Partially naked pensioners arrested for Tour Down Under protest

Three partly naked women in their 60s and 70s were arrested at the opening stage of the women's Tour Down Under this morning in Adelaide.

SA Police were alerted to the group while patrolling the Tour Down Under at around 12:30pm local time when they were alerted to a group of people on Main South Road at Noarlunga Downs allegedly exposing themselves.

Extinction Rebellion activists have bared all in a flashy protest against Tour Down Under sponsor, Santos.

Three were arrested over the cheeky demonstration during stage one of the Women’s event at Noarlunga Downs. #9News pic.twitter.com/isyBUGMAem

— 9News Adelaide (@9NewsAdel) January 15, 2023

Video footage broadcast by 9 News showed the group holding signs saying 'we tried polite' and wearing white clothes commenting on energy giant Santos' involvement with the race, with holes cut out exposing certain areas.

Police confirmed a 69-year-old woman from McLaren Vale, a 70-year-old woman from Port Willunga, and a 74-year-old woman from Aldinga were arrested and charged with indecent behaviour for their protest as the riders and race vehicles passed. They were bailed and will appear in court at a later date.

In a statement, climate activist group Extinction Rebellion said protesters were calling for energy giant Santos to be dumped as a Tour Down Under sponsor.

> Extinction Rebellion to target Santos Festival of Cycling

"We are baring our ageing breasts and our wobbly bums in the hope of shocking," one protester said. "Polite pleas and submissions have not been enough."

Earlier this week two women in their 60s were arrested after gluing themselves to a pile of bikes on an Adelaide street in the first wave of Extinction Rebellion's plan to disrupt the return of the race – and, more specifically, to highlight the apparent 'greenwashing' activities of its main sponsor, Santos.

💥 BREAKING 💥

Rebels have glued themselves to a pile of bicycles chained together outside Santos HQ. A trail of fake oil has been poured from the building over the bicycle stack and onto rebels.

Fossil fuels are the new big tobacco. We want them dumped from the #TourDownUnder. pic.twitter.com/7W1qwwe5NF

— Extinction Rebellion Australia (@XRebellionAus) January 12, 2023

The two women, aged 67 and 68 and dressed in cycling clothing, were charged by police with unreasonably obstructing the path of a driver or pedestrian after blocking a lane outside oil and gas producer Santos' HQ for half an hour.

Gas and oil producer Santos, which has sponsored the Tour Down Under since 2010, is one of Australia's worst greenhouse gas emitting companies.

With today's protesters removed, Human Powered Health's Polish rider Daria Pikulik won the opening stage, holding off Clara Copponi and home rider Georgia Baker in the sprint.

Congratulations Daria Pikulik for Team @HumanPwrdHealth, Winner of the Women's Ziptrak® Stage 1!@ziptrak | @Santosltd #TourDownUnder pic.twitter.com/F0f3UL1Hac

— Santos Tour Down Under 🚴🚴‍♀️ (@tourdownunder) January 15, 2023