Lance to contest Tour Down Under

Lance to contest Tour Down Under
Auburn Primary School reception student Daniel Hutchinson, 5, may
be small now, and the Tour Down Under Guernsey may look like it
swamps him, but he was pretty proud to be wearing it - if only he could
reach the pedals of that big bike ... then he’d be sure to give Lance
Armstrong a run for his money.


A gift of Clare Valley wine may have been the clincher in Lance Armstrong agreeing to participate in the 2010 Tour Down Under.
Premier Mike Rann said he would use the wine to help woo the world-class cyclist back to South
Australia.
And even as he blitzes through the Clare and Gilbert Valley during the first leg of the tour, which leaves Clare on Tuesday, January 19, 2010, Armstrong won’t fail to notice the beauty of this boutique wine region, which may encourage him to return for a longer visit once the race is over.
Armstrong’s charity Livestrong, the Lance Armstrong Foundation and his Livestrong.com website which focuses on healthy lifestyle and disease prevention are only part of the athlete’s interests which extend to the enjoyment of fine wine.
Under his own label Livestrong wine is made in the Napa Valley, USA and displays his distinctive
yellow band on the label.
The back label of the wine summarises his Livestrong foundation goals: “We believe that unity is
strength, knowledge is power, and attitude is everything.” On each of his recent visits to the
district, Mr Rann said he was behind the push to reach an agreement with the cyclist, and
announced the seven-time Tour de France winner’s acceptance last week.
“In another coup for South Australia, this will be the first time Lance’s new team, Team
RadioShack, will compete anywhere in the world,” Mr Rann said. “He really enjoyed his time in
South Australia and has told me how much he appreciated the massive support he received from the thousands of cycling fans during the race and from the communities supporting the launch of his global cancer campaign.”
Lance Armstrong’s participation in the 2009 Tour Down Under had a big impact on the event and provided an opportunity to showcase South Australia to a worldwide audience.
Santos is the new naming rights sponsor of the Tour Down Under, and the four-year deal will see the Tour, which in 2009 became the biggest sporting event in South Australian history, renamed the Santos Tour Down Under.
The 2010 Santos Tour Down Under will be held in South Australia from 17-24 January 2010. For more information, visit http://www.tourdownunder.com.au/