tour down under 2023 odds

2023 Tour Down Under Odds and Predictions

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The 2023 WorldTour in Cycling begins this weekend with the 23 rd edition of the Santos Tour Down Under on Saturday, January 14 in Adelaide, South Australia.

The 2023 TDU will see both the Men and Women returning, with the ladies back after a 2-year hiatus caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic. The Men’s Tour Down Under will officially begin on Tuesday, January 17 with a 5.5 kilometer prologue time trial in the parks located north of Adelaide.

The changes to the men’s race should create a more open and thrilling tour, with the prologue time trial making local resident Rohan Dennis (Jumbo-Visma) an overall favorite without ruling out other riders during the race before the final showdown on Mount Lofty.

The Men’s Tour Down Under was last contested in 2020 and saw Australian Richie Porte win for a second time. Porte (5-7½, 127), races for UCI WorldTeam Ineos Grenadiers but he won’t be defending his title in Australia in the first major WorldTour peloton race of the new year 2023.

💥 TEAM LISTS ARE HERE 💥 See which riders will be on the start line in just over a week 👇 #TourDownUnder https://t.co/b8c39NPOaW — Santos Tour Down Under 🚴🚴‍♀️ (@tourdownunder) January 4, 2023

Cyclists from European countries headed to Australia last week so that they could acclimate from the 24 hours of airline flights and the brutal reality that it is Winter in the Northern Hemisphere right now. The early arrival also allows them to get a final block of training in Down Under.

Tour Down Under Betting Odds

Look for Tour Down Under odds at Cycling betting sites closer to the start of the 5-stage race, but the teams are known and we have a pretty good idea of who the top teams and riders should be and enough to offer up some Tour Down Under predictions for both the Men and the Women.

The United Kingdom-based UCI WorldTeam Ineos Grenadiers provided the last TDU winner. The team is back and is as strong as ever with the following riders:

The Ineos Grenadiers, Dennis and the Netherlands Jumbo-Visma, the Australian national team, and the UAE’s UAE Team Emirates are some of the stronger Men’s teams in the 2023 TDU.

It’s good to be back 🇦🇺🤝 Almost time to get the road season started and that means #TourDownUnder ! pic.twitter.com/TJ2wtYDXGO — INEOS Grenadiers (@INEOSGrenadiers) January 11, 2023

Looking at some 2023 UCI tour’s big races and their Futures odds, Danish rider Jonas Vingegaard and Slovenian Tadej Pogačar are co-favorites to win the 2023 Tour de France favorites at +115 at BetUS with Remco Evenepoel (+105) and Primož Roglič (2/1) as the 2023 Giro d’Italia favorites.

The temperatures in Adelaide right now are around 69°F (21°C) but are expected to climb for the later stages in the race this month. The winners of the lowest time in each stage are honored with the wearing of the Ochre Jersey.

The next race up on the 2023 UCI World Tour calendar will be on Sunday, January 29 with the 2023 Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race. The 2023 UCI World Tour will stage 35 races this calendar year, ending with the Tour de Guangxi in China on October 17.

The 2023 Giro d’Italia is set for May 6 through May 28, the 2023 Tour de France is scheduled for July 1 through July 23, and the 2023 Vuelta a España is scheduled from Saturday, August 26 through Sunday, September 17 with the Cycling Triple Crown race starting out in Barcelona.

Recent Tour Down Under Men’s Winners

• 2022— No race (COVID-19)
• 2021— No race (COVID-19)
• 2020— Richie Porte, Australia (Trek–Segafredo)
• 2019 —Daryl Impey, South Africa (Mitchelton–Scott)
• 2018 —Daryl Impey, South Africa (Mitchelton–Scott)
• 2017— Richie Porte, Australia (BMC Racing Team)
• 2016— Simon Gerrans, Australia (Orica GreenEDGE)
• 2015 —Rohan Dennis, Australia (BMC Racing Team)
• 2014 —Simon Gerrans, Australia (Orica GreenEDGE)
• 2013 —Tom-Jelte Slagter, Netherlands (Blanco Pro Cycling)
• 2012 —Simon Gerrans, Australia (GreenEDGE)

