The Santos Tour Down Under is the first event on the UCI WorldTour road cycling calendar and takes place each January.
The UCI WorldTour is the competition that the highest level of world cycling, and the Santos Tour Down Under is the first event in the southern hemisphere to be elevated to this level.
It is not only a world-class, international event but an 10-day festival celebrating all things cycling and the state of South Australia. The Santos Tour Down Under offers something for everyone.
UCI stands for Union Cycliste Internationale or International Cycling Union. The UCI is the world governing body for cycling and oversees international competitive cycling events. The UCI is based in Aigle, Switzerland.
The UCI issues racing licenses to riders and enforces disciplinary rules. The UCI also manages the classification of races and the points ranking system in various cycling disciplines including mountain biking, road and track cycling. This applies to both men and women at amateur and professional levels. The UCI also oversees the World Championships.
Stuart O'Grady is the Santos Tour Down Under's Race Director.
Annette Edmondson and Carlee Taylor are the Assistant Race Directors.
The Santos Tour Down Under is held annually, typically in the third week of January.
The next event will be held from 16-24 January 2027.
It is held at this time of year as this is the timeslot allocated to the event by the UCI. Being held in January makes the event the first of the UCI WorldTour calendar each year.
The first Santos Tour Down Under was held in January 1999.
Participation is mandatory for all UCI (Men's) WorldTeams and UCI Women's WorldTeams. There are also UCI requirements to invite the top ProTeams in Women's and Men's. Each women's team has 6 riders, and men's teams have 7 riders.
In 2026 there are five men's stages plus a Prologue, and three women's stages.
The Santos Tour Down Under is sanctioned by the UCI and is staged according to the UCI WorldTour guidelines.
The Santos Tour Down Under awards four jerseys throughout the race.
The Santos Ochre Leader's Jersey is awarded to the rider with the fastest cumulative time at the end of each stage and to the overall winner at the end of the race.
The ochre colour, introduced in 2006, is strongly associated with Australia and is unique to the Santos Tour Down Under.
Official Santos Tour Down Under merchandise is available to purchase at the City of Adelaide Tour Village, and at some start and finish locations.
There are many ways to get involved in the Santos Tour Down Under and the Santos Festival of Cycling. You can register to volunteer for the 2026 event here.
We will have a number of participation events that will give you the best seat in the house. In 2025, there was a mass participation event - The Adelaide Epic Ride - daily group rides across South Australian regions, the return of the Car Park Climb, and RADL GRVL. Participation events for the 2026 event will open soon.
Volunteers play a vital part in the running of the Santos Tour Down Under.
Joining the Santos Tour Down Under team as a volunteer is a great way to experience an international sporting event first hand. We have all sorts of roles on offer - there's sure to be something that suits you!
Yes, the Santos Tour Down Under will be shown on television in Australia and around the world.
Broadcast times are published here when confirmed.
The Santos Tour Down Under is owned and managed by the Government of South Australia on behalf of all South Australians.
The Santos Tour Down Under is partially funded by the South Australian Government, with all other revenue generated through corporate partnerships, valued event sponsors and sales from associated events.
The 2025 race achieved an all-time high expenditure of $98 million generating $62.5 million value added to the state’s economy.
In 2025 we had a live audience of approximately 807,900 spectators.
Twelve months of planning, negotiations, operational logistics and technical racing requirements by the race director and event team determine where the Santos Tour Down Under will travel.
The Santos Tour Down Under welcomes expressions of interest from host councils and regional towns in South Australia interested in being involved with future events.
Contact the Event Manager from the Santos Tour Down Under team for more information. All towns involved with the Santos Tour Down Under are no more than a 2 hour drive from the city of Adelaide.
Yes, the Santos Tour Down Under is a designated smoke and vape-free event.
For the comfort and safety of all patrons, smoking and vaping (including e-cigarettes) are strictly prohibited within the City of Adelaide Tour Village and along all official race routes. We kindly ask all attendees to respect this policy.
In 2027 the Santos Tour Down Under will make history as the first UCI WorldTour event to hold men’s and women’s race stages on the same course, on the same day and over the same distance.
This is the biggest change to the race program since the TDU began in 1999 and an exciting milestone for our event.
The UCI WorldTour will open with a six-stage men’s race from the Tuesday to Sunday – 19 to 24 January – with the three-stage women’s race to take place from 25 to 27 January as the first event on the UCI Women’s WorldTour. These dates are subject to final UCI calendar approval.
The UCI, cycling’s governing body, asked that the TDU condense its schedule to enable women’s teams to reduce their total time in Australia while competing at the TDU and the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race which follows.
Holding stages concurrently is an opportunity for us to evolve and consider how we can deliver the best cycling experience in the world for riders and fans.
In short: no. While other major international races including Paris-Roubaix, Tour of Flanders and Tour de Suisse will hold their men’s and women’s races on the same day this year, these will take place over different distances and routes.
The TDU will be first to feature the exact same stage for both men’s and women’s races, continuing to set the pace after making history in 2018 as the first cycling event in the world to offer equal prize money across both races.
Broadcast plans are still being finalised, but we expect both men’s and women’s races will be shown live. We’ll share more information on the TDU 2027 broadcast as soon as we can.
Holding race stages on the same day is also a great reason to explore South Australia, stay overnight in our regions and enjoy the action live.
Soon! Our race direction team is putting the finishing touches on 2027 race routes and we look forward to sharing them with you in July.
While finer details are still being worked through, the men’s peloton will race first and the women will start approximately 90 minutes after.
The City of Adelaide Tour Village is home to the Santos Tour Down Under. This central city hub – found in Victoria Square/Tarntanyangga – hosts the Team Zone, Bike Expo and activities for families and cycling fans of all ages.
Yes, entry to the City of Adelaide Tour Village is free.
The City of Adelaide Tour Village is open every day of the Santos Tour Down Under. Opening times vary throughout.
The City of Adelaide Tour Village is open to all ages. Children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. The purchase and consumption of alcohol is restricted to over 18s. Identification may be requested and checked. For more information, please read the code of practice and code of practice guidelines.
The City of Adelaide Tour Village is a cashless venue.
All vendors, bars, exhibitors and merchandise stalls within the Tour Village operate solely on card payments (including debit, credit, and mobile payment options like Apple Pay or Google Pay). Please ensure you have a valid card or device with you to make purchases.
Yes, the City of Adelaide Tour Village is a designated smoke and vape-free venue.
For the comfort and safety of all patrons, smoking and vaping (including e-cigarettes) are strictly prohibited within the Tour Village. We kindly ask all attendees to respect this policy.
The Santos Tour Down Under is part of the UCI World Tour
