Feature written by Simon Wilkinson
Cycling fans will travel to a day of racing in different ways. The hard-core lycra brigade will head out at dawn, ride out to their chosen spot on the route and then ride home again. Others will pack up the car, drive, park, maybe shift again to a point near the finish line.
This year, for the Santos Festival of Cycling, there is another option where someone else does all the work.
The DeTour packages will whisk you and friends out to one of the regional stages for a day of food and beverage tastings, unmatched race viewing at the start and finish, and then take you back to the CBD again.
When Stage One hits the Barossa, the DeTour group will sample a range of hand-crafted gins from the magnificent copper still at Seppelstfield Road Distillers, before heading to see the finish of the women’s race at Faith Lutheran College, Tanunda.
Next stop is historic Seppeltsfield, to watch the men’s peloton depart, and then settle in for a long lunch prepared by resident chef Owen Andrews. You will be back at the college just in time for the finish, and then head home.
The Adelaide Hills stage also kicks off with a gin tasting, this time at Ambleside Distillers at Hahndorf. Sample their three signature varieties and learn how different botanicals contribute to these flavours.
After watching the women’s race pass by, the tour heads to Golding Wines, which serves as the base for the afternoon. A four-course lunch in the winery’s Ginkgo Restaurant features braised pork with pickled green pawpaw and honey pannacotta, milk crumb and summer berries. Pirate
Life beers and Golding wines are also included.
Head down to see the finish of the women’s and men’s races on the road below, while the rest of the event can be viewed on a big screen.
Two of the region’s best-known wineries feature in the McLaren Vale itinerary. First up is Chalk Hill, also home to Never Never Distilling and Italian street food specialist Cucina di Strada. Three of the label’s summer-friendly varietals (vermentino, rose and fiano) have been paired with local
cheeses.
Arrive at d’Arenberg in time to see the finish of the women’s race before lunch at Eat@Polly’s, upstairs in the weird and wonderful d’Arenberg Cube.
Watch the men’s race start from a private balcony, before a tour of the property and settling in to view the rest of the race on a big screen.
Barossa: Thursday January 21
Adelaide Hills: Friday January 22
McLaren Vale: Saturday January 23
For more details and bookings go to http://www.tourdownunder.com.au/2021-event/festival/detours
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