Vooruitblikken op het nieuwe jaar in #grandecasino ! “Goede keuze om met @rogla naar de Giro te gaan” “Rohan Dennis wint de Tour Down Under” “Moet je @WoutvanAert niet zo lang mogelijk in het Tourklassement houden?” ⤵️⤵️ 🍏: https://t.co/sHMmdJQDQb 🟢: https://t.co/tEGnFJgxv8 pic.twitter.com/lUKJMjkC4A — Gɾᥲᥒᑯᥱ Cᥲ⳽ɩᥒo Poᑯᥴᥲ⳽t (@GrandeCasinoPC) January 5, 2023

Handicapping the Men’s, Women’s 2023 TDU Races

With five of the last seven and seven of the last 10 TDU Men’s winners being from Australia, backing an Australian rider no matter what team he might ride for seems like a solid betting strategy for this race.

Caleb Ewan leads the Australian team and should be among the Tour Down Under odds favorites when out. Besides Ewan, the Australian National Team also includes Jarrad Drizners, Graeme Frisilie, Connor Leahy, Zac Marriage, James Moriarty, and Liam Walsh.

Aussie and 2022 Giro d’Italia winner Jai Hindley leads the talented Bora-Hansgrohe Team which includes riders Marco Haller (Austria), Shane Archbold (New Zealand), Luis-Joe Luhrs (Germany), Jordi Meeus (Belgium), Maximilian Schachmann (Germany), and Giovanni Aleotti (Italy).

Italian Alberto Bettiol leads the EF Education-EasyPost Team from the US, one of the top of the 20 teams in the race, and Mikkel Honore (Denmark), Jens Keukeleire (Belgium), Sean Quinn (US), Jonas Rutch (Germany), Thomas Scully (NZ), and Lukasz Wisiniowski (Poland) are his teammates.

Maybe the team to beat is the Ineos Grenadiers, with elite riders like Ethan Hayter and Geraint Thomas. Brother Leo Hayter (UK), Kim Heiduk (Germany), Luke Plapp (Australia), Magnus Sheffield (USA), and Ben Swift (UK) will prove to be a hard team to beat in this season lid-lifter.

Australian Rohan Dennis, a previous TDU winner, and his Netherlands’ Jumbo-Visma team of Robert Gesink (Netherlands), Lennard Hofstede (Netherlands), Timo Roosen (Netherlands), Milan Vader (Netherlands), Timo Van Dijke (Netherlands), and Jos Van Emden (Netherlands) are threats.

We’re now only a few days out from the first Women’s WorldTour race of the 2023 season We got a teaser of who’s in form at Aussie Nats – Brodie for sure with Spratt looking very dangerous as well https://t.co/wTZE5lzdU5 — Mathew Mitchell (@MatMitchell30) January 12, 2023

Santos Tour Down Under Women’s Winners

• 2020— Ruth Winder, USA (Trek–Segafredo)
• 2019 —Amanda Pratt, Australia (Mitchelton–Scott)
• 2018 —Amanda Pratt, Australia (Mitchelton–Scott)
• 2017— Amanda Pratt, Australia (Orica–Scott)
• 2016— Katrin Garfoot, Australia (Orica-AIS)

The Australians have also done very well in the Women’s races of the Tour Down Under, although there have only been five of them since inception in 2016, with Aussies winning the first four years (2016-2019), so the handicapping angle here is simple. Aussies do very well racing in Australia.

Some of the stronger Women’s teams in the 2023 coming TDU are the American Trek-Segafredo Team with 3-time TDU winner Amanda Spratt and the Australian Jayco-Alula Team.

Along with Aussie sensation Spratt—likely the Women’s Tour Down Under betting odds favorite in the Cycling Futures market—the Trek-Segafredo Team also includes Lauretta Hanson (Australia), Brodie Chapman (Australia), Tayler Wiles (USA), Lisa Klein (Germany), and Ilaria Sanguinti (Italy).

And watch the American team EF Education-Tibco-SVB with Lauren Stephens (USA), Emma Langley (USA), Krista Doebel-Hickok (USA), Abigail Smith (UK), and Georgia Williams (NZ).

But for me, it’s Australian Spratt and the Trek-Segafredo Team or Australian Brown and FDJ-Suez in this opening race of the year.

An Aussie wins this race for the fourth time in six incarnations and makes both her home nation and American team proud in one fell swoop.

