Tour Down Under
by Rebecca Gill
In
the searing January heat, hundreds of world-class cyclists assembled in
Adelaide to compete in the annual Jacob’s Creek Tour Down Under.
UniSA has strong links with the tour as sponsor of Team UniSA-Australia and host of the Thinking on Two Wheels cycling conference for the second year running – a symposium which provided some engaging academic perspectives on cycling.
University staff even got in on the action, slogging out the kilometres in the Be Active Tour for recreational riders.
The Tour Down Under, which was recently upgraded to make it the highest rating event on offer outside key European events such as the Tour de France and the Giro d’Italia, attracted an estimated 435,000 spectators – a record attendance in the Tour’s eight year history.
And for the second time in the event, Team UniSA-Australia powered through the international talent to come first in the overall team classifications.
In the indiviudual classification, recently enrolled UniSA student Gene Bates (pictured right) took fifth, Russell van Hout seventh and Chris Jongewaard ninth. Russell van Hout also finished second in the sprints classification.
Despite the record breaking hot weather (four days exceedling 41C), Team UniSA-Australia fans were out in full force, providing enormous support for the riders, who didn’t fail to reward them for their dedication. It was cycling at its best.
Even though the riders have now dispersed you can follow their progress at the Commonwealth Games and on the agressive European circuit.
For more information on Team UniSA visit our Tour Down Under homepage.