No European race is more obscure than any Aussie race. This is in fact a European sport.
No, that is your opinion not fact. Objectively cycling is not a European sport any more than football (soccer) is a European sport or basketball is an American sport. I thought we got over this in Lemond’s day? The sport isn’t going to grow much if it confines itself to a few countries in western Europe.
If you have no interest in the TDU, that’s fine don’t watch or follow it. But it’s only been around for 25 years and its popularity isn’t waning. The level of discussion in this forum suggests its own thread is warranted.
The TDU is on the UCI Pro Tour which I assume means all the top teams are obligated to contest. It is the first race of the year which accumulates points towards the world rankings. It’s UCI race ranking is higher than some week long and one day races in Europe which get their own thread. Like other UCI WorldTour races, the men’s race attracts all the top UCI teams.
The main thing the TDU lacks is decent climbs limited by the geography in South Australia. On the flip side, when it’s hot it can be hotter than the Vuelta (over 40C). Not sure what the forecasts are saying this year.