The Tour Down Under is the perfect curtain-raiser for the men's World Tour season.
Gone are the days, however, when six days racing around Adelaide were treated as almost a holiday for the sport's elite. As the 2024 event showed, this is a race full of challenges. It's a race that can give your season an early boost, or dampen hopes, where new stars can emerge and storylines begin to be written for the year ahead.
This year's race included several stand-out moments; like Isaac del Toro's (UAE Team Emirates) perfectly timed attack on stage two, Sam Welsford's (Bora-Hansgrohe) sprinting masterpiece and the measured, unshakeable performance of Stephen Williams (Israel - Premier Tech) to take the overall crown.
Besides, these were the lesser-seen elements that make the Tour Down Under what it is; like wheelies on Willunga, quirky murals and the picturesque Adelaide landscape as the backdrop.
Tour Down Under Stage 1
(Image credit: Zac Williams/SWPix)
George Bennett chats with his new Sports Director Sam Bewley on his first day in an Israel-Premier Tech jersey
(Image credit: Zac Williams/SWPix)
Nick Schultz of Israel-Premier Tech leads the bunch as they roll through the vineyards near Tanunda, where stage one started and finished.
(Image credit: Zac Williams/SWPix)
The peloton cruise past a row of palm trees.
(Image credit: Zac Williams/SWPix)
Team Visma - Lease a Bike lead the peloton down a fast descent.
(Image credit: Zac Williams/SWpix.com)
Latvia's Emils Liepns (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL) feeling the heat on the first day of racing.
(Image credit: Zac Williams/SWPix)
The salt marks on Stefan de Bod's skinsuit looked like they were part of EF Education-Easypost's new jersey design.
Tour Down Under Stage 2
(Image credit: Zac Williams/SWPix)
Stage one winner and overnight leader Sam Welsford (Bora-Hansgrohe) looking confident as he prepares for the second day of racing.
(Image credit: Zac Williams/SWPix)
The riders went climbing in the Adelaide hills on stage two.
(Image credit: Zac Williams/SWPix)
The lone figure of Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty) cuts through another Adelaide vineyard wearing the white jersey as the best young rider.
(Image credit: Zac Williams/SWPix)
The peloton swings round a looping left-hand bend, led by the Australian national team.
(Image credit: Zac Williams/SWPix)
Young Australian Luke Burns (Australian National Team) in the breakaway. He secured vital points in the battle for the King of the Mountains jersey.
(Image credit: Zac Williams/SWPix)
Young Mexican starlet Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates) tries to catch his breath after he out-foxed the peloton with a brilliant attack in the final five-hundred metres.
(Image credit: Zac Williams/SWPix)
Biniam Girmay in a reflective mood after missing out on the win again.
(Image credit: Zac Williams/SWPix)
2023 Tour de l'Avenir winner Del Toro is overjoyed at his first professional win.
Tour Down Under 2024 Stage 3
(Image credit: Zac Williams/SWPix)
Sam Welsford won plenty of new fans after his performances over the week.
(Image credit: Zac Williams/SWPix)
EF's Stefan De Bod and Axel Mariault of Cofidis were two out of the four riders who formed the breakaway of the day.
(Image credit: Zac Williams/SWPix)
The peloton zooms through the town of Mount Pleasant as they make their way towards the finish in Campbelltown.
(Image credit: Zac Williams/SWPix)
The peloton going easy on a descent as they chase down the breakaway.
(Image credit: Zac Williams/SWPix)
Full power - the sprinters giving it everything on the drag up to the line
(Image credit: Zac Williams/SWPix)
Making it look easy - Welsford celebrates as he goes two-for-two in the sprints.
(Image credit: Zac Williams/SWPix)
Welsford thanks team-mate Ryan Mullen, who had been part of another perfect lead-out.
(Image credit: Zac Williams/SWPix)
Lucas Plapp's road rash after a high-speed crash which would later see him abandon. It was a disappointing race for the home favourites Jayco-AlUla.
