Final preparations are underway ahead of the historic 25th edition of the Santos Tour Down Under, which will race across South Australia from this Friday, 17 January until Sunday 26 January.
To mark the milestone, a limited-edition ochre jersey has been unveiled, recognising the past champions of Australia's only WorldTour cycling race with only 25 produced.
With the THINK! Road Safety bike now inflated, and the final touches being put on the City of Adelaide Tour Village in Victoria Square/Tarntanyangga, locals will soon be able to enjoy the biggest cycling race in the southern hemisphere.
Since its inaugural race in 1999, Hilton Adelaide has been the official host hotel of the Santos Tour Down Under and plays a vital role in supporting the event. More than 550 people, including riders, support staff, local, national, and international media, call the Hilton Adelaide home throughout the duration of the event.
The hotel's dedicated team of 15 chefs prepares three meals a day for the riders and officials, totalling more than 15,000 meals over 20 days. This ongoing collaboration highlights the immense logistical effort required to ensure athletes are well-cared for throughout the event.
The shopping list during the event includes:
- 18,000 bread rolls and wraps
- 800kg of pasta
- 300L of porridge
- 800kg of rice
- 600L of pasta sauce
- 3000L of yoghurt
- 2.5 tonnes of vegetables and salads
- 12 tonnes of fish, beef and chicken
- 350kg of sliced meats and cheeses
- 18,000 eggs
- 2 tonnes of watermelon
The Hilton Adelaide laundry department washes and folds up to 1,500 towels per day during the Santos Tour Down Under.
An exciting series is in store for this year's milestone edition of the Santos Tour Down Under, including the following standout features:
- Cult DJ Hot Dub Time Machine will perform a free concert, following Team Presentation on opening night, with the set honouring the 25 years of history of the Santos Tour Down Under.
- Australian Olympic Chef de Mission, Anna Meares, will lead the Health Partners Family Ride with her two children on Saturday 18 January ahead of the Men's Classic in Adelaide's East End.
- Cycling legends, including Sir Mark Cavendish, André Greipel, Cadel Evans and Grace Brown, will attend the inaugural Hall of Fame celebration at the Legends' Night Dinner presented by Telstra.
- Super Sunday on January 26 will see the men's and women's pelotons race on the same route, on the same day, for the first time in the event's history, thanks to the addition of the Schwalbe Women's One-Day Classic.
The women's race begins with Ziptrak® Stage One: Brighton to Aldinga Beach at 11:10am on Friday, 17 January.
The starter gun fires for the men's peloton with the Villawood Men's Classic at 7:00pm on Saturday 18 January, followed by Ziptrak® Men's Stage One: Prospect to Gumeracha at 11:10am on Tuesday 21 January.
