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Men’s Tour Down Under Preview

The men’s Tour Down Under kicks off tomorrow with six stages to contest. We’ve already seen the peloton in action at the Men’s Classic held on Saturday night on the edge of the city. Sam Welsford showed that he’s in good form and will no doubt be vying for stage wins.

The Route

Same but different. That’s probably the best way to describe the race routes for 2025, as the men’s peloton completes close to 1,200 km of racing across six stages. It’s hard to argue with what Stuart O’Grady is doing. He’s resisted the temptation to throw everything out the window since assuming the role of Race Director from Mike Turtur in 2021. Rather, the South Australian has been slowly but surely adding his own stamp on the race with a few new ideas each year, far more evolution than revolution.

It’s in this spirit the 2025 stages are both a homage to the past and also a harbinger for the future. Many familiar routes, towns and climbs are back, but they’ve been spiced up with several fascinating new additions. Top of this list for the men’s race is the ascent of Knotts Hill on Pound Road near Ashton, an all new climb on Stage 3 with a searing maximum gradient of 22 per cent.

As expected, Willunga Hill retains its traditional Saturday slot, however, thanks to the addition of rarely used Wickhams Hill early on Stage 5, we’ll actually see the men’s peloton descend Old Willunga Hill Road for the first-ever time, before completing the now traditional two ascents.

Men’s Stages

Tuesday, 21 January: Ziptrak Stage 1 – Prospect to Gumeracha, 150.7km

Despite close to 2,400 m of climbing, this is almost certainly a stage for the sprinters. Starting in Prospect, the peloton will head north towards Williamstown, tackling the first KOM of 2025 to Kangaroo Creek Reservoir at Paracombe (11.2 km, 5 per cent av) before turning back towards Gumeracha which will host its first-ever men’s stage finish. A closing circuit featuring Birdwood, Mount Torrens and Lobethal means the peloton will actually pass through Gumeracha twice before returning for a final surge to the line after 150 km.

Wednesday, 22 January: Health Partners Stage 2 – Tanunda to Tanunda, 128.8km

Racing moves north-west of Adelaide to the Barossa Valley wine country, with three ascents of Mengler Hill (2.7 km, 6.9 per cent av) approaching from the steeper western side. The towns of Angaston, Nuriootpa and Seppeltsfield will all see multiple passes of the peloton, along with Greenock, which hosts both of the day’s intermediate sprints. Whilst the sprinters may fancy their chances with the fast finish into Tanunda, the lumpy route may have other ideas.

Thursday, 23 January: efex Stage 3 – Norwood to Uraidla, 147.5km

Stage 3 looms as a brute with more than 3,200 m of climbing packed into less than 150 km. The day has a familiar beginning, with suburban Norwood hosting its 17th stage start. The riders push straight up to Norton Summit and the first KOM at Ashton after just 10 km before heading south through Crafers, Stirling and eventually Macclesfield. The racing then shifts north towards Balhannah, where the peloton will enter a finishing circuit that includes two ascents of the brutal new climb of Knotts Hill on Pound Road (2.6 km, 7.5 per cent av, 22.2 per cent max), followed by a short and technical descent to the finish in Uraidla. This one is going to hurt.

Friday, 24 January: Hahn Stage 4 – Glenelg to Victor Harbor, 157.2km

Glenelg to Victor Harbor is a long-time Tour Down Under staple. Technically, it was last seen in 2020 when Italy’s Giacomo Nizzolo prevailed in a bunch sprint. However, a similar course was also used in 2023, beginning in Brighton. Poetically, Glenelg to Victor Harbor also appeared in the race’s first-ever edition in 1999, where it was won by current Race Director Stuart O’Grady. Twenty-five years later, there will be no time for nostalgia as riders hurtle south on the year’s longest stage. The route sticks to the west coast for the first 68 km before traversing to the eastern side of the Fleurieu Peninsula via Yankalilla, Bald Hills and the day’s first KOM at Parawa Hill (7 per cent av). A second KOM awaits at Nettle Hill (8.1 per cent av) on Hindmarsh Tiers Road, with the stage finishing 22 km later on the Esplanade in Victor Harbour.

Saturday, 25 January: THINK! Road Safety Stage 5 – McLaren Vale to Willunga Hill, 145.7km

McLaren Vale. Snapper Point. Aldinga. In many ways, this stage ‘is’ the Tour Down Under. Yet somewhat surprisingly given its famed twin climbs of Willunga Hill (3 km, 7.4 per cent av), the 2025 route boasts just 2,038 metres of elevation, making it one of the week’s flatter stages. An interesting addition is the rarely-used KOM at Wickham’s Hill (3 km, 6.9 per cent av), which tops out after just 21 km. But what makes this year truly different is the peloton will also descend Old Willunga Hill Road under race conditions for the first time ever. Let’s just hope the usually raucous crowds behave and keep well off the road. Whatever happens, with just the Stage 6 city circuit to come, the 2025 Ochre Jersey winner is likely to be decided today.

