Amanda Spratt is revelling in the opportunity to compete for a fourth overall title at the Women’s Tour Down Under as the race embarks on its first-ever foray on the Women’s WorldTour. Lining up with her new team, Trek-Segafredo, Spratt told Cyclingnews, that it was ‘about time’ her marquee home stage race officially broke through to the top-tier series in women’s pro cycling.
“I think it’s amazing that Tour Down Under has been upgraded. We kind of say ‘finally’ because it’s been such a big race for so many years without being on the WorldTour,” Spratt told Cyclingnews.
“We always said it’s really professional, and we have the coverage and that sort of thing. It’s almost, like, about time. It’s pleasing to see it will be WorldTour, especially now, with both the Tour Down Under and Cadel Evans’ races both WorldTour. I think it will raise the level of the racing.”
It’s been a 12-year build toward the Women’s Tour Down Under upgrading to the WorldTour. It started in 2011 with a series of criteriums and then grew each year until it joined the National Series in 2015 and then the UCI’s international calendar as a 2.2 event in 2016, won by Katrin Garfoot.
Spratt won her first overall title in 2017 and then won again after it had upgraded to the 2.1-level in 2018 and in 2019. The event then upgraded to the Pro Series and Ruth Winder won the overall title in 2020. The race was then on hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021 and 2022.
Upon its return, the three-day race will kick off the Women’s WorldTour from January 15-17, with a curtain raiser criterium first on January 14, and it will be followed by the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race on January 28.
The stage race will host just six of the 15 WorldTeams, along with four Continental teams, a domestic squad and two national teams from Australia and New Zealand, for a total of 78 riders, a relatively small field compared to the WorldTour events in Europe.
Spratt suggested that the travel costs, which continue to soar post-COVID-19, may have deterred European teams from making the trip to Australia this year.
“I think it’s really quite costly with flights and travel. I understand there are a lot of costs being put on the team. So I think that makes it quite difficult,” Spratt said, noting that the calibre of racing will still be at a high standard.
“I think it will, regardless, be a much bigger race. It’s a WorldTour race, so there’s pressure on teams, and I know riders will want to be getting their names…
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