Australia's Tour Down Under cycling event cancelled due to COVID-19

SYDNEY -- Australia's premier international cycling event, the Tour Down Under has been cancelled for 2021 due to COVID-19, organisers revealed late Sunday.

Originally scheduled to be held in the State of South Australia in January, event organisers cited the uncertainty of bringing competitors from overseas as the main reason behind the decision to cancel.

"The Santos Tour Down Under is a much-loved event on the world cycling and Australian sporting calendars and we know how important this event is to the people of South Australia," Executive Director, Events South Australia, Hitaf Rasheed said.

"However, the complexities and risks involved with quarantining and international border closures have ultimately proved too much to ask of some of the teams."

Generally the Tour Down Under marks the start of the international competitive cycling calendar, a mantle which race organisers said they would return to upholding in 2022.

In place of the international event, a domestic cycling festival will be held as an opportunity for young talented riders to compete and showcase their skills, as well as giving local enthusiasts something to cheer for.

South Australia has officially recorded 501 cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic began, the vast majority of which tested positive while in hotel quarantine having contracted the disease from overseas or interstate.