(Image credit: Zac Williams/SWPix)
A touching moment as Welsford enjoys his second victory with loved-ones after the finish.
(Image credit: Zac Williams/SWPix)
Luke Burns of the Australian national team has his efforts rewarded with the King of the Mountains jersey on his back.
Tour Down Under 2024 Stage 4
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Isaac del Toro, one of the break-out stars of the race, readies himself ahead of his second day in the leader's ochre jersey.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Cofidis' Simon Geschke, now in his final year as a professional, looks composed as he waits for the stage to begin.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
The riders cross the historic Murray Bridge as they begin the day's racing.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Fans take pictures of the bunch as it makes its way towards the stage finish in Port Elliot.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Moo-ving on - Isaac del Toro is well protected by his UAE Team Emirates team-mates as they pass a mural of a curious-looking cow.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
The sun beats-down on the riders on another baking-hot day. Bora-Hansgrohe lead the peloton as Welsford looks to take a clean sweep of sprint wins.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Disbelief for birthday-boy Welsford as he takes his third win of the race, just getting the better of Girmay.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Julian Alaphilippe and his young Soudal Quick-Step team-mate Antoine Huby make their way to the bus after the stage.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
The Lidl-Trek squad unpick the day's events.
Tour Down Under 2024 Stage 5
(Image credit: Zac Williams/SWPix)
Del Toro looking focussed with the prospect of Old Willunga Hill and an important day in the GC battle ahead
(Image credit: Zac Williams/SWPix)
Before the iconic Willunga Hill, the route took the riders along the coast
(Image credit: Zac Williams/SWPix)
No time for the beach today. Willunga calls.
(Image credit: Zac Williams/SWPix)
Alert to the danger, Chris Harper (Jayco-AlUla) chases down Juan Pedro Lopez (Lidl-Trek)
(Image credit: Zac Williams/SWPix)
Up front, Willunga is a fierce battleground for the top contenders. Behind, it's a party. Two riders show-off their wheelie skills.
(Image credit: Zac Williams/SWPix)
Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek), cloaked in the stars and stripes as USA national champion, takes a high-five from a fan.
(Image credit: Zac Williams/SWPix)
More wheelies - this time it's Jayco-AlUla's Campbell Stewart entertaining the crowds.
(Image credit: Zac Williams/SWPix)
Luke Burns and Biniam Girmay joke with a fan as they make their way up the famous climb.
(Image credit: Zac Williams/SWPix)
A light moment for Harry Sweeny (EF Education - Easypost) as he cools off after the stage.
Tour Down Under 2024 Stage 6
(Image credit: Zac Williams/SWPix)
The new ochre jersey, Stephen Williams (Israel - Premier Tech), makes his way to sign on.
(Image credit: Zac Williams/SWPix)
The fans use any means necessary to get a good view of the peloton as it comes past.
(Image credit: Zac Williams/SWPix)
The early attacks fly as riders know they have one final opportunity to win a stage.
(Image credit: Zac Williams/SWPix)
Patrick Bevin (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL) gets aero as the peloton hurtles down a descent.
(Image credit: Zac Williams/SWPix)
Race leader Williams gets the better of Narvaez (Ineos Grenadiers) and Del Toro in the final sprint to seal the overall win.
(Image credit: Zac Williams/SWPix)
A moment to debrief for Michael Storer and the Australian National Team squad.
(Image credit: Zac Williams/SWPix)
The four jersey winners: Del Toro, Williams, Welsford and Burns (from left to right).
(Image credit: Zac Williams/SWPix)
Isaac del Toro celebrates winning the young rider's classification.
(Image credit: Zac Williams/SWPix)
Williams admires his trophy. It's the Welshman's first World Tour stage race win.
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Dan is a freelance cycling journalist and has written for Cyclingnews since 2023 alongside other work with Cycling Weekly, Rouleur and The Herald Scotland. Dan focuses much of his work on professional cycling beyond its traditional European heartlands and writes a regular Substack called Global Peloton.
