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South Australia’s coastline, wine regions and Adelaide Hills will take centre stage in 2027, with the Santos Tour Down Under revealing a historic race route that will bring the men’s and women’s pelotons together in a world-first format.
The nine-day festival of cycling will run from Saturday, January 16 to Sunday, January 24, with the City of Adelaide Tour Village opening in Victoria Square to begin the celebrations.
In a major first for world cycling, the 2027 Santos Tour Down Under will see men’s and women’s stages held on the same course, on the same day and over the same distance across the final three race days.
The men’s race will run across six stages from Tuesday, January 19 to Sunday, January 24, while the women’s race will run from Friday, January 22 to Sunday, January 24. The 2027 edition will also mark the longest men’s and women’s races in Tour Down Under history, with the men covering 874 kilometres and the women covering 397.3 kilometres.
The race will feature coastal starts and finishes in Glenelg, Henley Beach, Christies Beach and Victor Harbor, before finishing with a major final-day twist from Norwood to Stirling.
Henley Beach will return to host the start of THINK! Road Safety Stage 1, following its successful debut this year. The 170-kilometre opening stage will travel to Gumeracha, crossing the Birkenhead Bridge into Port Adelaide and taking in Military Road at West Lakes, before three ascents of Checker Hill put pressure on riders from day one.
Stage 2 will head to the Barossa, with a 50-kilometre loop starting and finishing in Angaston and passing through towns including Tanunda, Greenock and Nuriootpa.
The third day has been dubbed “Corkscrew Day”, with riders tackling 170 kilometres from Lobethal to Campbelltown. The stage will include two laps around Mount Lofty through Ashton, Piccadilly, Uraidla, Balhannah and Woodside, followed by a double ascent of the Corkscrew.
Glenelg will then host the first full-scale men’s and women’s double header on Friday, January 22, with both pelotons racing from Glenelg to Victor Harbor. The 144.7-kilometre stage will pass through Chandlers Hill, Coromandel Valley, McLaren Flat and McLaren Vale before Nettle Hill shapes the run to the finish on The Esplanade.
On Saturday, January 23, Christies Beach will host the start of Race Day 5, with both races heading for Willunga Hill. The route will take riders through Morphett Vale, Coxs Hill Road, Chandlers Hill and Clarendon, before looping through McLaren Vale, Aldinga, Port Willunga and Willunga in the opposite direction to previous years. Riders will then face two ascents of Willunga Hill.
The final day will begin in Norwood for the first time, before riders climb Norton Summit and race through the Adelaide Hills towards Stirling. The route will include Ashton, Checker Hill, Birdwood, Mount Torrens, Lobethal, Woodside and Hahndorf before the finish in Stirling, which is expected to draw large crowds.
Minister for Tourism Emily Bourke said the 2027 edition would be a landmark moment for the event.
“We know next year is going to be an historic edition of the Santos Tour Down Under and the team has produced an exciting race route to match the occasion.
“The eyes of world cycling will be on South Australia as we become the first race to hold men’s and women’s stages over the exact same distance on the same day.
“It will bring thousands of visitors to our state, providing an economic boost to businesses along the routes, while showcasing the beauty of our coastline, the hills and Barossa to an international audience watching all around the world.”
Race Director Stuart O’Grady said the new format had pushed the team to rethink the course.
“As a cycling fan, next year’s race will be as close to the holy grail as you can get. You can come to Adelaide and see the best men’s and women’s riders in the world in the one day and on the same stage.
“By having two races out on the roads at the same time, we had to get creative with our course design. We’ve had to look for different roads and climbs, so it will be a different looking TDU and I’m excited by that.
“Things like three ascensions of Checker Hill will spice up the race from day one, and a new approach to Willunga Hill on the penultimate day could really change the way that stage is raced.”
Full festival programming, including team presentations and participation events, will be announced in the coming months. DeTours, Tour Transfers and hospitality packages will return, with tickets available through the Santos Tour Down Under website.
