Tour Down Under 2026: Route, stages & TV times of the season opener of the WorldTour

The most important aspects of the men's race in brief

• Date: 20 to 25 January 2026
• Distance: ~759 kilometres
• Start: Adelaide, Target: Stirling
• Profile: Prologue and 5 stages: 1 flat prologue, 4 hilly stages, 1 mountain finish
• UCI category: World Tour
• Premiere: 1999 (26th edition)
• Last year's winner: Jhonatan Narváez
• Record winner: Simon Gerrans (four times)
• Summary: How the Tour Down Under 2025 went

The Santos Tour Down Under is a stage race in South Australia around Adelaide. The race celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2025, having first taken place in 1999. The winner was Jhonatan Narváez. In 2026, the tour will only comprise five stages instead of six, but there will be an additional prologue.

The stages of the Tour Down Under 2026

The Tour Down Under 2026 includes a total of five stages and a prologue, with flat sections only in the prologue and on the fourth stage. Time and again, the riders have to tackle short and steep ramps typical of the classics. Apart from Willunga Hill, which is indispensable for the tour, there are hardly any long and tough climbs. Riders who want to compete for overall victory therefore not only need the typical mountain legs of a cyclist, but also an affinity for the classics with a certain sprinting ability.

Prologue | Tuesday, 20 January | Adelaide - Adelaide | 3.6 kilometres

Stage 1 | Wednesday, 21 January | Tanunda - Tanunda | 120.6 kilometres

Stage 1 of the Tour Down Under 2026 probably offers the sprinters the best chances. Although there are three climbs to tackle in the peloton, the peloton is likely to catch up with a potential breakaway group in the last ten kilometres at the latest, which are mainly downhill.

Stage 2 | Thursday, 22 January | Norwood - Uraidla | 148.1 kilometres

The Corkscrew Road has to be tackled twice during stage 2 of the Tour Down Under 2026. With an average gradient of almost 10 per cent over 2.4 kilometres, it poses a major challenge for many sprinters. Although there is still enough time to catch up with the peloton after the last crossing, the steepest part of the climb reaches an impressive 16 per cent.

Stage 3 | Friday, 23 January | Adelaide - Nairne | 140.8 kilometres

The section begins with a long climb, which makes it ideal for breakaways. However, this is followed by only a slight categorised climb, although the route profile continues to constantly go up and down. The sprinter teams will do everything they can to catch the breakaway in time.

Stage 4 | Saturday, 24 January | Brighton - Willunga Hill | 176 kilometres

Stage 4 is ideal for climbing specialists. Willunga Hill has to be conquered three times, with an average ascent of 7.4 per cent and a length of 3 kilometres. After crossing it in the first half of the race, the climb at the end takes place twice in quick succession. On the third time, the riders cross the finish line at the top of Willunga Hill.

Stage 5 | Sunday, 25 January | Stirling - Stirling | 169.8 kilometres

Stage 5 of the Tour Down Under 2026 will be the decisive moment of the tour. The riders have to complete seven laps through Stirling, which feature a constant up and down. Although the finish is slightly uphill, the sprinters still have a good chance of winning. The climbs are not long and steep enough to take the fast men out of the race.

The most important aspects of the women's race in brief

• Date: 17 to 19 January 2026
• Distance: ~395 kilometres
• Start: Willunga Hill, Target: Athelstone
• Profile: 3 stages: 3 hilly stages
• UCI category: Women's World Tour
• Last year's winner: Noemi Rüegg
• Record winner: Amanda Spratt (three times)

The Women's Tour Down Under is celebrating its 10th anniversary and is part of the UCI Women's World Tour for the fourth time. The record winner of the race is Australian Amanda Spratt, who won the tour three times between 2017 and 2019. Last year, Noemi Rüegg secured the overall victory and will be at the start again this year.

The stages of the Women's Tour Down Under 2025

Last year, the tour was decided on the final 3rd stage on Willunga Hill. In the Women's Tour Down Under 2025, the legendary climb was already on the 2nd stage in the form of a mountain finish. The queen stage was framed by two hilly and challenging stages.

Stage 1 | Saturday, 17 January | Willunga Hill - Willunga Hill | 137.4 kilometres

The Women's Tour Down Under 2026 kicks off without a roll-in. It's straight into the first descent down Lower Willunga Hill, which is then ridden over twice and also forms the finish. A real challenge and a stage for women with strong mountain legs.

Stage 2 | Sunday, 18 January | Magill - Paracombe | 130.7 kilometres

Stage 2 of the Women's Tour Down Under 2026 starts with a moderately difficult climb and runs over slightly hilly terrain to Paracombe. The finish is at the fourth crossing of Paracombe Road. Although the climb is short, the gradient of up to 9.5 per cent could split the field.

Stage 3 | Monday, 19 January | Stirling - Stirling | 126.5 kilometres

The final 3rd stage of the Women's Tour Down Under begins in a relaxed manner and only becomes challenging in the final quarter. The riders have to conquer Corkscrew Road twice, which, with an average gradient of 9.7 per cent, is likely to create gaps over 2.4 kilometres. After the last crossing, the route leads downhill to the finish, where the overall winner of the tour will be determined.

Tour Down Under 2026: TV broadcast & live stream

There is no live broadcast of the Tour Down Under on German television. However, there is a live stream, available for a fee on Discovery+. All stages will be shown on the streaming platform. The broadcast starts at 01:30 am in the night (CET), transmission end between 05:30 a.m. and 06:30 a.m. (except for the men's prologue).