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Men’s Tour Down Under 2023 preview - Route, prediction and contenders

The 2023 men’s WorldTour calendar kicks off with a six-day stage race in Australia. Here’s all you need to know about the 23rd Santos Tour Down Under

Words: Rachel Jary

It’s been two long seasons since the men’s professional peloton blew off the cobwebs and opened the season on sunny Australian shores. In both 2021 and 2022, the Tour Down Under was cancelled due to restrictions following the Covid-19 pandemic, meaning the WorldTour calendar was without its flagship race in the southern hemisphere. However, in 2023, the Tour Down Under is finally back from January 17 to 22 and it boasts an exciting route as well as a stellar line-up.

After its two year hiatus, the organisers of the Tour Down Under have restarted proceedings with an event first: a city prologue around Adelaide’s central business district. A day later, road racing kicks off in stage one which looks like it should be an opportunity for the sprinters with almost 150 kilometres of racing on the flatlands of South Australia’s Barossa region. Stage two is a hillier affair to the coastal town of Victor Harbor, while stage three will see the riders take on an even more undulating 116 kilometres from Norwood to Campbelltown.

Although the race then passes through Willunga, there will be no inclusion of the race's famed Willunga Hill in 2023, with stage four looking like another chance for the sprinters. To close proceedings, we can expect fireworks on the fifth and final day as the riders skirt through the Adelaide Hills, including four ascents of the famous Mount Lofty climb. This could be where the general classification winner is decided.

Heading up a star-studded field so far are a couple of big name riders including the 2022 Giro d’Italia winner Jai Hindley (Bora-Hansgrohe), as well as local legend and former time trial world champion Rohan Dennis (Jumbo-Visma). Newly-crowned Australian national road race champion Luke Plapp (Ineos-Grenadiers) will want to do the green and gold bands proud on home roads, and we can also expect to see his teammate, Geraint Thomas, in the fight for the overall general classification. Sprinters such as Caleb Ewan (Lotto-Soudal) and Giacomo Nizzolo (Israel-Premier Tech) will hope to be at the pointy end of the flatter stages.

As we buckle up and get ready for the first showing of the men’s WorldTour in 2023, here is a full preview of the 2023 men’s Santos Tour Down Under.

Stage three

There are some big names who will be kicking off their season in Australia this year. Two former winners of the race have been confirmed to take part: Rohan Dennis (Jumbo-Visma) and Daryl Impey (Israel-Premier Tech).

Image: Getty 

Dennis may struggle on some of the steeper inclines, but he’s been known to perform well in shorter stage races, leading Paris-Nice for four stages last year. Impey will be supported by a strong line-up for Israel-Premier Tech who have a number of options for this race, including Tour de France stage winner Simon Clarke . However, they are a team with sprint ambitions too, bringing former-European champion Giacomo Nizzolo and up-and-coming talent Corbin Strong , so it will be interesting to see how they balance their ambitions for both the overall classification and stage wins.

One team we can expect to focus on the general classification is the Ineos Grenadiers. They boast a strong squad for this race including former Tour de France winner Geraint Thomas , Tour of Poland 2022 winner Ethan Hayter (who could also feature heavily in bunch sprints) and young talents like Australian national champion  Luke Plapp and the American prodigy,  Magnus Sheffield . With this line-up, it looks like the British squad will be one of the main protagonists in this year’s Tour Down Under and a key team to keep an eye on.

Image: Zac Williams/SWpix

Australian WorldTour team Jayco Alula (formerly Team BikeExchange-Jayco) will also want to have a strong showing in their home country. Michael Matthews is suited to a number of the stages in the Tour Down Under as a versatile rider who can sprint and get over short climbs, so we can expect him to go for stage wins. Simon Yates will likely be this team’s protected rider for the overall GC. 

Last year’s Giro d’Italia winner  Jai Hindley  will lead the Bora-Hansgrohe squad Down Under. He is a strong contender for victory overall and will be supported by seasoned puncheur   Max Schachmann .  Pello Bilbao  of Bahrain-Victorious finished fifth in the Giro d’Italia last year and could also be in for a chance at victory in Australia, as could AG2R Citroën Team’s  Ben O’Connor .

Finally, UAE Team Emirates are a squad which we can expect to be seeing plenty of at the front of the 2023 Tour Down Under. They bring one of 2022’s breakthrough riders Jay Vine who signed for the team following his two stage wins at the Vuelta a España last year. The Emirati team also has options with George Bennett and Marc Hirschi .

