In 2025, the women’s peloton will have an additional one-day race, the Schwalbe Women’s One-Day Classic in Australia, giving riders a valuable extra chance to secure crucial UCI points as they begin the season.
Organised by the Santos Tour Down Under, the Schwalbe Women’s One-Day Classic will be held on Sunday, January 26, on the same city route in Adelaide as the sixth and final stage of the men’s stage race, allowing fans to see the world’s best women’s and men’s riders in one location as Australia’s greatest cycling race celebrates its milestone 25th year.
Tour Down Under Race Director Stuart O’Grady said the women’s peloton had been asking for more opportunities to earn valuable UCI points.
“Unlike the men, women’s UCI WorldTeams are not obligated to attend the Santos Tour Down Under, so being able to offer them four opportunities to secure UCI points at the start of the season is a major incentive and will bolster competition in the women’s field,” O’Grady said.
Three-time Tour Down Under winner Amanda Spratt, who has been racing the event since its inception, sees the addition of a new one-day race as a positive step forward.
“I think adding this extra UCI race to the schedule next year is a good initial step forward. It gives us another opportunity to secure valuable points early in the season and my hope is that it can be a catalyst for adding more stages to the women’s Santos Tour Down Under in the future as well,” she said.
Classified as a Pro Series event, the 90-kilometre raced over 20 laps in Adelaide, the Schwalbe Women’s One-Day Classic, will take place after the three-day Women’s Tour Down Under, January 17-19.
Offering 200 UCI Points and equal prize money to the Villawood Men’s Down Under Classic, the race will feature the same peloton as the Women’s Tour Down Under, along with invited domestic teams, creating a chance for emerging riders to test themselves against the world’s best.
2024 Women’s Tour Down Under overall winner Sarah Gigante (AG Insurance-Soudal) is excited about the challenge presented by a new race.
“I first raced the Tour Down Under in 2020 and it's been incredible to see just how much the event has progressed since then. Now we tackle Willunga Hill and race in front of huge crowds in a world tour peloton. The whole peloton has been asking for more opportunities at the Women's Tour Down Under, and this additional one-day race is another great step forward. Bring it on.”
