SANTOS TOUR DOWN UNDER

Non-Cycling Options: Adelaide Hills – Mount Lofty Loop

Join the group in our vehicle on a sightseeing loop of the beautiful Adelaide Hills, pause for coffee and explore the leafy town of Stirling, it’s one of the gems of the Adelaide Hills.

You’ll visit many of the small towns, valleys, orchards, then head up to Mt Lofty to meet up with the cycling group to enjoy the best views of Adelaide’s city and coastline. Alternatively, ask us for some options based on your personal interests – we can generally infuse more of what you like into each day, maybe some wildlife spotting, a bushwalk – hike or explore Adelaide’s popular Museums, Galleries or Rundle Mall shopping district.

Our Ride: Phil Anderson Loop Ride – Belair – Adelaide Hills – Mt Lofty 

No TDU today, but it’s a big day for us as Australian Cycling Legend Phil Anderson joins us for a big day of riding and adventure in the Adelaide Hills. Roll along side Phil, we’ll pause for a coffee break enroute, it won’t be long before you’ll be hearing some of the finest stories of cycling’s golden era.

We’ll head into the southern ranges, then deep into the Adelaide Hills orchard valleys. We’ll descend back toward the city via the backside of Mt Lofty. Theres and option to head straight to our hotel or continue onto Glenelg Beach for a well earned swim in the cool Adelaideian waters before heading for home to our hotel.

 Après Bike:

Free program to explore Adelaide, it’s restuarants, bars and eateries. We’ll be heading out for a social /informal dinner (non-inclusion), we’ll make a plan for dinner – feel free to join us or relax and put your feet up in your spacious apartment and enjoy your favorite home cooking.
Alternatively, we’ve got plenty of great suggestions, we are based in the south end precinct where you can step out the door for great Italian, Greek, Asian, Gastro pub or Australian fusion food. Let us know your preferred food types, budget and dining style! We’ll point you in the right direction for great local places.

 Accommodation:

Adelaide City Centre, King William street – 4 Star AppartHotel

Non-Cycling Options: Adelaide Hills – Barossa Valley Wine Region

Join the group in our vehicle on a sightseeing drive through the northern Adelaide Hills, visit a remote National Park area enroute to the famous Barossa Valley Wine region. You’ll meet up with the cycling group in the Barossa Valley to see the exciting first stage of the 2022 Tour Down Under.

Alternatively, ask us for some options based on your personal interests – we can generally infuse more of what you like into each day, maybe some wildlife spotting, a bushwalk – hike or explore Adelaide’s popular Museums, Galleries or Rundle Mall shopping district.

Our Rides: City – Barossa Valley

Options aplenty again today. This morning we’ll traverse the northern Adelaide Hills foothills and ridge roads to the secluded Parra Wirra National park. We’ll pass through some of the regions sleepier historic towns, en-route to Tanunda in the heart of the Barossa Valley.

We have plenty of distance options available depending on how much climbing you’d like to do, our vehicle will be there to support you. Once we arrive in the Barossa Valley we’ll catch the race multiple times today as it loops through the Barossa Valley, we’ll see all the race action of Stage 1 of the Santos Tour Down Under.

MORE ABOUT OUR DAY: Après race, we’ve organised a special visit to one of the Barossa Valley’s premier wineries for a wine tasting, we’ll visit our long time friends at Elderton Wines in Nurioopta.

Here’s what Alistair the owner and Co-Managing Director of Elderton Wines says we’ll experience on a visit to their award winning winery “we promise you a rare, authentic experience which includes a visit to our Command Shiraz vineyard planted in 1894 and culminates in tasting some very special wines including the highly regarded Elderton flagship, Command Shiraz”.

Many of Adelaide’s restaurants allow BYO (Bring Your Own wine), take the opportunity while we are at the Elderton Wines Cellar Door to purchase some of their beautiful wines to bring back to the hotel, or pop some in the fridge for the week ahead.

After our visit we’ll make our way back to the city via the scenic roads of Seppeltsfield in the Barossa Valley. It’ll be a great day of Tour Down Under, biking, sightseeing and sampling one of Australia’s premier wine regions.

 TDU Race:

TBA. We’ll keep you updated as soon as the race organisers provide us with additional information

 Après Bike:

6.30pm: Welcome Aperitif for 8 Day and 6 Day tours. Meet the staff, your fellow guests and talk about the exciting week of the Santos Tour Down Under ahead .

 Accommodation:

Adelaide City Centre, King William street – 4 Star AppartHotel

Welcome to Adelaide and the 2019 Santos Tour Down Under.

About Our Day: Arrival Day into Adelaide.

