
last =
firstwinner = flagicon|AUS Stuart O'Grady
mostwins = flagicon|AUS Stuart O'Grady (2 wins)
mostrecent = flagicon|GER André GreipelThe Tour Down Under is a cycling race held in Adelaide, South Australia, and the surrounding area. The race starts on the third Tuesday of January each year, and it attracts esteemed riders from across Australia and around the world. In 2005, the Tour Down Under was promoted by the Union Cycliste Internationale to the international rating of 2.HC, making it the largest and highest ranking cycling event outside of Europe. From 2008 the Tour Down Under became the first UCI ProTour event to be held outside of Continental Europe.

History

List of overall winners

* 2008 Andre Greipel flagicon|GER, High Road
* 2007 Martin Elmiger flagicon|SUI, Ag2r
* 2006 Simon Gerrans flagicon|AUS, Ag2r
* 2005 Luis León Sánchez flagicon|ESP, Liberty Seguros Team
* 2004 Patrick Jonker flagicon|AUS, UniSA
* 2003 Mikel Astarloza flagicon|ESP, Ag2r
* 2002 Michael Rogers flagicon|AUS, Australian Institute of Sport
* 2001 Stuart O'Grady flagicon|AUS, Credit Agricole
* 2000 Gilles Maignan flagicon|FRA, Ag2r Prévoyance
* 1999 Stuart O'Grady flagicon|AUS, Credit Agricole

Tour directors

*1999 to present: Mike Turtur.

Jerseys

Generally a coloured jersey is associated with each prize. The current holder of the prize is required to wear the jersey when racing. [cite web |url=http://www.tourdownunder.com.au/2006/index.php?id=jerseys |title=Jerseys |publisher=2006 Jabob's Creek Tour Down Under |accessdate=2007-01-16]

Current jerseys

*The "Ochre" leaders jersey is awarded to the rider with the fastest cumulative time at the end of each stage and to the overall winner at the end of the race. Ochre is a colour strongly associated with Australia, and the Tour Down Under is unique in having it as the colour of the prestigious leaders' jersey from 2006.

*The "Sprint" jersey is awarded to the rider who leads the sprint points tally after each stage. Points and time bonuses are awarded to the first three riders across the line at designated sprints along the route and at the stage finish.

*The "King of the Mountain" jersey is awarded at the end of each stage to the rider who leads the mountain points tally. Points are awarded to the first five riders over the summit of designated climbs during the race.

*The "Young rider’s" jersey is awarded to the eligible rider who has the fastest cumulative time at the end of each stage in the competition for riders under the age of 23.

*The "Most aggressive rider’s" jersey is awarded at the end of each stage to the rider who is judged to have instigated the most attacks, breakaways or assisted their team-mates to the best advantage during the stage.

*The "Winning team" jersey is awarded to the leading team - the team with the lowest cumulative time determined by adding together the times of the team’s first four riders across the line on each of the six stages.

2005 Event

The 2005 Tour Down Under was a six-day tour that was staged from 18 to 23 January 2005, and covered a total of convert|728|km|mi|lk=on. Luis León Sánchez from Spain was the overall winner.

The race started with a circuit race stage in the East Parklands and finished with a circuit in the North Parklands. The other four stages are road stages usually including visits to the Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Fleurieu Peninsula and Adelaide Hills.

Be Active Tour

In the tradition of L'Etape du Tour in France (a companion event to the Tour de France) the Tour Down Under has a companion event known as the "Be Active Tour". This event is one of Australia's fastest growing recreational cycling events, giving cyclists an opportunity to ride a full stage of the race before the professional riders race over the same route later in the day. The inaugural event in 2003 was known as the Breakaway Tour and attracted more than 600 riders. In 2004 the number of riders had increased to 1,400 and was known from then on as the Be Active Tour. The 2005 tour saw more than 1,900 riders leave Salisbury, Williamstown and Angaston in 30 Degree heat to tackle the hills and roads of Stage 2 of the Tour Down Under. In 2006, riders rode 154km from Strathalbyn to Yankalilla with temperatures in the high 30°'s, the extremely hot conditions took it's toll on some riders and a heat policy now exists for future rides.

2007 saw the name change again to Mutual Community Challenge Tour and the introduction of the Mutual Community Fun Tour and Powerade mini tour for kids. These two new events are aimed at increasing the popularity of the event and attracting people who do not ride regularly. [cite web |url=http://www.tourdownunder.com.au/node/9 |title=Mutual Community Challenge Tour |accessdate=2007-01-16 |publisher=Tour Down Under]

Records

Stuart O'Grady (Australia) holds the record as the only rider to have won the Tour Down Under twice (in 1999 and again in 2001).

Women's Criterium Series

There is a complementary women's criterium series every year, which consists of 3 street circuits. This is sponsored by UniSA and is generally held at the same place as the men's race, or at the end of the men's race. In 2007 they are races of 30 minutes plus one lap. [ [http://www.tourdownunder.com.au/node/48 Stages and Results | Tour Down Under] Accessed 2007-01-16]

2009 Event

Australian ABC radio reported on 24 September 2008 that Lance Armstrong will contest the 2009 race, as the first event of his come back from retirement.

References

ee also

*Bicycling terminology

External links

* [http://www.tourdownunder.com.au/ Tour Down Under]
* [http://www.bikemap.net/user/Tour%20Down%20Under/routes Bike
] : all stages on a map with elevation profile