Tour Down Under 2026: Route

The 2026 UCI WorldTour opened on Tuesday 20 January with a prologue at the Tour Down Under. After two more opportunities for the sprinters and three hilly stages, the race concluded on Sunday the 25h.

The Tour Down Under opens with a flat and fast 3.6-kilometre prologue in Adelaide, before stage 1 promises to be a chance for the fast men. The 120.6-kilometre route winds its way through the vineyards around Tanunda.

Travelling from Norwood to Uraidla, stage 2 serves up 3,722 metres of elevation over a 148.1-kilometre route. The finale is spiced up by the 2.3-kilometre climb at 9.2% on Corkscrew Road at Montacute. The route continues uphill at moderate gradients for 7 kilometres before a rolling section gives way to a plunge towards the finish line.

At 140.8 kilometres, stage 3 travels from Henley Beach to Nairne. The undulating route features two KOM climbs and a total elevation gain of almost 2,500 metres, which should suit the fast men.

Stage 4 features an unprecedented number of three ascents of Willunga Hill. The race covers 176 kilometres, with the finish atop the Tour Down Under’s trademark climb: 3 kilometres at an average gradient of 7.4%, kicking up to 11%.

Stage 5 sees the riders cover 169.8 kilometres through the Adelaide Hills, starting and finishing in Stirling. Eight laps of an undulating circuit await, with two climbs tackled in quick succession each time. The total elevation gain amounts to 3,436 metres.