Santos Tour Down Under to hold finale on top of Willunga Hill, replacing city street race on final day

THE battle for next year’s Santos Tour Down Under will go right down to the last pedal stroke with organisers moving the queen stage on Willunga Hill to Stage 6 on the final day. SEE ALL THE ROUTES

Reece HomfrayChief Sports Writer

@reecehomfray

3 min read

August 1, 2018 - 11:25AM

Mike Turtur on the 2019 Tour Down Under route

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THE battle for next year’s Santos Tour Down Under will go right down to the last pedal stroke with organisers moving the “queen stage” on Willunga Hill to Stage 6 on the final day.

In the most significant change to the course since the hill-top stage was introduced in 2012, race director Mike Turtur has scrapped the Sunday street circuit in the Adelaide CBD and replaced it with the iconic 3km climb.

The six-stage race to open the UCI WorldTour season will now finish on top of Willunga Hill which again promises to decide the ochre jersey.

“The circuit race is good for a spectacle, it served corporate and sponsorship needs, but changing the race to finish it on Willunga opens it right up until the very last kilometre,” Turtur said.

“You can be 30 plus seconds down on GC and still win, where as on the circuit race you can be a second down and it’s a foregone conclusion.

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“Don’t get me wrong I thought the (city circuit) served its purpose but from a race point of view I wanted to take the suspense to the end and by having the finish at Willunga, that’s what it’s going to deliver - hopefully.”

Tour Down Under race director Mike Turtur will oversee his 21st edition of the event. Picture: Dan Peled (AAP).

Next year’s Tour Down Under will be held from January 10-20 and will again incorporate a world class women’s tour.

The full route for the men’s race was announced in Adelaide on Wednesday and other major features include:

MOVING the Challenge Tour participation ride to Stage 5 on the Saturday where recreational cyclists can choose from four distances from Glenelg to Strathalbyn.

RETURNING to Port Adelaide for the second year in a row but this time the Port will host a stage finish rather than a start. The stage will finish with a 3.4km circuit around Port Adelaide and there will be a contingency plan in place in case a breakaway gets there before the chasing peloton.

THE Corkscrew Road climb returns which will decide Stage 4 finishing in Campbelltown.

THE peloton will complete six laps of Uraidla to finish Stage 3 in a format based on a world-championship style course.

ANGASTON is back on the race for the first time since 2014 and replaces Lyndoch as a stage finish in the Barossa.

THE People’s Choice Classic will continue to open the racing with the East End circuit starting and finishing on Bartels Road on the Sunday.

The Peloton goes over the Birkenhead Bridge this year. Port Adelaide will host a stage finish in 2019. Picture: Sarah Reed.

“The Willunga change was thought about and discussed for several races, it just had to be the right time for all the other considerations,” Turtur said.

“Based on feedback - speaking to key people like team directors and so on who know what they’re talking about - it was well received, they were all very positive about it and hopefully it will be the same for the punters.

“Crowds are phenomenal as it is and whether that grows on the Sunday there’s every chance, especially if the race is decided on the last day which I suspect it will be.

“The Corkscrew is back and that will maybe define top 10.

“We hadn’t been to Port Adelaide for 20 years and to go back for a start last year, the crowd support was phenomenal. When we turned to go over Birkenhead Bridge I couldn’t believe my eyes - it was just a mass of people.

The crowd at the top of Willunga Hill. Picture: Sam Wundke.

“So from that moment I thought given the Port Adelaide Expressway it allows us to manage the race under a good condition with separating lanes and everything else. It will be a great spectacle for the crowd.”

Turtur said Stage 1 from North Adelaide to Port Adelaide was also a nod to the past because it features three laps around Paracombe which was the circuit used for the state and national championships in the 1980s.

Tourism Minister David Ridgway said changes to the course would deliver even more excitement to cycling fans in South Australia in January.

“We expect even more fans to line the road throughout the regions to cheer on their cycling heroes or simply enjoy a day out in South Australia with towns and regions showcasing our best food, wine and destination experiences as the race travels through,” he said.

Santos Managing Director Kevin Gallagher said 2019 would be the 10th year Santos has been the naming rights sponsor of the TDU.

“Our commitment to the Santos Tour Down Under is another significant investment in the local communities where our people live and work,” Mr Gallagher said.

2019 SANTOS TOUR DOWN UNDER

PEOPLE’S CHOICE CLASSIC

Sunday, January 13, East End Circuit, 51km