Hilton Hotels & Resorts is an international chain of full-service hotels and resorts founded by Conrad Hilton and now owned by Hilton Worldwide. Hilton hotels are either owned by, managed by, or franchised to independent operators by Hilton Worldwide. Hilton Hotels became the first coast-to-coast hotel chain of the United States in 1943. As of 2010, there are now over 530 Hilton branded hotels across the world in 76 countries across six continents. The company places marketing emphasis on business travel, but also owns and operates a number of resorts and leisure-oriented hotels in popular vacation destinations around the world. The company's Hilton HHonors guest loyalty program is one of the largest of its kind and has numerous partnerships with airlines and car rental companies. The company's global headquarters are located in Tysons Corner, Virginia.
The Tour Down Under is a cycling race in and around Adelaide, South Australia. The race starts on the 3rd Tuesday of January each year and attracts riders worldwide. In 2005, the Tour Down Under was promoted by the Union Cycliste Internationale highest ranking outside Europe. In 2008 the Tour Down Under became the first UCI ProTour in Australia, and the following year it became the inaugural event of the UCI World Ranking calendar.