Down Under Classic

Last updated

Down Under Classic
People's Choice Classic 2015.jpg
People's Choice Classic 2015
Race details
DateJanuary
Region Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
Discipline Road
Competition One-day
Type Criterium
Organiser Events South Australia
Race director Michael Turtur
Web site tourdownunder.com.au OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
History
First edition2006 (2006)
Editions17 (as of 2024)
First winnerFlag of Australia (converted).svg  Robbie McEwen  (AUS)
Most winsFlag of Australia (converted).svg  Caleb Ewan  (AUS)(5 wins)
Most recentFlag of Ecuador.svg  Jhonatan Narváez  (ECU)

The Down Under Classic (currently known as the Schwalbe Classic, and previously known as the People's Choice Classic and Cancer Council Helpline Classic for sponsorship reasons), is a criterium around Rymill Park in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. It precedes the Tour Down Under.

Contents

History

Since the very first Tour Down Under in 1999, there has been a history of city-based circuit racing in Adelaide. For several years the Tour Down Under featured a race around the East End of Adelaide and through the centre of Adelaide around King William Street.

The Down Under Classic was developed to retain a cycling race in the city from 2006 due to rules preventing the number of small circuit races in a multi-day stage race.

Caleb Ewan is the most successful cyclist in the race with five wins.

Location

The Down Under Classic has traditionally raced around Rymill Park/Murlawirrapurka in the East End, however it has been relocated over the years.

In 2014, the race was moved to a circuit around Victoria Drive and the River Torrens, north of the University of Adelaide. [1]

In 2017, it moved slightly south from Rymill Park to King Rodney Park/Ityamai-itpina before returning to its traditional configuration in 2019.

In 2020, it moved into the centre of Adelaide racing through main boulevards including Wakefield Street, Flinders Street and Victoria Square. [2]

Format

The Down Under Classic is typically 'raced to distance'. For instance, in 2017 the race was 50.6 kilometres, or 22 laps of the King Rodney Park circuit. [3]

In 2019, the format was changed to be time-certain, meaning the race lasted for exactly one hour and one lap. [4] This reverted to the full-distance format in 2020.

Prizes

The Down Under Classic does not count towards time or points of the Tour Down Under and, while promoted as part of the Tour Down Under 'festival' alongside the men's and women's races, is a distinctly separate race.

Instead, riders compete for prize money, with four sprint primes and the finish line prize all offering up the opportunity to obtain financial reward.

The winner of the Down Under Classic is awarded a victor's jersey, which often presents in the colours of the event sponsor. Under Cancer Council sponsorship the jersey was blue and yellow, People's Choice was green and white (until 2018) and in 2019 the jersey was red, owing to SouthAustralia.com support.

Results

Year1st placeTeam2nd placeTeam3rd placeTeam
2006Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Robbie McEwen  (AUS) Davitamon–Lotto Flag of Italy.svg  Daniele Colli  (ITA) Liquigas Flag of Italy.svg  Simone Cadamuro  (ITA) Team Milram
2007Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Mark Renshaw  (AUS) Crédit Agricole Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Hilton Clarke  (AUS) Navigators Insurance Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Simon Clarke  (AUS) SouthAustralia.com–AIS
2008Flag of Germany.svg  André Greipel  (GER) Team High Road Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Mark Renshaw  (AUS) Crédit Agricole Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Robbie McEwen  (AUS) Silence–Lotto
2009Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Robbie McEwen  (AUS) Team Katusha Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Wim Stroetinga  (NED) Team Milram Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Graeme Brown  (AUS) Rabobank
2010Flag of New Zealand.svg  Greg Henderson  (NZL) Team Sky Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Chris Sutton  (AUS) Team Sky Flag of Germany.svg  André Greipel  (GER) Team HTC–Columbia
2011Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Matthew Goss  (AUS) HTC–Highroad Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Mark Renshaw  (AUS) HTC–Highroad Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Robbie McEwen  (AUS) Team RadioShack
2012Flag of Germany.svg  André Greipel  (GER) Lotto–Belisol Flag of Norway.svg  Edvald Boasson Hagen  (NOR) Team Sky Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Heinrich Haussler  (AUS) Garmin–Barracuda
2013Flag of Germany.svg  André Greipel  (GER) Lotto–Belisol Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Matthew Goss  (AUS) Orica–GreenEDGE Flag of New Zealand.svg  Greg Henderson  (NZL) Lotto–Belisol
2014Flag of Germany.svg  Marcel Kittel  (GER) Giant–Shimano Flag of Germany.svg  André Greipel  (GER) Lotto–Belisol Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Caleb Ewan  (AUS) UniSA–Australia
2015Flag of Germany.svg  Marcel Kittel  (GER) Team Giant–Alpecin Flag of Spain.svg  Juan José Lobato  (ESP) Movistar Team Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Wouter Wippert  (NED) Drapac Professional Cycling
2016Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Caleb Ewan  (AUS) Orica–GreenEDGE Flag of Italy.svg  Giacomo Nizzolo  (ITA) Trek–Segafredo Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Adam Blythe  (GBR) Tinkoff
2017Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Caleb Ewan  (AUS) Orica–Scott Flag of Ireland.svg  Sam Bennett  (IRL) Bora–Hansgrohe Flag of Slovakia.svg  Peter Sagan  (SVK) Bora–Hansgrohe
2018Flag of Slovakia.svg  Peter Sagan  (SVK) Bora–Hansgrohe Flag of Germany.svg  André Greipel  (GER) Lotto–Soudal Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Caleb Ewan  (AUS) Mitchelton–Scott
2019Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Caleb Ewan  (AUS) Lotto–Soudal Flag of Slovakia.svg  Peter Sagan  (SVK) Bora–Hansgrohe Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Alex Edmondson  (AUS) Mitchelton–Scott
2020Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Caleb Ewan  (AUS) Lotto–Soudal Flag of Italy.svg  Elia Viviani  (ITA) Cofidis Flag of Italy.svg  Simone Consonni  (ITA) Cofidis
2023Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Caleb Ewan  (AUS) Lotto–Dstny Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Jordi Meeus  (BEL) Bora–Hansgrohe Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Kaden Groves  (AUS) Alpecin–Deceuninck
2024Flag of Ecuador.svg  Jhonatan Narváez  (ECU) Ineos Grenadiers Flag of Eritrea.svg  Natnael Tesfatsion  (ERI) Lidl–Trek Flag of Mexico.svg  Isaac del Toro  (MEX) UAE Team Emirates

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References

  1. "People's Choice Classic". People's Choice Classic. Tour Down Under. Archived from the original on 25 January 2014. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
  2. "Schwalbe Classic". Tour Down Under. Tour Down Under. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  3. "2017 People's Choice Classic map". Tour Down Under. Tour Down Under. Archived from the original on 2 January 2017. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
  4. "Down Under Classic". Tour Down Under. Tour Down Under. Retrieved 21 April 2019.