Media Release: September 28 - Tour Down Under - 20 - 27 January 2008

Spectate, Participate, Celebrate! It’s Ours! Protour Cycling Comes To SA. South Australia’s own Tour Down Under will become the first ProTour cycling race outside of Europe - and a year quicker than planned, it was announced in Germany last night.

President of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), Mr Pat McQuaid, announced the ProTour series will kick off in South Australia in January 2008 - a year earlier than we were bidding for.

In making the announcement in Stuttgart, Germany, Mr McQuaid said:

“I’m very pleased with the news today from the Professional Cycling Council (UCI) that we will be bringing the Tour Down Under into the ProTour,” UCI Pesident Pat McQuaid said.

“This is a just reward for an event going into it's tenth year that gets better and better each year, increased media attention in Europe and is a testament to the sport of cycling.

“I am personally pleased as this is working toward the globalisation of the sport, because this will be the first time a ProTour event will be held outside Europe.

“The efforts in Adelaide and success of the Tour Down Under are due to the support of Mike Rann, who I've met with on several occasions, and whose enthusiasm knows no bounds.

“I look forward to being at your ProTour event next year and visiting Adelaide.”

Premier Mike Rann said the announcement is a double victory for the State and the best possible present for the Tour Down Under’s 10^th birthday next year.

“This news caps off a spectacular week in South Australia’s history,” Mr Rann said.

“We have had perhaps our best ever economic news emerging from the Olympic Dam mine in the north of the State and now a massive sporting coup for South Australia.

“Not only will we be the first country outside of Europe to host ProTour, we are the first on the ProTour calendar for next year’s series.

“Originally, we had hoped to secure ProTour over other countries such as the USA (California), Russia and China for 2009, but last night’s announcement from Stuttgart, Germany is even better.

“Whilst there is much hard work to be done, we are confident that we can deliver a ProTour race in just over three months’ time, making us part of this historic milestone in world cycling.

“This is the highest ranking and the highest honour that could be given to our Tour Down Under.

“There could not be any bigger television advertising campaign for South Australia. This will give us the kind of publicity that money cannot buy.

“It will beam South Australia through television screens around the world as the planet’s best cyclists wind their way through some of our most stunning countryside.

“We expect more tourists will travel to South Australia to witness the race and local fans will be able to take part in the biggest ever festival of cycling in our State’s history.

“This is the ultimate reward for a State that has made itself the cycling capital of Australia by truly embracing the sport and turning on a race that is second-to-none.”

Tourism Minister Jane Lomax-Smith said the win is the result of more than 12 months of work to expand the Tour Down Under, along with persistent lobbying of the UCI.

“The Premier, and Race Director Mike Turtur and I have each been involved in personal meetings, phone calls and repeated approaches to help secure this win for South Australia,” Dr Lomax-Smith said.

“I would like to extend our congratulations and thanks to Mike Turtur and the event team of hard-working people who make the Tour Down Under such a success every year.

“The Tour Down Under is highly regarded amongst the riders, crew members and world officials and that has certainly helped us to achieve ProTour status.

“Last month, we welcomed ŠKODA AUTO as a major sponsor of the event for the next three years.

“We know that joining the ProTour series will further increase the race’s success in the future.”

Race Director Mike Turtur said the ProTour series is the highest league of cycling in the world.

“ProTour will bring more teams and the world’s best cyclists to our doorstep,” he said.

“The UCI has confidence in our ability to deliver a ProTour event in January next year and we will absolutely make sure that happens.”

Cycling Australia President Mike Victor OAM was in Stuttgart for the announcement, and congratulated South Australia on securing the right to host the first ever ProTour event to be staged outside of Europe.

“We look forward to it becoming one of the landmark events on the world calendar,” Mr Victor said.

“The elevation of the Tour Down Under to ProTour status is further endorsement of the standing of Australian cycling on the world stage and a huge honour for South Australia.

“Our cyclists have proven they have what it takes to be among the best in the world and now they will have an opportunity to race in South Australia in one of the top-ranked events on the world calendar.”

Overnight in Stuttgart, the UCI said:

The Tour Down Under will be part of the UCI ProTour calendar 2008. A formality is required for the UCI to submit this decision to the UCI ProTour Licensing Commission on 17 October in Como, Italy.

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See you in January for the ProTour Race, the Tour Down Under!