With the men's and women's Tour Down Under cancelled in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the organisers have taken the decision to put on a domestic four-day event in Adelaide to replace the WorldTour events with the Santos Festival of Cycling (January 21-24). Rather than form part of the UCI's WorldTour, the event is part of the NRS (National Race Series). That means that WorldTour points will not be awarded but there are still exciting stages on the horizon with chances for both the sprinters and the climbers.
The fields for the new event will draw on the best homegrown talent from the men's and women's fields in Australia with a four-day programme and the iconic finish on Willunga Hill thrown in for good measure.
Despite a lack of major WorldTour presence in both fields, the event will still have star appeal. Richie Porte (Ineos Grenadiers) will race as part of the strong Australian national team and will start as the outright favourite for the men's race given his pedigree in the Tour Down Under and his familiarity with winning on Willunga Hill. GreenEdge will once again send a strong roster of Australian riders who have all travelled home for Christmas and warm weather training, while several domestic teams will also provide their strongest rosters as they look to impress in front of an international and televised audience.
In the women's race, GreenEdge will be the team to beat with 2020 revelation Grace Brown set to lead the line as part of an impressive six-rider team. Amanda Spratt might be missing from the Australian team's line-up with plenty of options. The Santos Festival of Cycling will also mark the first time that an elite women's field has had the chance to race on Willunga Hill.
