This is EXCELLENT news for SA and the Tour Down Under, well done to the State Government and all others involved. Bring on the extra tourists I saySOUTH Australia's Tour Down Under cycling race has been elevated to the world stage after being awarded ProTour status in Europe last night.
The announcement in Stuttgart, Germany, marked the first time a cycling event outside Europe has been awarded world cycling's highest status.
This means the event will attract more of the world's top teams and riders, many of them contenders in world events such as the Tour de France, which also is part of the ProTour.
China, Russia and the U.S. were also bidding for ProTour status.
Premier Mike Rann said it would result in huge benefits for the state.
From next January, 18 world-class teams will ride in the Tour Down Under, held in January, resulting in an expected 60 per cent increase in overseas and interstate tourists attending the event.
A delighted Mr Rann told The Advertiser the event would bring huge benefits to SA.
He said the touring nature of the event would showcase many of the state's top locations.
"Never in world cycling history has ProTour status been given to any event outside Europe," he said. "Every team and every top rider will come here.
"This is unbeatable.
"It also means, very importantly for us, just a quantum leap in terms of worldwide television coverage".
Mr Rann said the great advantage for cycling over any other sport is that you get continuous coverage worldwide for six days featuring some of the most beautiful scenery and destinations we have to offer.
The State Government will now begin developing a series of associated events to complement the Tour.
"It will become a series of festivals built around the Tour Down Under," Mr Rann said.
He said the state's exposure to a worldwide audience would be more valuable than when SA hosted the Formula One motor racing event in the 1980s and early 1990s.
"In terms of coverage of scenic locations, this is unbeatable. Even when we had Formula One, we couldn't get that kind of coverage.
"There is a massive worldwide following of cycling not only in Europe but in the United States, South America and elsewhere.
"It is the type of publicity money can't buy."
Mr Rann and Tourism Minister Jane Lomax-Smith spent more than 12 months preparing SA's bid.
"We have been heavily lobbying the world council," Mr Rann said.
"There has been a frenzy of lobbying.
"It is a big thing for the world council to do something totally different."
Mr Rann said he was very tense ahead of last night's announcement.
"The thing we were confident about was that we couldn't have done any more," he said.
"Jane has been obsessed."
Dr Lomax-Smith the announcement rewarded SA's hard work to win the bid.
"Expansion of the series outside of Europe for the first time ever has been a hotly debated topic in the international cycling community for some time," she said.
"Next year is the 10th anniversary of the Tour Down Under and what better birthday present than an announcement that we have won the right to be the first country outside of Europe ever to host a Pro Tour event."
Race director Mike Turtur said he was confident the state would be prepared for the event by January.
"The UCI has confidence in our ability to deliver a ProTour event in January next year and we will absolutely make sure that happens," he said.
Australia is the ninth country to be awarded Pro Tour status.
The race remains without a naming sponsor, but Czech Republic vehicle manufacturer Skoda - the official motor vehicle of the Tour de France - is now expected to parade 50 vehicles during the tour following a recent sponsorship deal.
Article: Tour goes global
Article: Tour goes global
http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/stor ... 01,00.html
Re: Article: Tour goes global
I hope people don't underestimate just how big this is. Just the teams, support staff, media and international fans will be enough to fill every hotel room in Adelaide (quotes of 35,000 internationals for the two weeks)
This is a massive shot in the arm for Adelaide internationally.
This is a massive shot in the arm for Adelaide internationally.
Re: Article: Tour goes global
I was skeptical about the down under being granted protour status... so huge surprise to me! This is awesome.
Re: Article: Tour goes global
fantastic news!
wonder what the worldwide TV audience would be? they can look at all our icons, like the SGIC building
wonder what the worldwide TV audience would be? they can look at all our icons, like the SGIC building
Re: Article: Tour goes global
This is the international exposure and added buzz we need. If we can bolster our programme of events in February, Adelaide will be non stop party from December to April.
Re: Article: Tour goes global
We just need to make sure that now that it has more international exposure, it doesn't get poached by Victoria like the F1 race did.
Re: Article: Tour goes global
Wow this really is a historic coup for Adelaide and SA. ProTour is not only the most elite and prestigious cycling calender series in the world, but cycling itself is becoming exponentially more popular as a sport globally, and you could expect it to become all the more so with the whole carbon neutral push. Roll over F1...Big win for SA!
- stelaras
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Re: Article: Tour goes global
lets hope we can keep it !
Ide say the vics will push to take this away from us in a few years
Ide say the vics will push to take this away from us in a few years
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Re: Article: Tour goes global
I think the Tour Down Under is under contract to SA for a while so no need to worry about Vics poaching this.. I'm pretty sure we have it for another ten years or something ridiculous.
