Adelaide is known for hosting a lot of fun and exciting events, and next year is another year to watch out for. Adelaide, once again, is opening the year with a “Santos Tour Down Under” event, which is an annual event in Australia.

The Santos Tour Down Under started back in 1999, and is now one of the biggest cycling races in the South of Australia. It is a nine-day event that brings the top UCI World Tour professional cyclists and cycling teams to race on Adelaide’s beautiful streets and South Australia during the first month of each year.

Some of Tour De France’s winners including Oscar Pereiro, Andy Schleck, Alberto Contador, and Carlos Sastre joined the Adelaide race during the past years, along with Simon Gerrans, Stuart O’Grady, Robbie McEwen, Cadel Evans, and Allan Davis, who are all Aussie legends when it comes to racing.

Not only is the event a bike and cycling race, as it also becomes a big party not only for Aussies, but also for tourists from all over the world. Everyone, of course, is free to watch and join the big event! The event usually invites the crowd to join in on the fun by riding the Subaru Breakway Series along the race routes in South Australia.

The Santos Tour Down Under received the award for the Best Sporting Event in 2016, courtesy ofthe Australian Event Awards. This fun and exciting annual event is visited by most tourists, locals, and even students from Australia, and is almost considered a tradition in the South.

The stages for January 2017 are:

People’s Choice Classic

Starts at 7:15 PM and finishes at 8:15 PM with a distance of 50.6 km

Hostworks Stage 1

Starts at 10:30 AM and finishes at 2:27 PM with a distance of 145 km

Staging Connections Stage 2

Starts at 10:45 AM and ends at 2:29 PM with a distance of 148.5 km

Hansgrohe Stage 3

Starts at 11:00 AM and ends at 2:51 PM with a distance of 144 km

Bupa Stage 4

Starts at 11:30 AM and ends at 3:30 PM, with a distance of 149.5 km

BikeExchange Stage 5

Starts at 11:10 AM and ends at 3:02 PM, with a distance of 151.5 km

Be Safe Be Seen MAC Stage 6

Starts at 1:30 PM and ends at 3:30 PM, with a distance of 90 km

If you are interested in watching or even joining the race, then a lot of exciting stuff is in store waiting for you. The Tour Down Under visits some of South Australia’s amazing beaches, world-renowned wine cellars and regions, and historic country towns before finishing off. One thing is for sure though: coming to the race prepared would definitely be the best idea! Alpha Car Hire in Adelaide presents a fleet of cars that are easy to drive for your Tour Down Under experience. Drive, eat, and party along with cyclists and tourists and have the time of your life!