Tour Down Under 2016 race route: Norton Summit, Corkscrew to test riders

The Corkscrew is back and Norton Summit is on the menu for cyclists at the 2016 Tour Down Under. Race director Mike Turtur unveiled the route this morning.

The Corkscrew is back and riders will tackle Norton Summit for the first time during the 2016 Tour Down Under in January.

Race director Mike Turtur unveiled the route this morning. The race will be from January 16 to 24.

Corkscrew Road, near Montacute in the Adelaide Hills, will replace Paracombe as one of the race’s toughest climbs and the route returns to Tea Tree Gully for the first time since 1999.

The first stage of the tour will start at Prospect, take riders through Tee Tree Gully and head to the Barossa Valley for a three-lap circuit thorough Williamstown, Lyndoch and Cockatoo Valley.

State two will start at Unley before heading to a Hills circuit around Heathfield, Aldgate, Heathfield and Mylor.

Stage three will take riders from Glenelg, to Old Noarlunga, McLaren Flat, Stirling, Hahndorf and Lobethal before finishing in Campbelltown.

Stage four starts at Norwood and will take riders up the popular Norton Summit climb for the first time in tour history. The stage continues through Stirling, Strathalbyn and Goolwa to Victor Harbor.

Stage five, around McLaren Vale, Port Willunga and Sellicks Beach finishes at Willunga Hill and the race finishes with a 20-lap city circuit from Victorian Square to North Adelaide.

Mr Turtur said he was happy with the mix the route has developed for 2016.

“I think we’ve got the balance right with the distance sitting just under 800km and a variety of terrain involved,” he said.

“The way the we design the race each year is to take in as much as we can from areas such as the Southern Vales, Barossa Valley, and the Adelaide Hills.”

“It’s a good range for riders and spectators, and hopefully it leads to a close finish here in the city.”

Sports Minister Leon Bignell announced an extra $6 million would be invested in the race to focus on making the event “a festival of cycling.”

“We want more concerts, more things for kids to do and more things for the partner of the cycling obsessed spouse,” he said.

“It pumps $47.9 million into the economy and we expect around 40,000 people to turn up.”

Click here to see the 2016 Tour Down Under all stages map

Click here to see the 2016 Tour Down Under classic map

Click here to see the 2016 Tour Down Under stage one map

Click here to see the 2016 Tour Down Under stage two map

Click here to see the 2016 Tour Down Under stage three map

Click here to see the 2016 Tour Down Under stage four map

Click here to see the 2016 Tour Down Under stage five map

Click here to see the 2016 Tour Down Under stage six map

Originally published as Tour Down Under 2016 race route: Norton Summit, Corkscrew to test riders