Tour Down Under

The race has typically been decided on Willunga Hill, a short, steep climb south of Adelaide that was a summit finish every year from 2012 to 2020 and again in 2024 and 2025. Recent routes have also used a summit finish on Mount Lofty and the Corkscrew Road climb in the Adelaide Hills. The rest of the route mixes flat coastal stages that favor sprinters, rolling inland roads through the Barossa Valley and Adelaide Hills, and occasional crosswind exposure on open roads. Time gaps are rarely large, so positioning, bonus seconds, and the ability to climb repeatedly in heat all matter. The winner needs to be sharp enough to contest intermediate sprints, strong enough to survive Willunga, and consistent enough to avoid losing time on transition stages where the pace can splinter the field.