"The race has been designed to be captivating and exciting, so I think that's what we'll get" - Tour Down Under organizer Stuart O'Grady foresees
Cycling
Stuart O'Grady, the first Australian Paris-Roubaix winner, and now the organizer of the Santos Tour Down Under. O'Grady had won the race twice in the past and for his executive role debut, he has prepared a fascinating final at the weekend, combining famous Willunga Hill on Saturday, with Mount Lofty in the final stage.
"Riders and teams are expecting heat and dryness," says O’Grady during the pre-race press conference. "The guys who train in Australia will have a little advantage on that, but last year we clearly saw, with Simon Yates, that the Europeans could shine. In any case, it's an honor and a pleasure to see all these superstars of our sport come to Adelaide."
"Of course, we negotiate to have the best riders at the start, but we know that it's a very special year, with the Paris Olympic Games," he continues. "I'm very happy with the route we've put together, with new start and finish towns, and obviously there are stages at Willunga Hill and Mount Lofty on the weekend. The race has been designed to be captivating and exciting, so I think that's what we'll get."
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Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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Here we go 🙌 Six epic stages await the men as their 2024 campaign kicks off right here in South Australia 🚴♂️💥 Find out which teams and riders make up the peloton: bit.ly/48xFwpD #TourDownUnder #CouchPeloton @SantosLtd
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