Published on : Tuesday, July 8, 2014
The International Cycling Union (UCI) has confirmed that the Santos Tour Down Under has been awarded a new UCI WorldTour Licence for the next two years.
Premier Jay Weatherill said a UCI Licence Commission hearing was held in Aigle, Switzerland late last week and that the Santos Tour Down Under has been issued a new two-year UCI WorldTour Licence for the 2015 and 2016 events.
“This is great news for the Santos Tour Down Under, as the biggest cycling race in Australasia and the only UCI WorldTour event staged in the Southern Hemisphere,” he said.
The issue of a licence through to 2016 is in line with the UCI’s work on The Reform of Professional Cycling where the UCI is reviewing all aspects of professional cycling including the UCI WorldTour calendar and team participation. The new calendar will be implemented from 2017 onwards.
“In line with The Reform of Professional Cycling and the direction from UCI, the South Australian Tourism Commission through Events South Australia applied for a licence through to 2016, so we are clearly delighted with this outcome.”
“Whilst the details of the licence application process beyond the 2016 event are still to be confirmed, we will be working closely with the UCI to ensure the Santos Tour Down Under remains the first race on the WorldTour calendar.
“I will be travelling to the Tour de France later this month for meetings with the UCI and wider cycling industry showing our long term commitment to the event,” he said.
This year’s Santos Tour Down Under generated $45.9 million for the State economy – a record for South Australia’s WorldTour cycling event, $2.3 million more than in 2013.
More than 36,000 interstate and overseas visitors travelled specifically to South Australia for the 2014 Santos Tour Down Under which showcased the state to a global audience through 324 hours of television screened internationally.
The 2015 Santos Tour Down Under will be held from January 17 to 25. The race routes and stage details for next year’s event will be announced on Monday July 14.
Source:- SA Tourism
Tags: SA Tourism, Tourism News
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