The 2009 Tour Down Under will be held from 18 to 25 January next year, with the Union Cycliste Internationale this week confirming dates on the 2009 UCI ProTour calendar.
Tourism Minister Jane Lomax-Smith says the world's best cycling teams will return to South Australia for the second UCI ProTour race.
The Tour Down Under made history this year when it became the first cycling event outside of Europe to be included in the UCI's prestigious ProTour circuit.
"We want next year's event to be even bigger and better than the record results we achieved in 2008," Dr Lomax-Smith says.
Preliminary results from the 2008 Tour Down Under reveal:
- $17.3 million boost to the State's economy - a 50.4% increase from 2007.
- 15,100 event specific visitors from interstate and overseas who stayed 140,500 nights - a 37.7% increase from 2007.
- 548,000 spectators lined the roads to cheer on the teams - a 53.5% increase in spectators.
- $41.7 million in editorial media coverage to date and more than 76 hours of broadcast television programming in Australia and countries around the world.
"The announcement of the event dates for 2009 is further endorsement from the UCI that the Tour Down Under is now a regular feature on the UCI ProTour program.
"We will start spreading the world now to maximise opportunities to target the international cycling market and travel package operators.
"We have had many enquiries since the January event from people wanting to book their accommodation for next year and plan their trips to South Australia.
"The overwhelming support we have received from the UCI ProTour teams themselves will enable us to stage the Down Under Classic as well as six road stages again next year."
The program for the 2009 Tour Down Under is as follows:
- Sunday 18 January 2009 Down Under Classic
- Monday 19 January 2009 Rest Day
- Tuesday 20 January 2009 Stage 1
- Wednesday 21 January 2009 Stage 2
- Thursday 22 January 2009 Stage 3
- Friday 23 January 2009 Stage 4
- Saturday 24 January 2009 Stage 5
- Sunday 25 January 2009 Stage 6
Full stage details and race routes will be announced in the coming months.