Great coup for the state though.
Great coup for the state though.
Re: Article: Tour goes global
This is great news for the state, however I would urge the state government to already start negotiations with the organizers to ensure that the event stays in SA. Even though the event may be locked in for the next 10 years, does not mean the Vics have not begun their attempt to steal this event.
- skyliner
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Re: Article: Tour goes global
Very wise suggestions - Vic. would just as likely be already preparing to take this in 10 years. The next job of course is to sell Adelaide again to the organisers and lock it into Adelaide. Grand Prix a very nasty deal - leaves bad taste.
Jack.
Re: Article: Tour goes global
Yeah the Grand Prix deal was shocking. I will never forget that day. I think it was 1993 that it was announced it would go in 1995. The main problem was that SA was in such a bad way with our extreme version of a recession at that time, that Victoria comming along and kicking us in the guts and stealing the event, at that point in time, was just too much! The Grand Prix was about the only thing we had left at that point. Although the 'kick a vic' thing was a bit extreme, I must admit I felt hate towards Victoria at that time and it was made worse by the arrogance of many Vic people I knew who really rubbed it in. Look how they have virtually ruined the event too. Now we don't even want it back. SA did such a great job, it was know as the best F1 event in the world at one point as well, thanks for taking it and wrecking it Vics, what a waste!
So I am always on the look out for the Vics trying to steal anything that is successful over here to make their state the 'sports state'. Bloody easy title to get when you steal all the other state's events. Perth should watch out too, that air race must surely be on Melbourne's radar.
So I am always on the look out for the Vics trying to steal anything that is successful over here to make their state the 'sports state'. Bloody easy title to get when you steal all the other state's events. Perth should watch out too, that air race must surely be on Melbourne's radar.
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Re: Article: Tour goes global
It's a mighty chip on some people's shoulders about Vic. I think finally SA can actually stand on its own merits with sporting events and not worry about the Vics.
Can anyone actually explain what happened with the F1?
Can anyone actually explain what happened with the F1?
Re: Article: Tour goes global
Just going on about the F1, we may have lost it but we got something better later on namely, the Clipsal 500. If I am not mistaken, it is more popular then the F1 was? Last year, even with the Commonwealth Games on, we still had a fair few Victorian's come here.
Re: Article: Tour goes global
Yeah I suppose I do have a chip on my shoulder. If you were around in the days when it happened you would probably have a chip on your shoulder too.
It is quiet simple. The Victorians put in a better bid that they could afford as they decided they wanted the Grand Prix and got it. SA was in terrible shape at the time economically, so we lost it.
Here is a quote from the very reliable Wikipedia site :
In 1993 prominent Melbourne businessman Mr Ron Walker AC CBE, current Chairman of the Australian Grand Prix began working with the then Kennett government to make Melbourne the host of the event. After the government of Jeff Kennett spent an undisclosed (but speculated to be quite large) amount, it was announced in late 1993 (days after a South Australian election) that the race would be shifted to a rebuilt Albert Park street circuit in Melbourne. The race moved to Melbourne in 1996.
Yes the Clipsal 500 race is a great, popular event but if you think it even comes close to the F1 in terms of international coverage you are deluded. It is far more profitable and successful than the F1 was, but the international coverage we got in tiny old Adelaide was huge.
I met a few toursists from Brazil in the late 90's, so not long after the race left Adelaide in 1995, and they said they only knew of Adelaide through the F1 event and most Brazilian's new of Adelaide via that coverage. It was the same for many other people overseas. When we lost the F1 we lost a lot of international exposure which was very valuable
It is quiet simple. The Victorians put in a better bid that they could afford as they decided they wanted the Grand Prix and got it. SA was in terrible shape at the time economically, so we lost it.
Here is a quote from the very reliable Wikipedia site :
In 1993 prominent Melbourne businessman Mr Ron Walker AC CBE, current Chairman of the Australian Grand Prix began working with the then Kennett government to make Melbourne the host of the event. After the government of Jeff Kennett spent an undisclosed (but speculated to be quite large) amount, it was announced in late 1993 (days after a South Australian election) that the race would be shifted to a rebuilt Albert Park street circuit in Melbourne. The race moved to Melbourne in 1996.
Yes the Clipsal 500 race is a great, popular event but if you think it even comes close to the F1 in terms of international coverage you are deluded. It is far more profitable and successful than the F1 was, but the international coverage we got in tiny old Adelaide was huge.
I met a few toursists from Brazil in the late 90's, so not long after the race left Adelaide in 1995, and they said they only knew of Adelaide through the F1 event and most Brazilian's new of Adelaide via that coverage. It was the same for many other people overseas. When we lost the F1 we lost a lot of international exposure which was very valuable
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