Santos Tour Down Under Delivers Record Crowds Across South Australia
A stunning day in Stirling has put an exclamation mark on an historic edition of the Santos Tour Down Under (TDU), which has again attracted huge crowds to South Australia.
Over the past 10 days, cycling fans lined the roads and filled cafes and restaurants from the Barossa Valley to the Fleurieu Peninsula and Adelaide Hills, as well as the City of Adelaide Tour Village — the heartbeat of the Tour in the CBD.
Jay Vine Secures Second Ochre Jersey in Adelaide Hills Finale
Australian cyclist Jay Vine clinched his second Santos Ochre Jersey in front of thousands of fans in the picturesque Adelaide Hills on Sunday, capping off a demanding week of racing with a triumphant overall victory.
Noemi Ruegg Claims Second Women’s Santos Tour Down Under Title
Vine joins Swiss star Noemi Ruegg as a dual champion after she won the women’s race for a second time last week, further elevating the prestige of the Santos Tour Down Under women’s competition.
Historic Year as All Women’s and Men’s WorldTour Teams Compete
For the first time, all 14 women’s WorldTeams were in the race, making it a truly complete international field as they lined up alongside all 18 men’s WorldTour teams. The milestone signals the growing global importance of the event on both the men’s and women’s calendars.
Stirling Stage Showcases World-Class Racing in the Adelaide Hills
Sunday’s finale around Stirling delivered a challenging and scenic stage that tested the peloton across 170km of racing through the Adelaide Hills, with a large bunch sprint underlining the exceptional depth and quality of the international field.
New Stage Start Locations Expand Tour Down Under Footprint
The women’s race celebrated first-time stage starts in Willunga, Norwood, and Magill, while spectators turned out in force for the first-ever stage start in Henley Beach as part of the men’s race. These additions expanded the Tour’s reach and strengthened community involvement across metropolitan and regional South Australia.
Adelaide Tour Village Becomes Hub of TDU Festival in the CBD
In the heart of the city, the Adelaide Tour Village once again served as a central gathering point for fans, riders, and teams, reinforcing the event’s festival atmosphere and its role as one of Australia’s premier sporting celebrations.
Brukunga Wins Santos Best Dressed Town Award
The hills town of Brukunga was announced as the winner of the Santos Best Dressed Town Award.
Brukunga held three community workshops and used recyclable materials including tins and egg cartons to decorate the fenceline with flowers, replanted the community garden, and used bikes and letters to celebrate the town and the Tour.
South Australian Leaders Praise Tour’s Economic and Global Impact
Minister for Tourism Zoe Bettison said:
Once again the Santos Tour Down Under has delivered for South Australia, staging a world-class international bike race alongside a 10-day festival that celebrates the very best of our state.
The event has a touchpoint with so many regions and towns and was warmly embraced by South Australians and visitors alike, with strong crowds turning out right across the route.
The Santos Tour Down Under is one of South Australia’s most important tourism events, showcasing our regions, landscapes, food and wine to a global audience and driving significant economic benefit for local businesses.
Over 10 days, the Tour brings visitors into our regions, fills hotels and restaurants, and delivers a major boost to the visitor economy — from the Adelaide Hills and Barossa to the Fleurieu Peninsula and the CBD.
It’s a powerful opportunity to tell South Australia’s story on the world stage and show why our regions are such compelling destinations to visit and return to.
This strong momentum continues next month with LIV Golf Adelaide, which will again attract tens of thousands of visitors, generate substantial economic impact and reinforce South Australia’s reputation as a leading destination for major international events.
Race Director Stuart O’Grady Applauds Competitive Depth of the Field
Santos Tour Down Under Race Director Stuart O’Grady said:
I’m absolutely rapt, there have certainly been some challenges to overcome dealing with weather and open roads but the entire team took it up a notch this week and to see the men’s and women’s riders lift was awesome.
We have increased the difficulty level this year but as we saw after 170km around Stirling on Sunday we still had a large bunch come in — it shows how high the quality of the field is and how serious the Santos Tour Down Under has become.
We worked hard on delivering the best race we could and to have all 14 women’s teams and all 18 men’s teams plus our first ever Swiss Tudor team and the national team here, it was a big family effort to put it on and I’m really happy with how it turned out.
Santos Tour Down Under Strengthens South Australia’s Major Events Calendar
Attendance figures and economic impact of the event will be announced at a later date, but early signs point to another major success for South Australia’s flagship cycling race and its growing role in the state’s international events calendar.
Photo – Santos Tour Down Under