When it comes to the pure sprinters, Caleb Ewan will ride the race for the UniSA-Australia national team and will be hoping to open up his 2023 win tally early in the season after a lacklustre 2022 season. Gerben Thijssen of Intermarché-Circus-Wanty is another strong sprinter, as is Kaden Groves of Alpecin-Deceuninck and Bryan Coquard of Cofidis.

It’s always tough to make predictions for the first race of the season. Some riders will come into the race with flying form, whereas others will be using the Tour Down Under as a way to open up their legs for bigger goals later in the season. It’s for this reason that we’re going to bank on an Australian rider to take victory who will be especially motivated to win in front of a home crowd. We think Rohan Dennis will reign supreme for Jumbo-Visma and will take the second victory at the Tour Down Under in his illustrious career.

Cover image: Zac Williams/SWpix

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Tour Down Under 2023: Route, stages, and startlist guide

Taking a look at all the stages for both the men's and women's Australian race

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Key Information

Where: Adelaide, South Australia

When: 14 January (Schwalbe Classic men's and women's)

Women's TDU , 15-17 January Men's TDU , 17-22 January

Rank: UCI WorldTour (men's and women's)

Distance: 672 kilometres (men's) 293 kilometres (women's)

Returning to the WorldTour after a two-year absence, the Tour Down Under lifts the curtain on the WorldTour season once more. Multiple big name riders in both the men’s and women’s peloton will be heading to Australia for the stage-race including the recently crowned Australian national road champion Luke Plapp (Ineos Grenadiers) and Grace Brown (FDJ Suez). 

Both the men’s and women’s action will begin with the Schwalbe Classic, an evening criterium on Saturday 14 January. However the criterium will have no say in the overall general classification battle. 

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The men’s race will get underway on Tuesday 17 January with a 5.5 kilometre prologue, whereas the women’s race will begin the day after the criterium on Sunday 15 January with a flat 110.4 kilometre stage between Glenelg and Aldinga. 

Men's Tour Down Under: Stages, 17-22 January

Luke Plapp will be flying the flag for Australia at this years race

The route for the 2023 men's Tour Down Under has something for everyone. There will be plenty of action in the depths of the Adelaide hills as well as other fast and furious sprint stages which should make for an excellent opener to the WorldTour season. Bringing the race back without its famous Willunga Hill climb was always going to be a brave decision, although race director Stuart O'Grady explained when presenting the 2023 route that he believes it was important to bring some "fresh faces" into the Australian stage race. 

"I think it's important to bring some new, fresh places into the Tour Down Under,” O'Grady said. "I was brought in to bring in some new innovations, some new exciting parcours and also didn't want just the same old kind of stages where everybody knows exactly what's going to happen. The new final stage brings in a lot of excitement. It's a short stage, it's aggressive, it's more central to Adelaide, so I'm guessing more and more people will get there.”

Prologue: Adelaide - Adelaide, 5.5 km

The evening prologue on Tuesday 17 January follows a 5.5 kilometre course through the Adelaide Parks and past the Adelaide Oval cricket ground in what promises to be a fast and furious affair. Unusually, the riders will have to use their road race bikes due to logistical issues with bringing all of their equipment over to Australia for the race. It's also the first time a prologue has been incorporated into the race, with race organisers clearly hoping that Rohan Dennis (Jumbo-Visma), home favourite and time trial expert, can pull off the win and the early race lead.

Stage One: Tanunda - Tanunda, 149.9 km, Hilly

The first road stage of the 2023 men's race covers a 149.9 kilometre circuit around the city of Tanunda and and the Barossa wine area. It also features four smaller circuits which involve the Menglers Hill climb, making for a total of 2,050 metres of elevation gain. Menglers Hill isn't so challenging that the best sprinters in the world won't get over it, meaning that the likes of Caleb Ewan (Lotto-Dstny) could still be in contention towards the stage finale. 

Otherwise, a rider of the likes of Plapp could look to use the final climb with just 10 kilometres to go as a launch pad for a solo move to the finish. 

Stage Two: Brighton - Victor Harbour, 154.8 km, Hilly

The longest stage of this year's edition, stage two from Brighton to Victor Harbour is all about the coast. Riders will get to enjoy the spectacular coastline for the first portion of the route before things ramp up in the stage climax. 

