Stuart O'Grady in action before his premature retirement brought on my his drug admission. Source: News Limited
RACE director Mike Turtur says it is time to forgive disgraced South Australian cyclist Stuart O'Grady for his drug indiscretions and welcome him back into the Tour Down Under fold.
O'Grady, a two-time TDU winner and 2007 Paris-Roubaix champion, quit the sport suddenly last July after confessing to once using the banned substance EPO before the Tour de France in 1998.
Turtur has been close to O'Grady for his entire professional career, which has spanned more than two decades.
But Turtur acknowledged the decision ultimately rests with the State Government - and O'Grady himself. Events SA - an arm of the SA Tourism Commission - has owned the Tour Down Under since its inception in 1999.
"I think it's time and Stuart will handle it his way,'' Turtur said yesterday.
"He's back home now with his family and he needs to find his feet in a normal life.
"He's a good guy. He's a proud South Australian.
"We'll see what develops over the course of the next year.
"We've honoured Stuart at the past Legends Night dinner and I think it's a decision (O'Grady's involvement with the Tour Down Under) that will come within the next period.
"I'm certain in the future things will be different."
O'Grady returned to Adelaide permanently last December with his family after selling his home in Europe.
He spoke for the first time publicly since his shock retirement at a cancer charity dinner in Adelaide on January 17.
He declared at the Ride Like Crazy function that he viewed the event as the first step to giving back to cycling in SA.
Turtur also said he believes the UCI (International Cycling Union) will allow the Tour Down Under to retain its January timeslot, despite speculation some WorldTour teams preferred a February start.
"I think you know in January we're only talking of a period of about a maximum of two weeks,'' Turtur said.
"At the end of the day it's something UCI have to discuss with the reform of professional cycling.
"The season has to start somewhere and we're happy to be the first race of the season.
"I think being the first race offers the unknown for media, for spectators, for riders.
"January, in my view, worked very well for the riders."
New UCI president Brian Cookson saw first-hand the significance for the state of holding the race during school holidays.
It is believed Cookson - an official guest of the race - was delighted when he witnessed thousands of Tour Down Under school-holiday revellers partying on King William Rd, Hyde Park in the leadup to Friday's stage start.
According to sources, Cookson is well aware a February start would change the entire fans' logistics of the race.
Turtur believes this 16th edition of the Tour Down Under was the best on record.
Orica-GreenEDGE's Simon Gerrans claimed his third Australian title in emphatic fashion, with several spectacular stages writing the race into the annals of cycling history.
Gerrans, BMC Racing's Cadel Evans, Lotto-Belisol's Andre Greipel, Sky's Richie Porte and Italian surprise packet Diego Ulissi from Lampre-Merida added daily drama to the event, given they all won stages during an exciting week of action.
"The spectacle for the whole week it came down to one second for first (Gerrans) and second (Evans) but it had the different stage winners,'' Turtur said.
"And the way the stages finished each day - there was always an element of interest right up until the finish.
"It wasn't a forgone conclusion with a big break going and that was it.
"I think it was the best competitive cycling race we've had in the 16 editions."
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