With the women’s Santos Tour Down Under now complete, it’s time for the men’s peloton to take centre stage and get their WorldTour season underway. The men’s TDU takes place over six stages, starting this Tuesday January 20 and running through to next Monday.
Here’s what you should know.
The favourites
More on the GC contenders in a moment, but as a bit of teaser, here’s who we have as the most likely victors.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐: Jhonatan Narvaez (UAE Team Emirates-XRG)
⭐⭐⭐⭐: Finn Fisher-Black (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates-XRG)
⭐⭐⭐: Mauro Schmid, Ben O’Connor (both Jayco-AlUla)
⭐⭐: Brady Gilmore (NSN), Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious)
⭐: Lennert Van Eetvelt (Lotto-Intermarché), Chris Harper (Australia national team)
The course
Here’s a breakdown of all six stages of this year’s race:
Prologue - Adelaide (3.6 km)
For only the second time in TDU history, the race will begin with a prologue. The last one was held in 2023 (won by Alberto Bettiol) and like that first time, this prologue will be raced on road bikes only (but expect plenty of aero helmets).
It’s not a particularly technical course and, being so short, it should suit the punchier riders and track specialists rather than pure time trialists. Even a few seconds’ difference at this race can be the difference between winning the race overall and very much not, so expect the GC contenders to give it everything.
Stage 1: Tanunda to Tanunda (120.6 km)
The quintessential stage in Barossa Valley wine country features three ascents of Menglers Hill (2.2 km at 3.9%) but this will almost certainly finish in a bunch kick.
Stage 2: Norwood to Uraidla (148 km)
After heading up the popular Norton Summit climb right out of the start, this stage is defined by two ascents of the tough Corkscrew Road climb (2.3 km at 9.7%). The women’s race featured two ascents on the final stage – and what a final stage it was – but this is the first time in the men’s race that a stage will feature two ascents of Corkscrew Road.
The final categorised ascent peaks 13 km from the finish but there’s still a bunch of climbing from there until the finish in Uraidla. It’s a tough conclusion to a day that’ll be important for the GC, whether it’s just a rider or two fighting out the win, or a larger group.
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