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Preview: From Unley to Stirling, TDU heads for Hills

A MAINSTAY of the TDU route, the stage to Stirling has produced plenty of surprises over the years.

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January 11, 2016 - 11:33AM

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A MAINSTAY of the TDU route, the stage to Stirling has produced plenty of surprises over the years.

The run to Stirling itself is fairly straightforward but that’s when the party begins.

Riders must do five laps of an undulating loop around towns in the Adelaide Hills.

If a breakaway is given too much of a gap, it can hold on, as Will Clarke did for UniSA in 2012.

Michael Matthews is a previous stage winner in Stirling (2011) and the uphill finish suits punchy sprinters such as Caleb Ewan or Simon Gerrans.

The 132km second stage begins on King William Rd, Unley at 11am for a testing journey expected to end just after 2.30pm.

Along the way, the peloton will race through Crafers, Piccadilly, Carey Gully, Bridgewater, Aldgate, Heathfield and Mylor.

There will be two sprints, both on Longwood Rad, Heathfield, while the climbers will be in King of the Mountain action on Range View Rd, Carey Gully.

Watch out for a blistering sprint on Mt Barker Rd, Stirling, to end the race.