Santos Tour Down Under 2023 route announced

The men's Santos Tour Down Under will return to the WorldTour calendar in 2023 after a two-year absence due to COVID regulations.

For the first time, the men's Tour Down Under will begin with a prologue time trial - a 5.5 km test along the river bank Torrens in the center of Adelaide.“The Santos Tour Down Under will open with an exciting new time trial. The EFEX Prologue around Adelaide’s Riverbank is an event first, taking place on a loop around the Torrens, with each rider beginning on the Riverbank bridge and tackling the course individually. It’s man versus clock in this all-out effort,” said race director Stuart O’Grady.

The famous Willunga Hill summit finish, which has served as the race's last GC obstacle since 2012, has been removed from the tour. The Tour will end with an uphill climb to Mount Lofty in the Adelaide Hills. “More event firsts include a formidable Mount Lofty finisher and a stunning beachside stage start at Brighton. All the race routes showcase South Australia at its best, and we can’t wait to welcome the international cycling community back to our state,” said O’Grady.

The Tour Down Under will begin on January 17th and will comprise six separate stages, each with its own unique difficulty. The opening stage will be a 5.5-kilometer time trial at Adelaide Riverbank. The second stage will begin in Tanunda and consist of a 150-kilometer rack course. Stage 3 will commence in Brighton and end at Victor Harbor. The fourth stage will go from Norwood to Campbelltown, the fifth stage will follow from Port Willunga to Willunga, and the final stage will travel from Unley to Mount Lofty.