Tour Down Under Gets Set for another big year

The countdown to the southern hemisphere’s leading cycling event officially begins today, with the launch of the 2009 Tour Down Under UCI ProTour event and the unveiling of its race routes.

Tour Down Under Race Director Mike Turtur says that the six days ofcompetitive racing will see riders traverse over 800km across South Australia, with crowds of more than 500,000 expected to cheer the riders onalong the routes.

“The riders will be battling it out along routes that take in the heart of Adelaide, the city surrounds, the Adelaide Hills, the Fleurieu Peninsula and the Barossa,” Mike Turtur says.

“New routes this year include Norwood to Mawson Lakes and Burnside Village to Angaston – and the new finish at Mawson Lakes is only the second time that a Tour stage finish has been held in the Adelaide metropolitan area.

Mike Turtur says another new feature of the 2009 race will be additional Škoda King of the Mountain climbs, to further test the riders and add to theevent’s excitement.

“As in past years, each stage of the race will include one Škoda King of the Mountain climb, but now there will also be an additional second Škoda King of the Mountain climb held during stages one, three and five,” he says.

“In 2008, 18 ProTour teams and our own national UniSA team competed in the Tour Down Under, with 133 riders representing 22 countries during the race.

“The 2009 event ProTour teams will be announced later in the year once they have received accreditation from the UCI.”

The dates of the 2009 Tour Down Under UCI ProTour event are:

Sunday, 18 January – Rymill Park, Adelaide
Down Under Classic (51 km)
Start Time: 7pm

Monday, 19 January – Rest Day

Tuesday, 20 January – Norwood to Mawson Lakes
Stage 1 (140 km)
Start Time: 11am

Wednesday, 21 January – Hahndorf to Stirling
Stage 2 (145 km)
Start Time: 11am

Thursday, 22 January – Unley to Victor Harbor
Stage 3 (136 km)
Start Time: 11am

Friday, 23 January – Burnside Village to Angaston
Stage 4 (143 km)
Start Time: 11am

Saturday, 24 January – Snapper Point to Willunga
Stage 5 (148 km)
Start Time: 11am

Sunday, 25 January – Adelaide City Council Street Circuit
Stage 6 (90 km)
Start Time: TBC