Tour down under
The Tour Down Under (officially: Santos Tour Down Under ) is a stage race for cyclists in the Australian state of South Australia around the capital Adelaide . It is the largest and most important cycling race in Australia and Oceania . The race was held for the first time in 1999 and takes place annually in mid-January. With the start of the 2008 season, the Tour Down Under is a race of the UCI ProTour and since 2011 the successor series UCI WorldTour .
Down Under Classic
Two days before the Tour Down Under , an approximately 50 kilometer long criterion takes place in Adelaide , the so-called "Cancer Council Classic" , which was called the "Down Under Classic" from 2012 and has been the People's Choice Classic since 2014 and the participants of the Races are presented. The results of this Classic do not count towards the overall ranking, nor are points awarded for the UCI WorldTour .
Routing
The race itself starts on the third Tuesday in January every year and comprises six daily sections, none of which is usually longer than 170 kilometers. It starts with four mostly flat sections. Since there are no mountains as high in South Australia as in the Alps , for example , the most difficult climb is Willunga Hill (3 kilometers long; 7.6% steep), which usually has to be climbed twice on the penultimate stage and which decides the race. On the last day, a Sunday, the Tour Down Under traditionally ends with an approximately 80-kilometer circuit in South Australia's capital Adelaide. The time trial stage, which is quite common on other larger tours , has always been avoided.
Attendees
Many European professional teams use the Tour Down Under as preparation for the season beginning in March with Paris – Nice and Tirreno – Adriatico , because it is still winter in Europe, while the riders of the Australian teams are in the middle of their season in midsummer in the southern hemisphere . The tour has become more and more attractive in recent years, for example Lance Armstrong started his comeback in Australia in 2009 . Two years later, he completed the last international race of his career in the same place. In 2010, in addition to the top sprinters around André Greipel , the reigning world champion Cadel Evans and the meanwhile suspended Alejandro Valverde took part. Since the race has been part of the UCI ProTour (since 2011: UCI WorldTour), the UCI ProTeams , i.e. the largest professional teams, are automatically obliged to start. In addition, the organizer gives a starting place to an Australian national team every year, which is supported by the University of South Australia . Each participating team consists of seven drivers.
organization
The Tour Down Under was established by the South Australian Tourism Commission to represent the state abroad and is also the only major professional cycling race in Australia. The Tour Down Under is the focus of the Festival of Cycling, a series of events that are all about bikes in South Australia .
The former professional cyclist Michael Turtur , on whose idea the race is based , has been the race director since the race was founded. The South Australian Tourism Commission is still the owner of the tour. The Tour Down Under is also financially supported by the South Australian government.
history
The first Tour Down Under was held in 1999. The race quickly developed into the largest cycling competition in Australia and Oceania . Today, the Tour Down Under is even considered to be the largest cycling race in the southern hemisphere .
With the aim of making the province of South Australia known to tourists through television broadcasts in other countries, the first Tour Down Under began in 1999 with an approximately 40-kilometer circuit in Adelaide . The Dane Nicolai Bo Larsen was the first stage winner in the mass sprint on January 19, while the Australian Stuart O'Grady was the first overall winner. The race has been held in six stages since the year it was created, but the tour has only started on a Tuesday since 2000, and the first event started on a Sunday.
In 2001 and 2002, a similar long circuit race in Glenelg as in the first few years in the provincial capital formed the start of the tour, until the tour began again from 2003 to 2005 with an approximately 50 km long circuit in Adelaide . After the final stage in Adelaide was 120 kilometers long in 1999, it was shortened to 90 kilometers a year later. After the section only covered 80 kilometers for a few years, the distance was increased by ten kilometers in 2006. In addition to Adelaide, Norwood , Strathalbyn , Victor Harbor or Tanunda are frequent stage destinations. The "king's stage" over Willunga Hill in Willunga has been taking place on the penultimate day since 2003.
The overall leader has been wearing an orange jersey since 2006, previously the leader's jersey was yellow. In addition, since this year the result of the first stage in Adelaide has not been counted towards the overall ranking. Instead, it has since been held separately as the "Cancer Council Classic" two days before the actual start of the tour. From 1999 to 2004 the Tour Down Under belonged to the UCI category 2.3. From 2005 the race was part of the UCI Oceania Tour and was classified in the highest category 2.HC. Since 2008 the race has been classified in the UCI ProTour - today UCI WorldTour - and thus one of the largest international races.
winner 
Due to its not very difficult topography , the Tour Down Under is often won by sprinters who were able to gain a head start thanks to the time bonuses at the finish, but also drivers who were able to successfully complete a breakaway attempt have already won the race, for example the winner of 2011, Cameron Meyer . The record winner with four successes is local Simon Gerrans . In 2001, 2002 and 2006 the host nation was able to take all three podium places. The Australians are also the most successful nation with a total of seven overall hits.
