As someone who had never been to watch the TDU before, the biggest surprise for me was how Adelaide is transformed into a Cycling Mecca, with interstate and international cyclists descending on the city and the surrounding hills, with cyclists far more common than cars on the roads and in the cafes surrounding the city.
One of the unique aspects of the Tour Down Under compared to any of the other multi-day events on the pro calendar is how this event starts and ends each day back in the same city. The pros love it because they get to stay in the same hotel each night and spend more time riding and socialising, relaxing between stages instead of travelling and packing/unpacking. This inevitably leads to a better festival atmosphere as the event village fills up with industry and event staff plus the spectators and fans across the city. The opportunity to join rides and experience the roads and great weather of Adelaide draws people from all around the country.
The format the event organisers generally follow is that the race starts at various locations around the city, such as King William St Unley and Jetty Road in Glenelg/Brighton; with a street party the night before, with open-front restaurants and bars and streets pedestrianised for the night with food trucks, stalls etc. It creates an awesome party atmosphere and the locals are generally very supportive and get involved in the festivities.
Race starts are generally just after 11am at the aforementioned city locations, but finish out in the hills or out of town at between 2-4pm
People visiting Adelaide often get out early, especially on days forecast to be warmer. A regular meeting spot in the city is Ebenezer Place, which is a tree-lined red-brick laneway in the CBD with multiple coffee shops and eateries, with sometimes hundreds of cyclists having a pre-ride coffee before heading off in big bunches in different directions either out into the hills, or towards the beach.
Depending on the race route of the day and the forecast, these rides sometimes go out to a point on the race loop or the finish.
Some days a good approach is to get out early and do a loop, either flat or in the hills; then head back to accommodation, freshen up and head to the event village at Victoria Square to watch the commentated event on the big screens. There is a giant bar, retail spaces, deck chairs, bean bags and cooling misters. Attempting to ride out to the watch the finish each stage and then fight traffic and heat to get home late is not adviseable (or enjoyable).
One particular stage that most people will head out to is Stage 6; finishing at the top of Old Willunga Hill in the McLaren Vale. This stage has hundreds of riders heading along the expressway bike path from near to Glenelg into the heart of McLaren Vale. It’s a wide path that snakes alongside the expressway and crosses very few roads. People generally stay, have some lunch and then and watch the race loop around the region multiple times before finishing on top of the hill. After the race, huge groups of riders head back North into Adelaide, often with a few pros heading back to their hotels after the race.
If you’re on the fence about coming, not knowing where to ride or what to do. My recommendation is to stay in the city, you won’t need a car the entire time other than to-from the Airport if you fly. Daily rides are being organised by multiple organisers, in particular, Rapha and MAAP have plenty of options for different levels and they leave from the city. Accomodation is tight, so plan early.
Adelaide has world-class riding, with the base of the hills on the city limits from the North East to the South East, with dozens of loops amongst amazing scenery, good roads and generally very few cars. Those wanting faster, flatter rides are also well catered for, with a coastal loop on the West of the city running from Outer Harbor in the North to Beachside towns of Glenelg and Brighton further south.
The locals run some fast rides, such as the SASI ride on Saturday mornings, which averages 47-48km/h along the beach and the Supers-Saturday ride, which leaves from Rundle Mall, goes up Norton Summit and loops through the hills for 100+km and 1500m of vertical gain for 3.5 hours.
The event organiser has “official” open bunch rides leaving most days from the event village at Victoria Square. If you want to get out without the stress of being stuck with a group that wants to ride too hard into an area you're unfamiliar with, these are a good option to try out.
Group Rides https://tourdownunder.com.au/ride/group-rides
Event Info https://tourdownunder.com.au/
We're planning on having a presence at the Tour Down Under this year, joining some daily rides and post-ride activities, all organized through a Whatsapp group.
For more info on how you can connect, contact Cam at Urban Pedaler
Ph: 03 9557 6461
email: service@urbanpedaler.com.au
