HANSARD
SITTING CALENDAR
SEARCH
LIVE BROADCAST
Hansard Dynamic Member Index
House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2008-09-25 Daily Xml
Contents
Pdf Xml

Ministerial Statement

TOUR DOWN UNDER

The Hon. M.D. RANN (Ramsay—Premier, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Social Inclusion, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Sustainability and Climate Change) (14:01): I seek leave to make a ministerial statement.

Leave granted.

The Hon. M.D. RANN: It is my very great pleasure to update the house about what has been described by sporting commentators overnight as the greatest sporting coup in the state's history. As members and, indeed, cycling fans around the world now know, world cycling superstar, Lance Armstrong, is to make his official comeback debut to professional road racing at South Australia's 2009 ProTour Tour Down Under.

The point I want to make right from the start is that the critical issue that occurred last year was, of course, that we secured ProTour status. I am told that a number of places were seeking ProTour status—China, California and Russia. I know that all sorts of people were talking about the millions of dollars in licensing fees (although that was not actually true), but it was vitally important to convince the UCI, which is the council that runs world cycling. In particular, we had to convince Pat McQuaid, who is the President of World Cycling. I know that the Minister for Tourism was involved in negotiations in French, and she was apparently even speaking French with an Irishman. There have been discussions with and advice sought from people like Jean-Marie Leblanc, who was the head of the Tour de France for many years.

First of all, we had to secure ProTour status—the first race in the world outside Europe to secure ProTour status. Once we had that, we had to try to build the event even more. Last year, at the Tour Down Under there was a special guest appearance by Miguel Indurain who, as everyone in this place would know, was one of the world's great cyclists and won five Tour de France races and two Giro d'Italia. Whilst he was not here in a cycling capacity, he gave the Tour Down Under his blessing, and a whole series of world stars from the Tour de France were here participating in Adelaide.

So, as members and, indeed, cycling fans around the world now know, world cycling superstar, Lance Armstrong, is to make his official comeback in next year's Tour Down Under. I am told that, at the news conference last night, there were not only about 500 or 600 journalists but also a few extras—Bill Clinton, Al Gore, George Bush Senior and Bono.

The Hon. P.F. Conlon: Is Bono still married to Cher?

The Hon. M.D. RANN: No, Bono is not married to Cher. Lance participating in the Tour Down Under will mean the biggest influx of overseas and interstate visitors to any sporting event in South Australia's history. That is why we have events like the Clipsal 500, which for years has been growing bigger and bigger: to attract more people across the borders than other events—except until last year, when the Tour Down Under attracted 15,000 interstate and overseas guests.

Attracting world cycling icon Lance Armstrong to begin his comeback in South Australia is a major coup for our state and will place the Tour Down Under front and centre of the world professional cycling events. Lance Armstrong's global profile has the potential to double the 15,000 visitors who come to South Australia to watch the race. We are told that we can anticipate a quadrupling of worldwide media coverage for the event because of his immense popularity. Indeed, the worldwide interest generated by Lance Armstrong's participation has been phenomenal and has already exceeded all expectations, and the estimate of quadrupling the coverage is beginning to look very conservative.

Overnight, there have been more than 650 articles published worldwide—more online coverage than the entire 2008 event. Given that the TV coverage of the 2008 Tour Down Under amounted to 84 hours of international TV coverage throughout Europe, India, Asia and North America, the exposure for both the race and for South Australia next year will be massive.

Of course, one of the advantages of the Tour Down Under for promoting tourism is that, rather than being in a venue like a stadium or a track that could be anywhere in the world, it showcases the Barossa Valley, the Adelaide Hills and the Fleurieu Peninsula, as well as our beautiful city.

In January this year, the tour resulted in more than $17 million being pumped into the state's economy, and a total of 548,000 people watched the week-long event. The event next January will be bigger by long way. Lance Armstrong, who famously survived cancer, has made it very clear that part of his comeback is to raise awareness of cancer and its global burden.

The Tour Down Under's race director, Mike Turtur, first approached Lance Armstrong's management earlier this year to discuss the possibility of a guest appearance by Lance for the 2009 Tour Down Under; that is to come here as a guest—as did Miguel Indurain—not to participate. Mike Turtur has been keeping the door wide open with his discussions all year, with the full support and encouragement of the tourism minister Jane Lomax Smith, the Tourism Commission and myself.

Yesterday, I spoke to Lance's manager who told me that Lance last visited Australia in 2000 for the Sydney Olympics and loved the event and loved the welcome he was given by Australians. I told Mr Armstrong's manager yesterday that he could be guaranteed that hundreds of thousands of South Australians will give Lance a huge welcome here.

Last year we edged out the toughest rivals—China, California and Russia—to be the first place outside of Europe to host a pro-tour event. We have now edged out another series of international rivals who were all vying to host Lance's comeback race. I also spoke to Lance's management regarding South Australian cancer research and treatment credentials, and promised to support Armstrong in his mission of raising awareness of cancer prevention, cancer awareness generally, and also treatments. We are happy to join with him in supporting those causes.

I want to personally congratulate the tourism minister, the race director Mike Turtur, Andrew McEvoy of the Tourism Commission, and others, for their work on securing this cycling coup for our state. I would also like to acknowledge the contribution of the member for Mawson who, in his former life, covered Lance Armstrong's first Tour de France win in 1999 and ever since has kept in touch with Lance's team, promoting our tour and urging him to come to Adelaide to see it for himself. Indeed, he wrote to him last November and, of course, I am very pleased that the member for Mawson has just given me this wonderful present: a 2001 yellow jersey from the Tour de France signed by Lance Armstrong.

An honourable member: Put it on!

The Hon. M.D. RANN: No; I don't think South Australia is ready to see me in lycra. South Australians are embracing the event as never before. Registrations for the Mutual Community Challenge Tour, part of the Tour Down Under's Skoda Breakaway Series recreational ride program, have skyrocketed overnight with the announcement that world cycling superstar Lance Armstrong will contest next year's Tour Down Under. Here is an opportunity for South Australians and visitors to reach the finish line before Lance Armstrong in one stage of the event. The Mutual Community Challenge Tour has always been a popular fixture during the Tour Down Under, and the 2009 event is set to reach new heights.

At this time last year we had 91 bookings for the Challenge Tour. This afternoon the number reached nearly 2,200 and, since I announced yesterday that Armstrong will be making his comeback to cycling right here in Adelaide, nearly 200 more cycling enthusiasts have registered to ride stage 4 from Burnside to Angaston. I would urge cyclists wanting their chance to cross the stage finishing line just hours ahead of Lance Armstrong to be quick because, after last year's record 3,400 participants, we are capping it this year at 5,000 and we expect all the places to be taken up very quickly.

Another event to be held during the 2009 Tour Down Under is the Legends' Night Dinner, which will be held on Saturday 24 January at the Adelaide Convention Centre. Already more than 550 tickets to the event have been sold, including more than 200 in the past 24 hours. So, the world will be watching us in January, and I encourage all South Australians to come along and get involved by registering on tourdownunder.com.au.

PARLIAMENTARY BUSINESS
MEMBERS
GET INVOLVED
ABOUT PARLIAMENT
VISIT
LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY
CONTACT