Take an early flight to the Adelaide Airport. The Ride International team will be there to meet you at the airport at 10am. Alternatively, we’ll meet you at our Team Hotel at 11am or choose to stay a night prior at our hotel  *if you choose to arrive at our Team Hotel the night prior, your welcome to join the Ride or Non-cycling program to the Barossa Valley*. or We’ll assist in building up your bike, then head out on the bikes for a Welcome Ride – starts: 12pm.

Explore our immediate south end precinct, or we have a tram stop directly in front of our hotel. Take a scenic tram ride in the direction of the Adelaide Oval, Festival Theatre, Museums, Art galleries, Rundle Mall shopping district or in the opposite direction head toward the beachside village of Glenelg, where you can take a swim, work on your tan, shop or relax on the golden sands of the beach.

Ask us for some options based on your personal interests, we have some great recommendations for Adelaide.

Our Ride: Adelaide Hills, TDU Village orientation loop.

We leave the city and climb into the Adelaide Hills,  we’ll traverse the Adelaide foothills, then descend back into the City of Adelaide Tour Village and onto our Hotel.

 Après Bike:

Meet Hotel Lobby: European Style Aperitif for the 6 Day and 8 Day Tours. Meet up with other guests, staff and talk about the Santos Tour Down Under ahead.

 Accommodation:

Adelaide City Centre, King William street – 4 Star AppartHotel

Non-cycling options:

Join the group in our vehicles on a sightseeing loop of the beautiful Adelaide Hills, we’ll pause for coffee and explore the old German Settlement town of Hahndorf, it’s a unique gem of the Adelaide Hills.

Enroute to Stirling to watch all of the action of the Santos Tour Down Under, you’ll take the small roads and pass through many of the quaint towns, valleys and orchards of the Adelaide Hills. Watch the final exciting laps of the Stirling Santos Tour Down Under circuit, you’ll see the race finish, the jersey presentations, then head back via the City of Adelaide Tour Village to our Team Hotel.

or Alternatively, ask us for some options based on your personal interests – we can generally infuse more of what you like into each day, maybe some wildlife spotting, a bushwalk – hike or explore Adelaide’s popular Museums, Galleries or Rundle Mall shopping district.

Our Rides: City – Adelaide Hills – City 

Plenty of distance and climbing options todays, you may like to skip the first big climb up into the Adelaide Hills it’s nearly 20km, as we head straight up into the Adelaide Hills via Eagle on the Hill and onto Adelaide’s highest vantage point Mt Lofty.

We regroup at the top of Mt Lofty, from here we are over the first big climb and we are now cycling through the “Little Europe” of the Adelaide Hills – and onto the German Settlement of Hahndorf. After a quick snack and coffee in Hahndorf, we’ll loop back through the scenic Adelaide Hills. We’ll pick up the race route and ride ahead of the peloton to todays race finish area.

We’ll catch the stage finish today, it’s sure to be exciting, we expect the overall race contenders to make their move today on this tough finishing circuit.

After the race finish and presentation, we then follow the pro team riders and head back down to the city by bike, it’s a real buzz to follow the Pro’s down through the Adelaide Hills – or relax in the airconditioned comfort of our vehicles and head back to our team hotel.

 TDU Race: TBA

We’ll keep you up to date as soon as the race organisers provide us with stage details for 2022

 Après Bike:

After freshening up back at our hotel after a great day – it’s a free program tonight to explore Adelaide, it’s restuarants, bars and eateries. We’ll be heading out for a social /informal dinner (non-inclusion), we’ll make a plan for dinner, feel free to join us – or relax and put your feet up in your spacious apartment and enjoy your favorite home cooking.

We’ve got plenty of great suggestions, we are based in the south end precinct where you can step out the door for great Italian, Greek, Asian, Gastro Pub or Australian fusion food. Let us know your preferred food types, budget and dining style! We’ll point you in the right direction for great local places.

 Accommodation:

Adelaide City Centre, King William street – 4 Star AppartHotel

Non-cycling options:

8am: Join the group in our vehicles on a sightseeing loop of Adelaide’s beautiful white sandy beaches. We’ll pause at one of our favorite beaches for a photo stop and to dip your toes into the beautiful blue waters. We then visit the Santos Tour Down Under race start in Unley, it’s only a few Km’s south of the city.

The Unley high street shopping precinct is always an exciting race start location, it has some nice outdoor/high street shopping, cafes and bars. This stage start in Unley is a great opportunity to see the pro riders up close for photo’s / selfies and a chat. After the stage start we head back to our team hotel.

