The 2024 Santos Tour Down Under is set to feature Italian cycling heavyweights Filippo Ganna and Elia Viviani, adding international flair to the Australian event. Ganna, a two-time world-time trial champion, and Viviani, a sprinter with multiple stage wins at the Tour Down Under, are both slated to represent INEOS Grenadiers.
Ganna, known for his world hour record on the track and as the defending individual pursuit gold medallist at the Summer Olympics, has also secured seven Grand Tour stage wins. His impressive performance, including a second-place finish at Milan – San Remo, makes his debut at Australia’s premier cycling race highly anticipated.
Viviani, on the other hand, boasts a successful track record at the Santos Tour Down Under with stage victories in both 2018 and 2019. His accolades include nine Grand Tour stage wins, a former European Champion title, a Giro d’Italia points classification victory, and an Olympic Gold Medal in track cycling.
Race Director Stuart O’Grady expressed excitement about securing Ganna and Viviani for the event, highlighting their formidable form and anticipation for their participation in both the Tour Down Under and the Track Nations Cup.
Ganna shared his enthusiasm for opening his 2024 season in South Australia, praising the race’s reputation and expressing eagerness to compete with his INEOS Grenadier teammates. Viviani reminisced about his previous successes in South Australia, citing the Tour Down Under as a lucky charm for his season. He plans to spend about a month in Australia, including some track racing, aiming to start his season with a stage win at the event.
The Tour Down Under is also set to feature other cycling luminaries such as former world champion Julian Alaphilippe and Australian sprinter Caleb Ewan, making the 2024 edition a highly anticipated event in the cycling calendar.