See also: List of all winners of the Tour Down Under (with the winners of the special ratings)
Winners list
Rankings
As with almost all other international cycling races, the Tour Down Under also has various special ratings, the leaders of which wear special rating jerseys that contrast with the other team jerseys. The championship jerseys are awarded to the leaders after each stage on a podium, and the stage winner is also honored. Each jersey is presented by a sponsor. The drivers are obliged to wear the corresponding jersey on the following stage. If a driver has more than one jersey, he wears the more important one. The following order applies: orange, white, blue, black jersey. In this case, the next lower jersey will be presented by the runner-up in the respective special ranking. The leader is still considered to be the bearer, even if - except for the award ceremony - he does not actually wear it.
Stage winner of the past
With twelve stage wins, Robbie McEwen is the most successful driver in this regard. An Austrian has not yet won a stage. There has not yet been a Swiss stage winner either, but Martin Elmiger won the overall standings in 2007. In addition to the record winner André Greipel, there were three other German stage winners - Erik Zabel , who won a total of three stages in the first two years, Kai Hundertmarck and Steffen Wesemann .
Orange jersey (overall ranking)
The driver with the lowest total time wears the orange jersey, officially the Santos Tour Down Under Ocher Leader's Jersey . For the most important classification, the total time of each driver from all stages is added. Any time credits are deducted from the total time of the driver concerned: the winner of a stage receives ten seconds bonus, the second stage six seconds and the third four seconds. There are also time credits for the intermediate sprints on each section: three seconds for the first, two for the second and another second for the third. Whoever has the lowest total time after the last stage is the winner of the tour. Since the time intervals on the Tour Down Under are usually very short, the time credits play an important role in the overall ranking of a driver. If two or more drivers are in the overall standings at the same time, the better stage placements decide on the exact placement.
The only drivers in the history of the race who managed to defend the orange jersey from the first to the last stage are André Greipel (2010) and Simon Gerrans (2006).
White jersey (mountain classification)
A mountain classification has also been held since the Tour Down Under was held for the first time . The associated leadership jersey is white. In contrast to many other bike races, the climbs of the tour, where there are mountain points, are not divided into different categories; instead, the same number of points is awarded to the first riders on each peak, which is also changed again and again from year to year.
With three successes in the mountain classification, the Australian Cadel Evans is the record winner of this special classification.
Blue jersey (points evaluation)
Since the race was first held, there has also been a points classification , which is officially called the sprint classification and whose leader receives a blue jersey. Points for the scoring are not only awarded to the intermediate sprints, but also to the first riders at the finish of each stage.
With three successes, Robbie McEwen is the record winner of the points classification.
Black jersey (overall rating for under 25s)
Since 1999, the Tour Down Under has been awarding a black jersey for the leader of the junior competition. This rating determines the best drivers who are no more than 25 years old in the year of the respective tour. Until 2007, the jersey was only given to drivers up to the age of 23.
The Spaniard José Joaquin Rojas Gil has already won the junior competition twice and is a record winner. In 2005 ( Luis León Sánchez ) and 2011 ( Cameron Meyer ) a driver was able to win both the junior class and the orange jersey.
Red jersey (award for the most combative driver)
After each stage of the Tour Down Under, a jury determines the most combative driver of the day. The person concerned receives a red jersey at the award ceremony of the day, which he is not allowed to wear on the next stage, as according to the regulations of the UCI World Cycling Federation, only four rating jerseys may be presented during the stages of international races. The most combative driver of the previous day is identified by a red number on his back. After the end of the tour, the jury will also determine an overall winner in this special ranking.
Light blue jersey (team competition)
For the team classification, which has been awarded since 1999, the times of the four fastest drivers on a team are added up at each stage. Similar to the award for the most combative driver, the leading team is only presented in the light blue leadership jerseys at the award ceremonies.
Earlier special ratings
From 2006 to 2010 the winner of the "Cancer Council Classic" also received a blue jersey, which he presented on the following first stage.
In 2003, instead of the prize for the most combative driver, an overall ranking based on time was announced for drivers from South Australia.
Regulations
The Tour Down Under is held according to the regulations of the World Cycling Federation UCI , in particular the rules for stage races.
Timing and time limit
At the finish, the distances between the individual drivers or driver groups are measured. All drivers in a closed group are rated with the same time. In the event of a fall in the last three kilometers, the riders involved are scored with the same time as the group to which they belonged at the time of the fall. At all stages there is a time limit ( "waiting period" ) within which each driver must reach the destination. The time limit is calculated according to the level of difficulty and average speed of the respective stages. The limit fluctuates accordingly between 104 and 110 percent of the time of the stage winner. However, the race management has the option of flexibly extending the time limit if otherwise more than twenty percent of the drivers arrive after the end of the check. However, due to the mostly flat stages of the tour, the time limit is usually not a problem for the drivers.
Time credits
The winner of a stage receives ten seconds time bonus, the stage second six seconds and the third four seconds. There are also time credits for the intermediate sprints on each section: three seconds for the first, two for the second and another second for the third. The credits are deducted from the total time of the driver concerned.
