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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
2018-08-01 Daily Xml
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Tour Down Under

The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD (14:28): My question is for the Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment. Could the minister please update the chamber on some of the highlights of this morning's announcement of the 2019 Tour Down Under race, the routes in particular, offering new challenges to cyclists and even more elements of interest and entertainment for the fans?

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment) (14:28): I thank the honourable member for his ongoing interest in the fabulous Liberal event, the Tour Down Under. This morning, I joined Mike Turtur, the race director, for the much-anticipated announcement of the 2019 TDU race routes. This will be the 21st year—the Tour Down Under turns 21. This is what we call the lycra-led economic stimulus, which injected $63.7 million into the economy last year and I expect will do even more next year. For the first time in the 20-year history of the race, the 2019 Santos Tour Down Under will see the 'Be Safe' MAC stage 6 finale move out of the city for a regional hilltop finish, which will give us a finish on a high note.

As Mike Turtur has said, he knew South Australia would create something special for the 2019 event and deliver something a little different in terms of race routes after the amazing race we had this year. So we are mixing it up and making Willunga Hill the grand finale, probably now the deciding factor for the race's result. It's important for the race that we keep everyone guessing and the riders challenged. 'We can't be complacent,' he said. The Tour Down Under's queen stage, McLaren Vale to Willunga, will be held on Sunday 20 January 2019. As I said, the 'Be Safe Be Seen' MAC stage 6 will be the grand finale of the race.

The 2019 Santos Tour Down Under race routes are expected to challenge the world's best cycling teams and riders, whilst adding more elements of interest and entertainment for the fans. The change to the last day of the race is expected to create more excitement for the race. The race will return to Angaston and the Barossa for the first time since 2014. The Corkscrew climb, which is a fan favourite, is back in stage 4, with the Challenge Tour from Glenelg to Strathalbyn now being on the Saturday for the first time in stage 5.

We expect even more fans to line the roads throughout the region to cheer their cycling heroes or simply enjoy a day out in South Australia's beautiful regional towns, showcasing our best food and wine and the destination experiences as the race travels through. The TDU is a nine-day festival of cycling, offering entertainment and participation for everyone. The 2018 Santos Tour Down Under attracted 46,000 visitors from interstate and overseas, who travelled specifically to South Australia for the event. As mentioned, it generated an economic impact of $63.7 million or the equivalent of 774 full-time jobs.

As I said last week, I think it may have been the former opposition member, Kevin Foley, who said, 'What? A bike race? Nobody will ever come to it. You're mad.' Twenty-one years later, we have over 45,000 interstate and international visitors and a well over $65 million economic benefit to our economy.

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