Organizers of the Santos Women's Tour Down Under announced Thursday that they will offer live streaming of the four-day race, which will take place January 16-19, 2020. Race director Kimberly Conte said she is thrilled that the race has been elevated to a new professional series, but that the overall goal is to be part of the future Women's World Tour.

All four stages will be streamed live on Seven Plus, and the final stage (Schwalbe Stage 4) will be broadcast live nationwide via the Seven West Media Network.

Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment David Ridgeway said the popularity of the Women's Tour Down Under has grown exponentially since its introduction in 2016.

"We are thrilled with the growing interest and excitement for the Santos Women's Tour Down Under and are committed to growing the women's race as part of the Santos Tour Down Under," Ridgeway said. [Live streaming of the race will be an opportunity to expand our audience and deliver great footage from South Australia. [Santos' investment allows WTDU to be viewed nationally through 7Plus. Santos is a fantastic supporter of this world-class international event and is particularly passionate about the growth and development of women's racing"

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Santos Managing Director and CEO Kevin Gallagher confirmed that Santos has entered into a new three-year partnership with the race, which along with live streaming will undoubtedly enhance the stability of the race.

"We are pleased to make this additional investment in the Santos Women's Tour Down Under and that all stages of the race will be live streamed to attract a national audience," Gallagher said. [2020 will be our 11th year as a naming rights sponsor of the Tour Down Under.

"The growth of women's racing has been phenomenal. In just a few short years, it has gone from a few street races to UCI Pro Series status."

Next season, a two-team system will begin, with a World Team and a Continental Team, racing as part of a newly structured calendar called the UCI Pro Series: the UCI Women's World Tour, UCI Pro Series, Class 1 and Class 2.

The Women's Tour Down Under is part of the UCI Pro Series and is one step below the Women's World Tour, but will continue to attract many of the top-level teams and riders who will begin competing in the Australian summer before returning to Europe for the spring classics.

Conte said the promotion to the Pro Series is a big step for the Women's Tour and the overall goal is to become part of the Women's World Tour.

"It has always been a goal of the event to elevate the women's race to the UCI Women's World Tour in a few years, and this promotion brings us one step closer to that," Conte said.

Route details for the fifth edition of the Women's Tour Down Under were announced in July. The race will start in Hahndorf and finish three days later at Adelaide's Street Circuit.

Amanda Spratt (Mitchelton Scott) has won the overall Women's Tour Down Under title for three consecutive seasons, while Katrina Garfoot won the inaugural event in 2016.

The 2020 Women's World Tour will open with the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race on February 1.