The opening stage of the 13th Tour Down Under begins in Adelaide's northern suburbia, in Mawson Lakes before a journey into the region's migrant past.
The peloton will be in for a nasty surprise early on with the first King of the Mountain prize appearing at the 11.6 km mark at Black Top Road before a deceptively hilly ride north-east into the heart of South Australia's famous wine region, the Barossa Valley.
Rabobank's Graeme Brown says:
It's quite tough terrain out there. The maps don't really give you any indication that it's up and down all day. If you looked at this on your first trip to Adelaide you'd think it's relatively straight forward and simple but it's pretty up and down and then you go through the finish line twice before the finish.
The breakaways will be gone before the tough Black Top Road climb, although it shouldn't be too much of a problem - it's only a 2.9 km's long.
When you ride the final three kilometres, you realise it's the complete opposite to what the profile says. It's about a 1500m of proper uphill. That makes for a pretty solid finish actually and it should be quite interesting to see.
Image ©: Santos Tour Down Under
-
XDS Astana snap up Cristián Rodríguez from dying Arkéa-B&B Hotels team
Spaniard inks one-year deal as team extends with Gate, Malucelli -
'It's about creating a team' - Zak Dempster on how he will manage Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe and Remco Evenepoel in 2026
Former Australian pro left Ineos Grenadiers for senior role at German super team -
'I don't have anything' – Arkéa-B&B Hotels run out of road as bid to continue into 2026 collapses
The UCI registration deadline has passed and the 21-year-old French WorldTour squad remains without a sponsor for next season -
Best cycling gilets 2025: Vests to keep you warm and protect you from the wind
A cycling gilet or vest can add warmth on changeable days and keep you warm if you want less bulk on the bike
