A Message from the Race Director: Momentum Builds Towards a Historic 2027 Santos Tour Down Under

There’s a telltale sign for cyclists that spring has arrived and it greeted me while out on my bike the other day – magpie swooping season is in full swing!
 
Aside from being mildly annoying and a little frightening, it’s a nice reminder that the days are getting longer and the weather slowly getting warmer which is great for bike riding.
 
A lot has happened since my last update and there is plenty to be excited about as we head towards the 2027 Santos Tour Down Under, which will make history as the first WorldTour race to hold men’s and women’s racing over the same distances and on the same days.
 
It was certainly a talking point at the Tour de France in July when I caught up with lots of riders and team directors who were eager to hear about our plans, and likewise the feedback we have had from the women’s peloton is that of excitement and anticipation.
 
The closer the race gets the more I think about the atmosphere on Willunga Hill and in Stirling for that final weekend with double the racing for fans to watch and enjoy. It should be epic.
 
The Tour de France itself was another amazing spectacle. Tadej Pogacar’s dominance to secure his fifth yellow jersey was awesome and the scenes in Paris on the final stage which was won by Mathieu van der Poel was like nothing I’d ever seen before.
 
It was fantastic to see Isaac del Toro secure the white jersey as the Tour de France’s best young rider.
 
Just two years ago he won the same jersey at the TDU when he announced himself on the world stage as a 20-year-old. That year he won the stage to Lobethal and was third on the final day up Mount Lofty to finish third overall and secure the young rider classification.
 
That’s what makes our race so special. Not only have we been treated over the years to seeing the world’s best riders in full flight, we also see the next generation graduate to the big time – just like del Toro and Pogacar when he raced here in 2019.
 
The Tour de France was of course followed by the Tour de France Femmes where racing was even more exciting. The yellow jersey was worn by five different riders in nine days and ultimately finished on the shoulders of Demi Vollering who exploded on the final two stages to claim her second title.
 
Now all eyes are on the final Grand Tour of the season, the Vuelta a Espana, which started on the weekend and is featuring nine Australians including our reigning TDU champion Jay Vine.
 
At the TDU this week, we are very excited to unveil our new hospitality offering on top of Willunga Hill for next year’s race.
 
Stay tuned for details but it will be the first time we’ve had purpose-built hospitality on our most famous climb since pre-Covid and it promises to be a great day out and the ideal place to see the men’s and women’s race pass by four times!

Stuey