Santos Tour Down Under 2025

The Santos Tour Down Under (Tour of Australia) will once again kick off the 2025 Cycling season. The opportunity to rack up miles in the sun, while taking part in a race on the World Tour calendar. The course, still wild and unique, lends itself to a great fight. Presentation.

Head to the other side of the planet for the first pedal strokes of the season. At a time when professionals must face the harsh winter temperatures of Europe, Australia welcomes the peloton into the heart of its exotic summer. Perfect recovery conditions.

The event is not only the first meeting of the season but also the main race in Oceania. Created in 1999, the event is now registered in UCI World Tour calendar.

The Tour Down Under offers a wonderful opportunity to launch your season and gain both confidence and kilometers. For the final winner, it will be the opportunity to appear alongside winners such as Richie Porte or André Greipel. It is the Australian Simon Gerrans who holds the victory record with 4 bouquets. On the French side, Gilles Maignan saves honor thanks to his victory acquired in 2000.

O’Grady, Greipel, Impey, Porte X2

The Santos Tour Down Under 2025 will take place from January 21 to 26, departing from Prospect, South Australia. This year, no prologue but an online stage as traditionally. The course will offer wild and sublime landscapes as only Australia can offer, with ideal terrain for adventurers and punchers. Stages 3 and 5, including a new climb, Knotts Hill at an average of 7.5% and the double ascent of Willunga Hill, will be crucial for the general classification.

Last year, a similar stage gave rise to a movement race and a surprise victory for Isaac Del Toro, while many imagined a sprinter. It is therefore difficult to say even if for us, this scenario cannot be repeated every season. We would therefore be banking on a massive sprint all the same, especially since the last climb is located much further from the finish.

This 2nd stage of the Tour Down Under 2025 should offer a new massive sprint. This same stage was contested last season with a victory for Sam Welsford. Little chance that we will see anything else.

New in 2025, this stage offers a difficult start, like its finale. Knotts Hill, with an average gradient of 7.5%, has its summit located 5km from the finish. The puncher who manages to make the difference on the climb will surely be the winner of the stage, unless there are several competing for victory.

Don't be fooled by the course which looks more difficult than it is. In reality, this 4th stage is dedicated to sprinters.

The Queen stage of this Tour Down Under 2025, which will be played as often at the top of Willunga Hill. In 2024, Oscar Onley had settled a group of around ten runners, still together under the red flame. The Briton made the difference in the sprint. We are banking on an identical scenario given this year's startlist. And Oscar Onley is also our tip.

Last short stage of 90km in the streets of Adelaide with a circuit without great difficulty. The race will not change the general classification and the winner of the day will be a sprinter, without a doubt.

Like last year, and more generally since the retirement of Richie Porte, the Tour Down Under 2025 does not have a big favorite. Paradoxically, the list of favorites is very similar to last year's for the simple reason that the same riders are back, which is rather rare here. Oscar Onley 4e, Jonathan Narvaez 2nd and Stephan Williamswinner last year, are all at the start. Three excellent punchers who will fight for the bonuses. Three other fast punchers were added this year, Mauro Schmid, Paul Lapeira et Finn Fisher Black. The first finished the season very well and has the profile to explode in this type of stage race. The Frenchman, one of the revelations of 2024, will also have his say unless Willunga Hill is too long for him. As for Finn Fisher-Black, he has just left UAE for RedBull Bora, with the aim of having leader status more regularly. This will be the case in Australia and he is already playing big. It would be surprising if he missed it. We will also keep an eye on Ben Tulettwho missed his first season with Visma Lease a Bike. Finally, Jay Vinewinner in 2023, will be at the start again in 2025 but he will have to win alone if he hopes to win the general classification. Not an easy challenge on this terrain.

Note that on the neo-pro side, Pablo Torres will try to imitate Del Toro, even if his profile is even more of a climber than the Mexican and the terrain is not perfect for him.

⭐⭐⭐ Stephen Williams – Mauro Schmid – Jonathan Narvaez

⭐⭐ Jay Vine – Finn Fisher Black – Paul Lapeira – Luke Plapp – Ben Tulett

⭐ Magnus Sheffield – Andrea Bagioli – Bauke Mollema – Quentin Pacher – Ion Izagirre – Alberto Bettiol – Thomas Gloag – Dorian Godon – George Bennett

The complete entry list for the Tour Down Under 2025 by First Cycling – Coming soon