Sunday, 26 January: Schwalbe Stage 6 – Adelaide to Adelaide, 90km

Fittingly, the Tour Down Under’s 25-year anniversary draws to an end on the city streets of Adelaide. Starting and finishing a stone’s throw from the River Torrens and Adelaide Oval along King William Road, it’s basically the same course that featured between 2015 and 2018, the most recent edition of which was won by fan-favourite Andre Greipel (the final of his record 18 stage wins in the Tour Down Under). Crowds will be large. Conditions will be hot. But riders expecting a ceremonial procession should be warned as it’s far from flat. Each lap features the punchy ascent of Montefiore Hill (380 metres, 4.4 per cent av), which, according to the organisers, adds up to 1,932 m elevation—that’s only 100 metres less than Stage 5 to Willunga Hill.

The Riders

Typically, the start lists in Adelaide comprise of a mix of seasoned veterans, fresh-faced newcomers and riders who, having switched teams in the off-season, are highly motivated to make a great first impression for their new employers and sponsors.

Based on history, it’s also a reasonably safe prediction that Australian riders will feature strongly at the sharp end of the standings. 14 of the 24 men’s editions have been won by Australians, most recently Jay Vine in 2023 and Aussies have only ever missed the men’s podium three times (last year was one of them.)

A few riders to watch

In the men’s race, Israel-Premier Tech will no doubt be hungry to defend its 2024 crown won by Stephen Williams, Aussie Jay Vine who rides for UAE Team Emirates-XRG won in 2023 and will be chasing a second GC win.

Jayco-AlUla will also be keen to re-stamp itself on the race that made it a household name across Australia for the best part of a decade, having not won overall honours since 2019 with the long-since-retired South African Daryl Impey. The Aussie team’s most recent stage winner (Stage 5, 2023) was Simon Yates. After crashing out brutally along Gorge Road in 2024, Luke Plapp returns, keen to set the record straight.

It’s always hard to judge riders’ form at the start of the season, but here are a few to watch for this year’s race.

From left to right: Luke Durbridge, Geraint Thomas, Jay Vine, Sam Welsford, Stephen Williams, Stuart O’Grady at the press conference

Stephen Williams

Defending champion Welshman Stephen Williams of Israel-Premier tech will look for back-to-back ochre jerseys.

The win in the 2024 TDU set him up for a great season, which included a win in the tough La Fléche Wallonne race in Belgium in April and a victory on home soil in the Tour of Britain.

Williams is well suited to this year’s TDU course and is backed by a strong team that includes George Bennett, Michael Woods, and experienced Aussie Simon Clarke. 

Luke Plapp

Plappy has shown he’s in good form, winning the national time trial title just a couple of weeks ago and helping teammate Luke Durbridge win the national title in the road race.

He crashed and abandoned last year’s Tour Down Under so he’ll be chanting at the bit to take on Willunga Hill and the coveted ochre jersey. Richie Porte was a mentor for Plapp in his early years with Ineos Grenadiers, and he’ll be looking to emulate Porte’s performance.

Plapp is well supported by a strong Jayco AlUla team, including new Australian champion Durbridge, Aussie Chris Harper, and Swiss champion Mauro Schmid. 

Jay Vine

Aussie Jay Vine, who won the race in 2023, is also a strong contender. He’s shown his cards this year with a strong second place in the ITT at the national championships and a commendable sixth in the road race.

In 2024, he suffered a spinal injury in a high-speed crash in the Itzulia Basque Country and made an impressive recovery after a lengthy rehabilitation.

He’s entering his third season with UAE Team Emirates XRG, arguably one of the top-performing World Tour teams in recent years. So he’s well supported by an international squad, including Marc Soler, Jhonatan Narvaez and Rui Oliveira.

Finn Fisher-Black

Kiwi Fisher-Black, one of the highly successful Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe team members, will also have his eye on the ochre jersey.

His big sister Niamh did well at the women’s race, which concluded on Sunday. She was ninth on the Willunga stage, which saw them climb the famed hill twice, fourth in the Queen of the Mountain competition, and 12th overall.

At the TDU, he will support his teammate Sam Welsford, who will contest the sprints but will also have opportunities to target the GC.

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