All prize money from Sunday's Schwalbe Classic, the opening round of the men's Tour Down Under, will be donated to communities in South Australia affected by the ongoing bushfires, race organizers announced today.

Santos, the race's headline sponsor, has already donated A$600,000 to the South Australian government's Bushfire Appeal, Adelaide Koala Rescue, and Lifeline Community Recovery programs, and will match the amount raised during the week-long event. pledged to donate the same amount to fundraising efforts.

"As a major sponsor of the Santos Tour Down Under, we will match the amount raised for wildfire recovery during the event," Santos Managing Director and CEO Kevin Gallagher said in a press release Saturday. [The Santos Tour Down Under includes a race route that passes near the areas affected by the Adelaide Hills, and we are inviting people to join us to support these communities that are going through a tough time right now and can really benefit from visitor spending in their towns.

The race organization is also asking fans attending the free team presentation and concert in Adelaide on Saturday evening to make a $1 or $2 "gold coin donation," with all donations going to the SA Bushfire Appeal and Country Fire Service (CFS) Fund. [Trek Segafredo's Richie Porte won the 2017 Tour Down Under and will try to end the reign of 2018 and 2019 champion Daryl Impey (Mitchelton Scott) next week.

"Watching TV, it's clear that Australians are losing everything on a daily basis.

"By running through the affected areas, the world will see the devastation of the fires. When you run through the disaster area, you see the beauty of the rubber trees and the koalas that the Europeans are trying to find, as a matter of course."

"The people of Australia have lost everything,"

"They have lost everything, and they have lost everything.

"I think it's good to race in the affected areas. You go there, you buy coffee, you support local businesses," Porte said.

Meanwhile, Katusha Sports, clothing supplier for the Israeli WorldTour team "Start-Up Nation," in conjunction with the Tour Down Under, held a charity auction of various signed cycling jerseys throughout the week of the race, with fans could bid on them.

All donations will go to the New South Wales Rural Fire Service.

Items offered include road racing world champion Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo), AG2R La Mondiale team leader Romain Bardet, and Alex Dowsett and Andre Greipel, a jersey signed by the Mitchelton Scott women's team, and a Cofidis jersey signed by European road race champion Elia Viviani.

For more information on available items and where to bid, see.