Tour Down Under kicks off UCI World Tour in the best possible way

The traces of a bicycle race disappear quickly on a material level. Signage is swiftly taken down, obstacles are removed, and crowds disperse, each heading to their own entertainment. Roads once closed are reopened to traffic. The day after the race, there is almost no indication that a competition had ever taken place there.

However, while these external traces vanish so quickly, the impact of the race on the riders and those who felt the rush of the peloton is not so easily erased. Without the vision of Mike Turtur, the Tour Down Under might never have existed. The roads of South Australia might still be the sole domain of cars, and professional teams would be weaving through France in July, with only a few Australian cycling enthusiasts watching the race shivering in their beds.

Turtur's grand vision has spawned a huge movement. “‘Why didn't I come here 10 years ago?’ (Former world champion) Michał Kwiatkowski just said,” race director Stuart O'Grady told the media after the race. “All the feedback has been positive. I think it's a real testament to what we're doing, that we're delivering a quality event.”

Fans have shown their support with their presence, and the number of cycling enthusiasts flocking to the roads of South Australia this week proves it. O'Grady estimates that tens of thousands of people lined the roads throughout the state, with numbers back to pre-pandemic levels, witnessing some remarkable racing. The riders also raved about the event, with every rider interviewed by ABC Sport this week praising the organization and the welcome they received. “It’s one of the best races on the calendar,” Jhonatan Narváez told the media after Sunday’s stage six, where he claimed his first UCI WorldTour stage win. “I think this race is one of the most important on the calendar. It’s very important for me, it’s my biggest victory.”

Sponsors have also shown strong support. Naming sponsor Santos confirmed at Friday’s Legends’ Night dinner that it would continue its sponsorship for another three years, through 2028. South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas stated at the same event that he hoped the race would remain in Adelaide for at least the next 25 years. In its 25th year, the Tour Down Under once again provided the perfect UCI WorldTour season opener for the world’s teams. Both the men’s and women’s teams thrilled with exciting racing before it retreats once again into late-night television and the darkness of the European winter.

“It was absolutely a brilliant race,” O’Grady said. “I’m very proud of what I’ve seen and the racing.” On the men's side, it was a multi-day race that had it all. The Willunga Hill stage was one of the most dramatic ever seen, with incredible twists and turns. Australian rider Chris Harper lit the fuse, Spanish newcomer Javier Romo Oliver added fuel to the fire, and ultimately Narváez fanned the flames into a blaze. Romo, the 21-year-old former triathlete, has proven himself one to watch after his courageous attack on stage three. On the flat stages, Sam Welsford again demonstrated his power, converting the incredible strength he has honed on the track into road speed.

“I think I’ve made a lot of gains which will help me in Europe this year,” Welsford said. “I have big goals in the big races, so I really want to start performing there. For me, it’s important this year to work with Danny (van Poppel) again and have some success here for most of the days.” His big goals include the biggest one. “I really want to do the Tour de France,” Welsford said, who will be heading to the UAE Tour in the coming weeks. “There are some good sprint stages there, stage one is one that I’m looking at particularly, so we’ll see.”

Whether Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe will allow Welsford to ride the Tour de France and potentially hamper Primož Roglič’s yellow jersey dreams remains to be seen, but the 29-year-old Australian knows that this year is crucial for his future, regardless. In an equally impressive start to the 2024 season, he also won three stages at the Tour Down Under, but only one road race victory all season, although that was stage one of the Tour of Hungary, with a field that included Dylan Groenewegen and a certain Mark Cavendish. Of course, Welsford also won his long-awaited Olympic gold medal on the track last year, but he admits that, with this being a contract year, he now needs to contribute for his team on the road. So far, so good.

Narváez also has his sights set on the Tour de France, although his focus is more on the Ardennes and Flanders classics. “This year’s Tour Down Under felt like a real international race,” O’Grady said. “The Australians are challenging in the women’s and the men’s, which means the quality of the field, the level of racing, and the standard of riders has gone up. Jhonatan Narváez is an absolute international superstar, so to have him here is great for the event. It shows that riders are really coming here, focused on winning stages.”

Beyond the international stars, young Australian riders also had the opportunity to shine. Fergus Browning, the 21-year-old who was cast adrift after the demise of the Trinity team, claimed the polka dot jersey for the King of the Mountains through numerous attacks on stages one, two and three. “I came to this race to get some exposure,” Browning said. “I hope I’ve done that, and I’m really looking forward to a big season in 2025. I’ve had some interest (from European teams), this week has been great, and it’s what I needed.” Alyssa Polites echoed those sentiments, claiming the same polka dot jersey in the women’s race. “For me personally, after a tough two and a half seasons early in my career, to get the GC lead is a full circle moment for me,” Polites said. “It’s come at the right time, and I finally feel like a confident bike racer again. The polka dot jersey is a testament to the individual ‘mountains’ that we have all climbed.”

Given the challenges of holding a race so far from the sport’s European heartland and the success the Tour Down Under has achieved, both with riders and supporters, the last word should go to O’Grady. “We’re very proud of what we put on and what we delivered,” O’Grady said. “As the first UCI WorldTour race, that’s really important… and it does start in Adelaide. You know, when we look back (at Tadej) Pogačar’s first WorldTour (in 2019), (Alberto) Contador’s rebirth. Many big stars, they all have to start somewhere.”