Apples and oranges

While the Jayco Herald-Sun Tour is a fantastic event in it's own right, the global popularity of the Tour Down speaks for itself, writes Mike Tomalaris.

So Bradley Wiggins opens up a can of worms by declaring the Herald-Sun Tour is more prestigious than the Tour Down Under. Really?

It's a bit like comparing apple and oranges, but having covered both races as a journalist over the years I can safely say the South Australia event has become the benchmark of road cycling in this country.

And the reason is simple - the Lance factor. When the seven-time Tour de France winner visited Adelaide earlier this year, the TDU's prestige increased by 100%.

It was reflected by the swelling numbers of international supporters, who travelled from all parts of the world, lining the highways and bi-ways of South Australia during the high heat of January.

The global television exposure the TDU received as a result of Lance's presence cannot compare to many sporting events that originate from Australia, let alone a week-long cycle tour.

For 10 days, foreign TV crews followed Lance's every move, before, during and even after the race finished. Not since Adelaide hosted the Australian Formula One GrandPrix has the city been enveloped by such hysteria than when Lance was in town.

There was a real Tour de France feel about the event this year.

Sure, the TDU lacks big mountain stages or even a testing time trial, but as the first race on the UCI calendar, you cannot expect much more from the array of elite riders, especially the Euros, who are just returning from a three month off-season.

Don't get me wrong, the Jayco Herald-Sun Tour is a magnificent event in its own right, and has stepped up a level or two in profile since the Victorian government's financial involvement in 2004.

Apart from this year's course, Victoria's premier race traditionally takes in the tough terrain the for which the state is famous.

Legendary climbs such as Baw Baw, Buller, Buffalo and others make the event a showpiece, but I feel until the event is accepted by European media and the public-at-large in professional cycling's hotbed, the Jacyo Herald Sun Tour will always be classed as a "local" race.

And with all due respect, Victoria's unpredictable Spring weather does little to attract an international crowd.

It's a wonderful coup to have a rider of Bradley Wiggins' calibre in Australia, but until the triple Olympic champion competes on the dusty roads of South Australia under a burning summer sun, I feel he should reserve his judgment on the relative merits of the two events.