The Santos Tour Down Under is the first stop on the UCI WorldTour Calendar. Elite global racing starts here — 16-25 January 2026.
Race Schedule & Stages
The event is split into women's and men's competitions, alongside a broader festival of cycling.
- Women's WorldTour Race (Jan 17–19):Stage 1 (Jan 17): Willunga to Willunga (137.4km).Stage 2 (Jan 18): Magill to Paracombe (130.7km).Stage 3 (Jan 19): Norwood to Campbelltown (126.5km), featuring a double ascent of the Corkscrew climb. One-Day Race (Jan 21): A standalone 94.2km race in Tanunda.
- Men's WorldTour Race (Jan 20–25):Prologue (Jan 20): A 3.6km individual time trial in the heart of Adelaide.Stage 1 (Jan 21): Tanunda to Tanunda (150.7km).Stage 2 (Jan 22): Norwood to Uraidla (148.1km).Stage 3 (Jan 23): Henley Beach to Nairne (153.5km).Stage 4 (Jan 24): Brighton to Willunga Hill, featuring three ascents of the iconic climb.Stage 5 (Jan 25): Stirling to Stirling (final stage).
- The Santos Tour Down Under is the race that officially kicks off the professional cycling season every January. The 2026 edition takes place from January 17 to January 25, 2026, turning Adelaide and the surrounding regions into a week-long celebration of WorldTour racing.
- Stages are held daily, with races usually starting in the late morning or early afternoon local time. This means viewers in Europe can typically watch stages early in the morning, while audiences in North America will need to tune in overnight or very early morning, depending on the stage profile and start time.
- With fast sprint finishes, selective climbs such as Willunga Hill, and full live coverage available - including a free broadcast in Australia - the Santos Tour Down Under is one of the easiest major cycling races to follow from anywhere in the world if you know where to watch.
- Where to stream the Santos Tour Down Under
- Region Streaming Service Details Cost
- Australia 7plus Live + on-demand coverage of every stage Free
- Australia Seven Network Free-to-air TV broadcast Free (with TV)
- UK & Europe Discovery+ / Eurosport Full live coverage + replays Subscription required
- United States Discovery+ / GCN+ (varies by year) Live stream depending on cycling rights Subscription required
- Canada FloBikes Dedicated cycling coverage + replays Subscription required
- New Zealand Sky Sport / Sky Sport Now Live stages + highlights Subscription required
- 7plus streaming schedule and start times
- 7plus provides the most straightforward way to watch the Santos Tour Down Under for free, with live and on-demand coverage of every stage. Streams are available via the 7plus website and app throughout the race.
- Stages are typically scheduled to start in the late morning or early afternoon local time in Adelaide, which uses Australian Central Daylight Time (ACDT) during January. Most stages begin between 10:30 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. ACDT and finish in the mid-afternoon, although occasional circuit or city stages may start later in the day.
- Because of the time difference, start times vary significantly for international viewers:
- Local time (Adelaide, ACDT): late morning to early afternoon
- Central European Time (CET): very early morning, usually between 2:30 a.m. and 4:00 a.m. CET
- United States (ET): evening of the previous day, typically around 8:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. ET
- United States (PT): late afternoon to early evening of the previous day, roughly 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. PT
- How to watch the Santos Tour Down Under for freeJapanese TV Supporting image
- The easiest way to watch the Tour Down Under for free is through 7plus, but the platform is geo-blocked outside Australia. If you’re abroad, you’ll need a reliable VPN to access the free stream.