Tour Down Under to stage Men’s and Women’s races on the same day, course, and distance

The Santos Tour Down Under is set to become the first race on the UCI WorldTour calendar to stage men’s and women’s races on the same course, on the same day, and over the same distance — a landmark move that organisers believe could reshape the future of elite road cycling.

In what is being described as the most significant change to the race program in the event’s 26-year history, the 2027 edition of the Adelaide-based race will feature concurrent men’s and women’s stages across the final weekend of racing from January 19-24, pending final UCI calendar approval.

The men’s six-stage race will run from Tuesday through Sunday, while the women’s three-stage event will take place from Friday to Sunday, with riders tackling identical routes and distances on corresponding days. Women’s stages are expected to start around 90 minutes after the men’s peloton rolls out.

The format is a major step forward for parity in professional cycling and follows the race’s earlier milestone in 2018 when it became the first event in the world to offer equal prizemoney for men and women.

Importantly, the move also responds to requests from the UCI and women’s teams to streamline the Australian summer calendar and reduce the amount of time teams are required to spend in Australia between the Tour Down Under and the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race.

Race Director Stuart O’Grady said organisers viewed the request as an opportunity to create a more impactful spectacle for fans and riders alike.

“We saw it as an opportunity to do something different and bring both men’s and women’s racing together and finish off with a bumper final weekend of racing,” O’Grady said.

“Next year we are excited to leverage that by celebrating both men and women’s cycling together on the final weekend and creating a real moment for cycling.”

The change places the South Australian event at the forefront of cycling innovation. While races such as Paris-Roubaix and Tour of Flanders now hold men’s and women’s races on the same day, they still use different courses or race distances.

Assistant Race Director Carlee Taylor said the new format represented “an exciting new frontier” for the event and highlighted the rapid progression of women’s racing.

“It’s a great platform to highlight the strength of our women’s peloton on a level we haven’t seen before, and the fact that we’re even able to do this reflects the growth and progression of women’s cycling,” Taylor said.

“Every year we’ve seen the level of women’s racing at the TDU progress and that will now extend to having the peloton riding longer stages.”

The announcement comes amid continued growth for the event both on the roadside and on television. Organisers said the 2026 edition attracted nearly 750,000 spectators and generated $86.9 million in expenditure, contributing $51.2 million to the South Australian economy.

Audience figures also pointed to strong momentum in women’s cycling, with TV reach for the women’s Tour Down Under increasing by 50 per cent to 757,000 viewers nationally, while the men’s race reached 1.42 million viewers.

South Australian Tourism Minister Emily Bourke said the integrated format would deliver a stronger fan experience and further cement the state’s place on the global cycling calendar.

“Moving men’s and women’s racing to the same day and the same course is the next step in the race’s evolution,” Bourke said.

“We expect it will deliver an enhanced fan experience with spectators able to see two starts and finishes on the same day.”

For Australian cycling, the decision signals growing confidence in the commercial and sporting appeal of women’s racing, while potentially setting a template for other WorldTour events looking to better integrate their men’s and women’s programs.