How Australia’s Biggest Cycling Event is Leveraging Social Media

The 2014 Santos Tour Down Under will be held in Adelaide and regional South Australia from January 19-26. The week-long race brings top professional cycling teams to compete in the capital city of Adelaide, as well as iconic regions of South Australia, and proudly remains the only UCI WorldTour race in the Southern Hemisphere.

Photo credit: Santos Tour Down Under/Graham Watson; Riders pave the way through South Australia in the annual Santos Tour Down Under race

The annual cycling festival is embraced by locals and thousands of interstate and international visitors who gather in South Australia to watch their favorite riders in action. As the first race on the world cycling calendar each year, the Santos Tour Down Under attracts top professionals eager to make their mark.

The six-stage race takes place in several unique regions surrounding the capital city of Adelaide, recently named one of the world’s “Top 10 Cities to Visit in 2014” by Lonely Planet’s “Best in Travel” 2014 guide.

The race also features new routes for the cyclists, taking in some of the state’s most stunning landscapes. They will travel nearly 500 miles during the competition, passing through many of the attractions South Australia is known for: lush vineyards, sparkling beaches, charming towns, rolling hills and natural bushland.

Visitors to South Australia can organize their own “tour down under” that incorporates scenic cycling trails located in various wine regions, including the heart of the Barossa—Australia’s most famous wine region—which links the major towns of Tanunda, Nuriootpa and Angaston that offer panoramic views and world-renowned winemakers in between.

Social Media in Australia’s Biggest Cycling Event

The Santos Tour Down under has its dedicated Facebook, YouTube and Twitter pages for official updates and, during the event, will be the go-to source for real-time updates:

One quirky bit of activity that the STDU team has done via social media is to track what’s called the #PuppetPeloton – a fun promotional gag that can be seen traveling around Australia in 2013. By sending the STDU social media team picture of Puppet Peloton in action, using the hashtag #puppetpeloton, they can win some prizes.

You can see more about this on their respective social media channels already:

 

Follow the tour this January and let us know what you think!