The great cycling machine is back in motion, and as usual, Australia will cover the first mile of this long season. The athletes have been in the land of kangaroos for quite some time, as the Santos Tour Down Under 2026 will take place from January 17 to 19, followed by the Schwalbe Classic on January 21, coinciding with the men's race starting on the 20th.

The race, now in its 16th edition, became part of the WorldTour circuit in 2023, with an Italian victory by Valentina Scandolara dating back to 2015. Considering the time zone, a TV broadcast is scheduled on Discovery+ channels for night owls.

THE ROUTE

The first stage starts and finishes in Willunga (at the foot of the famous Willunga Hill), covering 137 km with a double pass under the finish line before the final sprint. It should be a sprint stage, but the last 600 meters constantly climb at 3-4%, so the riders will need to choose the right timing to attack.

The second stage has a very similar finale, taking the group from Magill to Paracombe for 131 km. This time, however, the start is tricky, with the Ashton climb (10 km at 4%) immediately after the start, which could break the legs of many athletes. The final includes three laps of the Paracombe circuit, with the finishing straight again trending uphill (900 meters at 3%).

The general classification will be decided by the final stage, from Norwood to Campbelltown covering 126 km. Specifically, the steep Corkscrew Road climb (2.5 km at 8.3%) will make the definitive selection. It will be tackled twice, first 24 km from the finish, and then 6 km from the end, before the final descent to the finish line.

(Elevation profiles on the cover)

THE FAVORITES

At the start will be the defending champion, Noemi Rüegg (EF Education-Oatly), who hasn't won since last year's success and will try to repeat, but the spotlight will also be on the world champion, Canadian Magdeleine Vallieres, who is also her teammate.

Given the time of the season and the well-known setting, the Oceanian athletes should always be watched, so keep an eye on three-time race winner Amanda Spratt (Lidl-Trek), Ella Wyllie and Georgia Baker (Liv AlUla Jayco), as well as the strong New Zealander Ally Wollaston (FDJ-Suez). Important ambitions will also be harbored by Chloé Dygert (Canyon/SRAM zondacrypto), Marta Lach (SD Worx-Protime), Mavi Garcia and Paula Blasi (UAE Team ADQ) and Lotte Claes (Fenix-Premier Tech).

There are also several Italian riders, with Sofia Bertizzolo (FDJ-Suez), making her debut with the new jersey, Soraya Paladin (Canyon/SRAM zondacrypto) and Erica Magnaldi (UAE Team ADQ) who can aim for the general classification, while Martina Fidanza (Visma | Lease a Bike) and Barbara Guarischi (SD Worx-Protime) will focus on sprints, including the probable Schwalbe Classic.