11.45am: Our vehicle departs the Hotel to head to the Torrens Hill Road KOM, it’s sure to be exciting to see the race here today, former overall winners have made their winning move on todays final steep climb, crowds will be bigger today so we need to hustle to arrive in time to secure a good location. The atmosphere and excitement on the KOM will make it a great afternoon – or alternatively if you fancy relaxing this afternoon on some selfguided activities, we suggest departing the hotel on Foot/Tram to explore Adelaide Central Markets, our suggested lunch option and local favourite is Gnocchi Bolognese at Lucia’s Italian café in the Adelaide Central Market. Apres lunch explore the City of Adelaide Tour Village and Expo .

or Alternatively, ask us for some options based on your personal interests – we can generally infuse more of what you like into each day, maybe some wildlife spotting, a bushwalk – hike or explore Adelaide’s popular Museums, Galleries or explore the Rundle Mall / Rundle Street shopping districts.

Our Rides: Morning: Adelaide – Coastal Loop – Race Start – City
Afternoon: City – Race Viewing in Adelaide Hills – City

City Beaches ride, then onto the Santos Tour Down Under Stage start to catch all the pre-race action and excitement. We then head through the city and past our hotel. The second part of our ride day being an “optional ride” into the Adelaide Hills – or rest up your legs and prepare for tomorrows big ride “The Advertiser – Challenge Tour”.

After passing by our hotel in the city, the optional ride into the Adelaide Hills climbs up via the stunning Gorge Road to the Torrens Hill Road KOM, it’s sure to be exciting to see the race here today, former overall winners have made their winning move on todays final steep climb.

After the race passes us, we’ll traverse the Adelaide foothills, if anyone is feeling frisky there’s an optional extra available to tackle the tough Corkscrew road climb. We’ll all descend back into the City of Adelaide Tour Village and onto our Hotel to ready ourselves for tomorrows Challenge Tour.

 TDU Race: TBA

We’ll keep you up to date as soon as the race organisers provide us with stage details for 2022

Après Bike: VIP Guest: Phil Anderson

Meet Hotel Lobby: 6.30pm for a European Style Aperitif for the 4 Day, 6 Day and 8 Day Tours. Meet up with other guests, staff, talk about the Tour Down Under ahead. Special VIP Guest: Phil Anderson will talk us through tactics for tomorrow Challenge Tour as well as tell a few tales from his time in the Golden Era of cycling.

 Accommodation:

Adelaide City Centre, King William street – 4 Star AppartHotel

About Our Day: Arrival Day. Welcome to Adelaide and the Santos Tour Down Under

Take an early flight to the Adelaide Airport. The Ride International team will be there to meet you at the airport at 10am. Alternatively, we’ll meet you at our hotel at 11am or choose to stay a night prior at our Team Hotel and ride the whole day with our group (see 6 Day and 8 Day itinerary’s for details).

We’ll assist in building up your bike, getting you ready for your tour ahead, then head out for a ride.
Welcome ride starts 12pm.

Our Ride: Adelaide Hills – Gorge Road – TDU Village Orientation Loop. 50km – 500m climbing

From the city we climb into the Adelaide Hills, We’ll catch the race at a decisive point of today’s race course. After the race passes we’ll traverse the Adelaide foothills, then descend back into the City of Adelaide Tour Village to have a look at the largest Bike Expo in Australia, watch the team mechanics at work, or organise a test ride of the newest bikes with our friends in the village.

 Après Bike: VIP Guest: Phil Anderson

Meet Hotel Lobby: 6pm for a European Style Aperitif for the 4 Day, 6 Day and 8 Day Tours. Meet up with other guests, staff –  talk about tomorrows Challenge Tour Gran Fondo and the Tour Down Under ahead. Special VIP Guest: Phil Anderson will talk us through tactics for tomorrow Challenge Tour as well as tell us a few tales from his time in the Golden Era of cycling.

 Accommodation:

Adelaide City Centre, King William street – 4 Star AppartHotel

Non-cycling options:

Join the group in our vehicles as we head to todays stage start. Explore the start village area, then watch the pro riders prepare for their day. The riders are generally more relaxed, you’ll find them sitting at the local cafe’s having a final coffee pre race start.

Our Rides: Active Recovery Day “Tapering Day”, Adelaide Hills – Race Start 

Today we’ve pencilled in an active recovery “Tapering Day” – after yesterdays Challenge Tour by the Advertiser Granfondo, everyone’s legs will be tired plus we’ll need to back up again on Sunday for our King of the Mountain rides.

We’ve designed rides to roll the legs over, then we head to the Santos Tour Down Under Stage start to catch all the pre-race action and excitement.

We then head back to our hotel or join the second part of our ride day being an “optional ride” or rest up your legs, take an afternoon siesta – press your best off-bike kit to ready yourself for tonight’s Legends Night Dinner – or rest and prepare for tomorrows big King of the Mountain ride.

