Even from all the way over here in Perth, there is an audible buzz throughout January before the Tour Down Under rolls into Adelaide. We spend days fine-tuning race bikes— indexing gears, changing tyres, swapping chains and cassettes, replacing bar tape —before they head east for Australia’s biggest UCI WorldTour road cycling event.
The Santos Tour Down Under covers 758.9 km across a prologue and six stages, with over 10,000 m of total elevation, making bike setup, reliability, and weight crucial for performance and safety in the South Australian summer heat. Every bearing, brake pad, and tyre gets a second look, because small mechanical issues can decide general classification, sprint finishes, mountain points, or just ruin a days riding for those of you wanting to enjoy the experience.
The cycling weekend opens with a 3.6 km individual time trial prologue in central Adelaide, starting from Victoria Square and using the fast, flat Victoria Park circuit with around 16 m of elevation gain.
Stage 1 around Tanunda in the Barossa Valley is 120.6 km with roughly 1,200 m of climbing, ideal for sprinters who can handle rolling hills and crosswinds. Stage 2 from Norwood to Uraidla is a key climbing stage at 148.1 km and over 3,600 m of vertical, featuring Norton Summit, Mount Lofty, and the steep Corkscrew Road ascents that stress drivetrains, disc brakes, wheels and riders alike.
Here at TLS, we’ve got years of experience setting riders up to travel, participate and compete at all levels. We understand how hard back to back days in the saddle can be, especially at the height of summer, and we tailor our efforts to give you the best possible chance of a hassle free riding trip.