Race routes revealed for 2020 Santos Women’s Tour Down Under
Tourism
The stages of next year’s Women’s Tour Down Under have been designed to offer all riders the chance to shine.
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Kimberley Conte, the Women’s Tour Race Director, said she designed the 2020 edition of the UCI 2.1 event to give the riders the opportunity to showcase their strengths.
“I am always looking for new courses, different approaches to towns, sprints, climbs and other elements that can provide a new challenge to the race, and provide riders with the chance to match wits and strengths,” she said.
“All three road stages could potentially be won by an opportunistic rider – someone who is willing to attack at the right moment, to turn themselves inside out for the win.”
Conte said the routes were designed to provide sprinters, climbers and all-rounders the chance to take stage honours – as long as they turned up fit and ready to compete.
“Whether they break away on the technical descent into the finish of Stage 1, attack on Christmas Tree Ridge, 8kms from the finish on Stage 2, or take advantage of the twisting, shaded climb up Aldgate Valley Road to stay out of sight of the peloton (on Stage 3) – there is opportunity for a win,” she said.
The four stages range from an 116km circuit through the Adelaide Hills to a 42.5 street circuit on the final day.
Stage 1 begins on January 16, 2020, and takes riders from the tourist town of Hahndorf through the Adelaide Hills to Macclesfield. On the second day the peloton rides 114.5km from Murray Bridge beside the River Murray to Birdwood. The third stage has riders battling the Adelaide Hills for 109km while the final stage on January 19 is a street circuit in the CBD of Adelaide.
The women’s race was established as part of the National Road Series in 2015 before being granted UCI 2.2 status in 2016. The race was upgraded to UCI 2.1 status for the 2018 event.
Last year 15 international teams began the season in Adelaide, South Australia, and many of the riders went on to have successful European seasons.
The Women’s Tour Down Under finishes in Adelaide on January 19 – the same day as the Men’s Tour Down Under begins.
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