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News & Racing<\/a><\/p>\n In a WorldTour first, the 2027 women’s TDU will be run on the same courses, and over the same distances, as the final three stages of the men’s race.<\/p>\n Cor Vos<\/p>\n The Santos Tour Down Under is set to break new ground for women\u2019s cycling in 2027 with what race organisers are calling \u201cthe most significant development to the race program in the event\u2019s 26-year history\u201d.<\/p>\n Next year\u2019s TDU will see the three-day women\u2019s race run on the same days as the final three stages of the men\u2019s race, over the exact same courses and distances \u2013 a first for any WorldTour event anywhere in the world.<\/p>\n The new setup will bring various benefits \u2013 greater parity between men\u2019s and women\u2019s racing; likely increases in spectator numbers for the women\u2019s race \u2013 but it will also present a series of new challenges. Interestingly, it\u2019s a change that\u2019s been prompted by a UCI request following frustrations from women\u2019s professional teams.<\/p>\n For as long as the Tour Down Under and Cadel\u2019s Race have started the international racing season, some European teams have bemoaned the logistical challenges of attending the two Australian races. More specifically, teams have been critical of the amount of time spent waiting around between the two events.<\/p>\n For women\u2019s teams, the gap between the end of the Tour Down Under and Cadel\u2019s Race is normally around two weeks, and while a couple of smaller, one-day races now exist in that gap \u2013 a TDU one-day in Adelaide and the Surf Coast Classic near Geelong \u2013 the amount of waiting around continues to be a source of frustration.<\/p>\n Ahead of the 2027 Australian summer, that issue has come to a head. While Cadel\u2019s Race and the Surf Coast Classic look unlikely to be affected, the women\u2019s TDU is set to be moved from before the men\u2019s race to run concurrently with the end of the men\u2019s race, thereby shortening the gap between TDU and Cadel\u2019s Race considerably.<\/p>\n While the format change isn\u2019t the ideal scenario for TDU, there are positives for the event.<\/p>\n \u201cIt gave us an opportunity to try something new,\u201d assistant race director Carlee Taylor told Escape. \u201cThe Santos Tour Down Under isn’t afraid to question the norm. They were [one of] the first race[s] to provide equal prize money, and we are always wanting to improve year on year and showcase the women’s side of the event.<\/p>\n \u201cWe’re really excited that we’re the first race to be able to deliver a WorldTour event that is literally the same distance as the men.\u201d<\/p>\n While various configurations were considered for the 2027 event, running the three stages of the women\u2019s race alongside the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday stages of the men\u2019s race was where race organisers ended up.<\/p>\n \u201cFor us the most important thing was to make sure we’re maximising the women’s exposure, and the final weekend is proven to always have a lot more fans,\u201d Taylor said. \u201cFor us, we really were trying to then make it so the women get to finish on a weekend too, and this was our preferred option.\u201d<\/p>\n The women\u2019s stages are expected to start roughly 90 minutes after the men\u2019s, meaning the two races will be run concurrently. That poses a significant challenge when it comes to the TV broadcast. To have live coverage for both events will mean a substantial increase in the amount of broadcast infrastructure required.<\/p>\n This post is for paying subscribers only Already have an account? Sign in<\/a><\/p>\n Did we do a good job with this story?<\/p>\n \n \ud83d\udc4dYep![\"Matt](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Matt-de-Neef-150x150.jpg\")
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