The 2021 Tour Down Under was cancelled because there were fewer than 10 WorldTour teams in Australia to participate in the inaugural event.

According to Cycling News, race organizers had requested at least 10 WorldTour teams to participate and the remaining slots could have been filled by national teams, but after the UCI decided to make participation in the race optional rather than mandatory, as is the general practice for WorldTour events After the UCI decided to make participation in the race optional rather than mandatory, as is the general trend for WorldTour events, only a handful of teams traveled, were quarantined, and then requested to participate in the race.

The women's Tour Down Under and Cadel Evans races were also cancelled following news of the Tour Down Under.

According to multiple sources, fewer than five teams have agreed to participate in the men's Tour Down Under, with Mitchelton Scott, Deceuninck-Quick Step, and Israel Startup Nation indicating their intention to participate; AG2R La Mondiale and Bahrain McLaren acknowledged to Cycling News that they declined the invitation.

Up to eight WorldTour teams declined, leaving the rest to sit on their hands knowing that the race would not take place unless 10 teams came forward.

In an official statement released on Sunday, race organizers revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic was the main reason for the race cancellation, but took a number of stringent measures to allay the teams' concerns. The bubble should have been in place from the moment the charter flight carrying the racers and staff departed from Singapore on January 2, about two weeks before the race was to take place. But before that flight took place, the race organizers had also paid for all athletes and staff to arrive in Singapore on flights departing from London, Milan, Paris, Amsterdam, and several other European hubs.

After boarding the charter flight from Singapore to Adelaide, the racers were transferred to the Adelaide Hilton Hotel, where each team was provided a private floor during the two-week quarantine period. The race organizers worked closely with South Australian (SA) authorities (Department of Health and Police) to develop a workable quarantine scenario; documents obtained by Cyclingnews indicate that all hotels used for quarantine were approved by the SA Department of Health. 13]

The organizers also applied to the UCI for a waiver to reduce the number of registered riders from seven to six, saying that "this is a measure requested to reduce the cost of quarantine and pressure from race organizers, and is expected to be favorably received by participating teams and to allow more flexibility in athlete registration."

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With regard to inspections, all riders and staff were inspected within 48 hours of their arrival in Adelaide and, according to documents shared with teams and officials, were likely inspected "on day 12 of quarantine, which determines whether teams are released from quarantine after 14 days.

During that two-week period, riders were able to train on the open road while being escorted by police through the city and surrounding countryside. Race organizers also intended to split the teams into two smaller bubbles to limit interaction during the quarantine period and to spread the possibility of infection. Meals at the Hilton were also served to the racers on their own hotel floors to reduce social distancing and limit interaction. The flight back to Singapore was also to be chartered.

"Due to COVID-19 and quarantine, we did not have enough teams to organize from the Men's World Tour peloton. We were just being realistic and we have no problem with that," a race spokesman told Cycling News.

AG2R La Mondiale, one of the teams that withdrew from the competition, told Cycling News that the decision was based on quarantine considerations, as the athletes and staff would be away from their families for up to a month when they return to Europe if they are required to self-isolate for a certain period. However, most European countries currently do not require quarantine for travelers returning from Australia, and Australia currently has one of the lowest infection rates in the world.

Australia's Mitchelton Scott wanted the race for obvious reasons, and coach Matt White was disappointed that more teams were not willing to start their seasons in Australia.

"I know some teams were a little fatigued from the quarantine, but the big turning point for me was the UCI and their decision not to mandate participation. Like any other World Tour event, had we done that, the race would have taken place, but as soon as the teams were given the option, it became clear that they were not willing to participate," White said.

"We would love to go because we have an Australian sponsor, but every team needs a race and there is no quarantine for travel from Australia. Along with New Zealand, it's one of the safest places in the world right now."

For UAE Team Emirates, one of the teams that did not compete, the decision not to enter was due to a combination of factors, including the logistics and expenses involved in participating, as well as quarantine fatigue that has been growing in recent months during a season that is not yet over.

"I think he didn't want to go because of the end of the season and the hassle of a two-week quarantine," said coach Alan Piper.

"We didn't say yes or no. We just explained our point of view. From our standpoint, we were only thinking about the quarantine aspect. There is the big issue of having meals brought to your room, not being able to go out on rides without a police escort, and such a long period of time away from home. As much as I love bike racing, the long distance away from home is still nerve-wracking for everyone"

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While the quarantine aspect was certainly a driving force behind many teams' decisions not to race, Cycling News reported that the moment the UCI made the race optional, some teams used that aspect as a smoke screen, making the race more valuable to both the UCI and the race organizers We understand that it was seen as an expense that was worth less to the teams than it was.

"There may have been three or four teams in the World Tour that decided not to go given the option, but if you have 30 riders and you want them all to race at the start of the season, the weather, the racing, and the experience for the younger riders, then Australia is the ideal place to do it because of the weather, the racing, and the experience we can give the young riders," Piper said.

In a statement released by the UCI to Cycling News, the sport's governing body defended its position of making the Tour Down Under optional.

"In light of the requirements imposed by the Covid 19 epidemic situation on teams traveling to Australia, the Professional Cycling Council has decided to make an exception for the voluntary participation of UCI World Teams in the Tour Down Under for the 2021 edition. From the 2022 Congress onwards, mandatory participation will apply according to the regulations.