Catering
On each stage there is a marked refreshment zone around half the distance , in which team employees are allowed to hand their drivers refreshment bags. As in all other cycling races, you take the food that the spectators offer the professionals at your own risk. Up to twenty kilometers before the end of the stage, the sports directors can also serve their drivers drinks and food from the team vehicle. Each team on the tour has two vehicles available for each part of the day.
safety
In accordance with the UCI regulations, helmets have also been mandatory on the Tour Down Under since 2004 .
Technical and medical assistance
A roadside assistance for drivers with defect is performed by either the team or the neutral material vehicles. Roadside assistance is only ever allowed behind a group of drivers and behind the main field on the right-hand side of the road. If a driver needs a doctor, it can only be a doctor from the official medical service. The rider will then be treated at the end of the peloton . In the event of a fall or a mishap during the last three kilometers, the riders will be scored with the same time as the group they belonged to.
Violations
The rules are monitored by the race stewards who accompany the race on motorcycles. If you see racing violations, you can punish them according to the rules of the World Cycling Federation UCI. Violations of the regulations will result in fines, time penalties or disqualification. Irregularities in sprints (leaving the driving line, pushing a teammate, etc.) will be punished with downgrading in the daily ranking (without a time penalty).
The regulations prohibit the use of cars or motorcycles as a slipstream . An exception is if the driver receives medical treatment from the official tour doctor while driving or has his bike repaired by a mechanic. If a driver breaks down, he often uses the sports director's cars to get back to the peloton in their slipstream . As in almost all other international competitions, such violations are almost never punished.
tasks
Drivers who give up the race during a stage must hand in their start number attached to the frame and jersey to the broom wagon .
Fans
Every year, many spectators follow the Tour Down Under on the roadside, although the number of spectators has increased again and again over the years. In 2010 a total of 760,660 spectators followed the tour, including 36,100 people from other countries and other parts of Australia.
In addition, the fans of the tour follow a special custom every year: before the start of the race, they select an unknown driver from the start list, usually a professional who performs helper tasks in the team, and then celebrate him and him like a big star during the race to wait in front of the hotel after the race.
Sponsors
The organizing tourism authority receives income not only from grants from the provincial government, but above all from sponsors. The energy company Santos is the name sponsor of the tour and also the title sponsor of the orange jersey and the supporting event Festival of Cycling . Other partners are, for example, the caravan manufacturer Jayco , which is the name sponsor of a section every year and also presents the blue sprint jersey. The car manufacturer Škoda shows its name not only on the arch which represents the one-kilometer mark for each stage, but also on the white jersey of the leader in the mountain classification . The company Europcar sponsors the jersey for the most combative driver, the initiative "Cycle Instead", which wants to encourage the South Australians to use the bike more often to get around, presents the jersey for the best young driver. New sponsors for 2012 are the security company Colemans, as well as the namesake for a stage such as the private health insurance company Bupa. Additional sponsors can draw attention to themselves through perimeter advertising or advertising in the official tour village in Adelaide .
Similar to the Tour de France , an advertising caravan drives around half an hour in front of the field of drivers and distributes gifts. The kangaroo Oppy, the official mascot of the tour, also shows up.
Festival of Cycling
The Tour Down Under is embedded in the annual Festival of Cycling in Adelaide , during which everything revolves around bicycles and cycling for one week . As part of this festival, an evening with cycling stars and other offers such as a flight in a helicopter during the stages or a competition to find the most beautifully decorated stage location are organized.
Since 2003, a race for everyone-rider , the so-called Breakaway Series , has been offered during the Festival of Cycling . From 2004 to 2007 the race was called "Be Active Tour", from 2007 to 2011 "Mutual Community Challenge". The participants cover a stage of the Tour Down Under this year and get to know the same route that the professionals drive in their race. There is also a children's race on the circuit of the final stage of the Tour Down Under in Adelaide. The number of participants and thus the popularity of these competitions increased from year to year; in 2010 there were already 8,000 athletes at the start.
Criteria series for women
Around the same time as the men's race, the Tour Down Under also hosted a three- criteria racing series for women. After the abolition of this event, only a single criterion race was held until 2010, before two races again in Adelaide , the so-called Rendition Homes-Santos Women's Cup , were held in 2011 . The first criterion took place on the same day as the Cancer Council Classic at the opening of the men's race, the second criterion the day after.
Web links
- Official website
- Tour Down Under in the database of Radsportseiten.net
Individual evidence
- ↑ Presentation of the race on the official website ( memento of the original from August 13, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed June 17, 2011
- ↑ Tour Down Under: Richie Porte remporte l'étape reine, Daryl Impey le classement final. In: lequipe.fr , January 20, 2019.
- ↑ UCI regulations for road cycling, there in particular: 2.6. "Stage Races" , accessed June 18, 2011
- ↑ cf. UCI regulations "Discipline and Procedures" ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed June 18, 2011
- ↑ FAQ on the official website ( Memento of the original from January 24, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed January 1, 2013
- ↑ Explanation of the jerseys on the official website ( memento of the original from January 21, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed January 1, 2013
- ↑ Presentation of the Breakaway Series 2012 on the official website ( Memento from April 10, 2010 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ cyclingnews.com of October 12, 2010: Women's racing gets a boost at Tour Down Under
