In a prologue, using a time trial bike is no luxury, but the participants in the upcoming Santos Tour Down Under will complete the prologue on regular road bikes. This is due to the (too) great logistical challenges.
This is not new, as the same happened three years ago when the Tour Down Under first started with a prologue. "For some WorldTeams, it is not possible to transport all the necessary time trial equipment to Australia on time. We are mainly talking about the newcomers to the WorldTour," race director Stuart O’Grady told cycling site Velo at the time.
"It is not fair to burden the teams with too much pressure and stress to prepare all the time trial bikes. On top of that, teams already have to spend a lot to finance the trip to Australia."
"If they then also have to bring 140 time trial bikes… That’s pure madness. After consulting with the teams, it just made sense to let the riders race on regular road bikes to reduce stress."
It’s not the first time in the history of the Santos Tour Down Under, but starting off with a prologue is highly unusual. The very first time this happened was only three years ago, in the 2023 Tour Down Under. Back then, the riders faced an opening time trial of 5.5 kilometers; now, it’s a prologue of just 3.6 kilometers.
The destination is – just like three years ago – Adelaide. In the capital of the Australian state South Australia – also known as the ‘City of Churches’ because of the many churches in the city – a course has been mapped out that largely follows the Torrens River. The route is not overly challenging, although there are a few corners in the final phase where riders can gain or lose time.
