Huge final stage for Santos Tour Down Under

Adelaide’s vibrant heart will attract international attention next January for the final stage of the 2015 Santos Tour Down Under.

The details for the Be Safe Be Seen MAC Stage 6 have today been revealed, with the start and finish line on King William Road near Elder Park, and the 4.5 kilometre circuit taking in War Memorial Drive, Montefiore Hill and Pennington Terrace.

The riders will complete 20 laps.

South Australia’s Tourism Minister Leon Bignell said the route for Stage 6 – on Sunday January 25 – also included Victoria Square.

“The peloton will travel the length of King William Street and complete a u-turn at the northern end of the Adelaide City Council Tour Village and Bike Expo in Victoria Square,” he said.

“Fans could enjoy the action from a range of vantage points around the city, and there’s sure to be an electric atmosphere as the overall race winner is decided.” 

“More than 110,500 people turned out for Stage 6 this year, when Simon Gerrans claimed a record third Santos Tour Down Under title.

“He finished just one second ahead of fellow Australian Cadel Evans, who will be back in 2015 to try to win the Santos Tour Down Under.”

Motor Accident Commission General Manager Road Safety Michael Cornish said MAC was pleased to again partner with the Santos Tour Down Under to reinforce the importance of road safety for cyclists.

“Given the increasing popularity of cycling, this event provides MAC with the ideal platform to remind drivers and cyclists of ways to share the road safely,” he said.

“MAC cycling ambassador Anna Meares will again play a role, educating the community on how to ‘Be Safe. Be Seen’ which can be as simple as wearing light, bright coloured clothing and having a flashing light on their cycles, day and night.”

Santos Tour Down Under Race Director Mike Turtur said the Be Safe Be Seen MAC Stage 6 route gave sprinters the chance to shine.

“Overall victory is once again up for grabs in 2015, and we look forward to seeing which teams and riders secure victory at the first UCI WorldTour event of the year,” he said.

New prizes on offer in Santos Best Dressed Town Competition

More than $7,000 in cash is up for grabs in next January’s Santos Best Dressed Town Competition.

The hotly contested competition is open to communities, businesses and residents along the Santos Tour Down Under regional stage routes. Entrants dress up their towns, homes, paddocks or commercial properties to welcome the peloton and visitors to the area.

Tourism Minister Leon Bignell said it was the first time cash had been offered as a prize.

“It’s great to see the Best Dressed Town competition expanding, and the lure of a cash prize might inspire a host of new entries,” he said.

“The colour and creativity generated by the competition was appreciated by everyone who passed through participating towns, including the cyclists. Many of the entries were also seen around the world thanks to the international media coverage of the event.”

Damon Hunt, Group Executive Santos Public Affairs, said the company was pleased to provide cash prizes for the first time to help encourage participation.

“Community involvement is a crucial part of the Santos Tour Down Under and our staff look forward to seeing everyone’s innovative entries and sharing the excitement of this great event,” Mr Hunt said.

Santos Best Dressed Town judges will select daily and overall winners for each competition category, with nominees that miss out on these prizes eligible for innovation awards.

The town that wins the gold overall Santos Best Dressed Town title will receive $3000 to be spent on a community improvement project or resources of the local council’s choice, along with a truckload of mulch from Peats Soil, a signed framed jersey and two metals signs signifying the win.

Silver and bronze winners in the town category will receive $1000 and $500 respectively to spend on community projects, plus signed jerseys.

Cash prizes of $1000 – along with framed certificates and gift packs – will be presented to winners of the Santos Best Dressed Private Residence, Santos Best Dressed Paddock and Santos Best Dressed Commercial Property.