Matt Goss took out the first event of the 2011 Tour, the Cancer Council Classic.
This year’s Santos Tour Down Under attracted the biggest crowd in the event’s 13-year history, with 782,000 people lining the roads of Adelaide and regional South Australia from 16-23 January.
Other results highlighted by the South Australian government include:
- $43.3 million into the South Australian economy, compared to $41.5 million in 2010.
- 782,393 spectators, up from 770,500 in 2010.
- $1,169 spent by each event specific visitor from interstate and overseas, compared to $1,047 in 2010.
- $154.3 million of media coverage, compared to $124 million in 2010.
- 284 hours of television broadcast, compared to 262 hours in 2010.
These results announcement follow the event’s win at the Qantas Australia Tourism Awards earlier this month, where the Tour was named the country’s best major event and festival, for the second year in a row.
Santos CEO David Knox praised this year’s event and said it was a privilege for Santos to be the naming rights sponsor.
“We are extremely pleased to be associated with the Santos Tour Down Under, it is an event embraced by the whole community,” David said.
“As an Australian energy pioneer, we are delighted to have brought the energy of the world’s greatest cyclists to South Australia for another highly successful Tour.”
South Australian Premier Mike Rann said, the “Santos Tour Down Under continues to go from strength to strength and is firmly entrenched now as the state’s biggest sporting event.”
“It is a fantastic event for South Australia, attracting cycling fans and visitors from interstate and overseas to our State and injecting millions of dollars into the economy.”
Independent research company McGregor Tan conducted the research on behalf of the event.
Filed under:
Community wellbeing, South Australia