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Peter Sagan To Race In The 2018 Santos Tour Down Under

Off the back of his unprecedented UCI World Road Championship hat-trick, Peter Sagan has confirmed he will race in next year’s 20th edition of the Santos Tour Down Under (TDU).

Off the back of his unprecedented UCI World Road Championship hat-trick, Peter Sagan has confirmed he will race in next year’s 20th edition of the Santos Tour Down Under (TDU).

The talented Slovakian will show off his rainbow jersey on the streets of South Australia for the second consecutive year, alongside his BORA-hansgrohe teammates.

Peter Sagan is looking forward to returning to the Santos Tour Down Under. “I am excited to be starting the 2018 season with the rainbow stripes across my back again in Australia at the Santos Tour Down Under,” said Peter Sagan.

“This iconic Australian race is the perfect start to the UCI World Tour season each year. It has it all, a challenging and tough course, warm weather and the passionate fans that cheer for us day in day out no matter what. We are always thankful for the fans.”

Peter drew huge crowds to last year’s People’s Choice Classic as he battled it out with his Aussie sprint rival Caleb Ewan.

The TDU is Peter’s only Australian race this summer and he is sure to be a hit once again with local and international spectators.

This will mark the fifth occasion that a reigning World Champion has competed at the Santos Tour Down Under, cementing the event’s place on the international cycling calendar. “It is important to get the season off to a good start with BORA-hansgrohe, and there is no better place to do this than South Australia at the TDU,” said Peter Sagan.

Minister for Tourism, Hon Leon Bignell said that the Santos Tour Down Under has become the biggest cycling event outside Europe, attracting elite athletes from all over the world and pumping millions of dollars into the local economy.

“Securing a big name such as Peter Sagan for the second year in a row is a massive vote of confidence in the event’s global reputation because he is such an entertainer as well being one of the best cyclists of all time,” said the Minister.

“I know the fans will be thrilled to cheer Peter on in Adelaide. This year we had 840,000 spectators line the routes for the race.

“Next year when we celebrate the 20th edition of the TDU we want to see a million spectators at the race. So cycling fans, spread the word and start organising your friends and family to come with you to watch the best riders in the world do battle in and around Adelaide.”

Race Director, Mike Turtur thinks Peter Sagan is truly something special, both on and off the bike.

“The fans loved seeing him race again in Australia this year and we are thrilled to welcome him and his team back to the race in 2018,” said Mike Turtur.

“I can’t wait to see how next year’s race will unfold, with Peter in the peloton. He took second place across three stages last year and we know he will try to go one better in January.

“For any race organiser to have the rainbow jersey on the start line is a huge honour and to have Peter Sagan and BORA-hansgrohe back to the race is amazing. We expect a massive response from the fans now this news is confirmed.”

In September Peter Sagan became the first rider to win three consecutive UCI World Road Championships, after taking out the World Road Race Championship in Norway.

The 2017 Santos Tour Down Under generated more than $56.5 million for the visitor economy with more than 840,000 spectators turning out in force to catch a glimpse of cycling superstars.

The 2018 Santos Tour Down Under will be held from Saturday 13 January until Sunday 21 January, with even more spectators expected to line the streets of South Australia.

For further event information visit tourdownunder.com.au @tourdownunder

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