 TDU Race: TBA

We’ll keep you up to date as soon as the race organisers provide us with stage details for 2022

 Après Bike:

Dinner with the stars, tonight is the optional VIP Legends Night Dinner, click through here for more details – we highly recommend The Legend Night Dinner, it’s all inclusive three-course dinner accompanied by fine wines, beer and cool drinks. The dinner is a first class night of entertainment, it includes some of the world’s VIP cycling greats, past and present.

The Legends Night Dinner is consistently a highlight for our Tour Down Under, it’s a night of glitz and glamour. Guests and our staff who attend each year really enjoy the night every year, it’s a unique event in the world of Pro Cycling.

 Accommodation:

Adelaide City Centre, King William street – 4 Star AppartHotel

Departure day out of Adelaide – *Late flights out after 8pm* or choose stay an additional night, relax and enjoy the last evening of  TDU festivities

Our Rides: Adelaide Hills – King of the Mountain

Distance: 65km, 85km, 120km. Climbing: 500m, 1200m, 1500m.

 TDU Race: King of the Mountain

 Après Bike:

If you are flying out today – when we return to the city from the King of the Mountain late in the day, we’ll assit you to pack your bike and transfer you to the Adelaide airport for your flight home – * Flights out after 8pm*.

If you aren’t flying out tonight – that’s a very good idea, Adelaide Airport will be very busy – Although it’s a free program to explore Adelaide, it’s restaurants, bars and eateries, we’ll be heading out for a social /informal dinner (non-inclusion), we’ll make a plan for dinner – feel free to join us, it’s a great night to relax knowing there’s no early start for a ride, there’s always plenty to do and celebrations to be had on the final night of the Tour Down Under for another year.

We’ve got plenty of great suggestions, we are based in the south end precinct where you can step out the door for great Italian, Greek, Asian, Gastro Pub or Australian fusion food. Let us know your preferred food types, budget and dining style! We’ll point you in the right direction for great local places.

Departure day out of Adelaide – *Late flights out after 8pm* or choose stay an additional night, relax and enjoy the last evening of  TDU festivities

More About our VIP KOM Day: VIP King of the Mountain Day Tour – Sunday 24th Jan

The King of the Mountain VIP Day Tour is perfect for Cyclists and Non-Cyclists.
You’ll experience an all-inclusive day of guided riding, gourmet food, drinks, exciting race watching, see the finish of the King of the Mountain Final Stage. Watch the final winners presentation at the top of the mountain, includes transfers back from the stage, assistance to pack your bike and a transfer to the airport if required.

The day will include our famous European style picnic lunch, with a large range of the best local, European foods, drinks, wines, craft beers and French Bubbles.

Experience our Coastline, Adelaide Hills and Valleys ride on our secret local roads. Choose from multiple guided ride options to suit your preferred distance and climbing. Vehicle support for riders includes: mechanical assistance, hydration and ride snacks.

Non-cyclists have their own guided program for the day, you’ll take in the sights of the Adelaide Coastline, and small towns. You’ll regroup with the cyclists at the Stage start and again atop the King of the mountain at our gourmet picnic lunch area.
Pre-race start is a great chance to see the Pro riders, the stars of the show. We watch the excitement of the race start, then we head off on a scenic tour to the top of the King of the Mountain.

Our Rides: “VIP King of the Mountain Day Tour“

Distances & Climbing:60km/750m, 90km/1200m, 125km/1650m
The King of the Mountain Day Tour takes our Coastline plus Adelaide Hills and Valleys ride. We’ll warm up on a run out toward Adelaides beautiful coastline then visit the Santos Tour Down Under race start.

After the race start we’ll be back on the bikes, we’ll traverse the Adelaide Hills, Ridges, Valleys and eventually up to the legendary King of the Moutain Climb. Once at the top, if you have energy in reserve, we’ll escort you on a lap of the finishing circuit – or you can head straight in and relax at our VIP European Picnic site, the choice is yours.

We have a fantastic location in the thick of the action to enjoy the afternoon’s festivities where we will witness the deciding final stage at the “King of the Mountain final stage” it’s a day to be remembered, don’t miss it!

 Après Bike:

DEPARTURE DAY – late flights out of Adelaide Airport – after 8pm.

6.45pm: Airport Transfer, Depart Hotel Lobby – 7pm: Arrive Adelaide Airport
or choose stay an optional additional night, relax and enjoy the last eveing of  TDU festivities

 Accommodation:

Optional Extra: Stay at our  our 4 or 5 star Team Hotels in the Adelaide City Centre , King William St – Hilton Hotel 5 star or our superb 4 Star AppartHotel. Contact us for further details.