Tour of Tasmania: A Key Stepping Stone for Australia’s Next Grand Tour Contenders

While the iconic Melbourne to Warrnambool highlights Australia’s future classics contenders, the historic Tour of Tasmania serves as an important proving ground for the next generation of Australian climbers and general classification hopefuls.

The honour roll of past winners features some of Australia’s most successful World Tour riders, including Cadel Evans, Richie Porte, Sarah Gigante, and Jack Haig. All made their mark in Tasmania before going on to achieve success on the world stage.

For Australian riders, opportunities to test their legs on long climbs in a competitive setting are rare, making the Tour of Tasmania all the more significant. With famous mountain-top finishes like Mt. Wellington in the past, where Cadel Evans famously made his breakthrough, the race provides a valuable opportunity to assess climbing potential. This year, the Tour will feature another challenging summit finish up the Golden Valley climb.

At 16.3km, averaging a 4.9% gradient and covering almost 900m of elevation gain, The Golden Valley climb offers one of the best comparisons to the types of ascents Australian riders are likely to face in European stage races. It's a chance to see how riders measure up against such a demanding test, and we have seen how strong results here can translate to big performances in the future. Each of the previous winners mentioned secured their GC victory with a summit finish and went on to achieve a top 10 overall finish in a grand tour, with three of them securing a spot on the GC podium. 

For Australian cycling fans, the Tour of Tasmania provides an early look at the riders who could one day challenge for the top spots in grand tours. It’s an exciting opportunity to witness rising talent as they make their mark on home soil.

Watch Live on SBS, Friday February 21!