The final 60 kilometres involve two challenging, categorised ascents although the flat run in could also mean a day for the sprinters once more. In 2020, Giacomo Nizzolo (Israel-Premier Tech) grabbed the victory. Ewan will be another name to watch or a rider like EF Education-EasyPost's Alberto Bettiol. The Italian can more than hold his own on short, punchy climbs and packs a devilish fast finish.

Stage Three: Norwood - Campbell Town, 116.8 km, Hilly

Stage three to Campbelltown is short but will pack a mean punch with three of Adelaide's toughest hills roped into the equation. Norton Summit, Checkers Hill and Corkscrew Road are all on the menu, providing plenty of staging posts for the high profile overall contenders to make their moves. Corkscrew Road features challenging pitches of 6.8% average gradient, with one section ramping up to more than 9%. Perhaps homegrown hero and Giro d'Italia winner Jai Hindley (Bora-Hansgrohe) will look to test his early season form on the hills of Adelaide.  

Stage Four: Port Willunga - Willunga Township, 133.2 km, Flat

Normally on a stage in and around Willunga, you would expect the infamous Willunga Hill to feature somewhere in the route but this year's race misses out the legendary climb. Stage four gets underway overlooking the beach and ends in Willunga Township after 133 kilometres of mainly rolling, undulating roads. Stage four is definitely a day for the sprinters once more before the race reaches its finale on Mount Lofty the day after. 

Stage Five: Unley - Mount Lofty, 122.5 km, Hilly

Stage five to Mount Lofty will make for a spectacular finish to the 2023 edition of the race. The stage is just 112.5 kilometres long but features five ascents of Mount Lofty, which is almost certainly going to provide drama on the races final day in the heart of the Adelaide Hills. All four ascents of the devilish climb will make for more than 3,000 metres of climbing. The whole climb is 2.6 kilometres long with an average gradient of 7%. At two and then one kilometre to go there are two much more severe, steeper sections which is where the GC favourites will be expected to attack. Many talented climbers feature on the expected start list which should make for a thrilling and aggressive stage five to end the race. 

WOMEN'S TOUR DOWN UNDER: STAGES, 15-17 JANUARY

FDJ-Suez's Grace Brown will be a strong favourite for the women's race

Stage One: Glenelg - Aldinga, 110.4 km, Flat

The opening day of the women's race is a relatively flat affair along the South Australian coastline. 

With just one categorised climb on the menu, the category four Chaffey's climb, it promises to be a fast run into the finish which could provide an opportunity for the likes of Grace Brown (FDJ-Suez) to start as they mean to go on, with an opening day stage victory. 

Stage Two: Birdwood to Uraidla, 90 km, Hilly 

Stage two will be a punchy affair through the Adelaide hills, a reverse of the route taken in stage five of the men's race. The women will ascend the back of the Mount Lofty climb which is certainly set to cause some major splits in the bunch. 

If after day one Brown has taken an early lead in the GC, she will have to be well on her guard to prevent climbing experts like Brodie Chapman (Trek-Segafredo) from wrestling the overall lead from her grasp. 

Stage Three: Adelaide - Campbelltown, 93.2 km, Hilly

The grand finale for this year's women's Tour Down Under will be one for the climbers with more than 1,500 metres of elevation on offer. 

Corkscrew Road - one of the toughest climbs in the Adelaide hills - will play a starring role on the races final day and will more than likely cause some major splits. 

With sections of up to 24.4% gradients, the Corkscrew will provide a menacing test and potentially the perfect setting for the overall leader to launch an attack, and claim a final day stage win to cement their advantage. 

MEN'S START LIST

 Jayco-AIUla

Michael Matthews  (AUS) Simon Yates (GBR) Luke Durbridge (AUS) Lucas Hamilton (AUS) Michael Hepburn (AUS) Chris Harper (AUS) Campbell Stewart (NZA)

AG2R-Citroën

Ben O'Connor (AUS) Alex Baudin (FRA) Dorian Godon (FRA) Paul Lapeira (FRA) Nans Peters (FRA) Michael Schar (SWI) Damian Touze (FRA)

Arkéa-Samsic

Ewen Costiou (FRA) Mathis Le Berre (FRA) Elie Gesbert (FRA) Hugo Hofstetter (FRA) Kevin Ledanois (FRA) Łukasz Owsian (POL) Alessandro Verre (ITA

Astana Qazaqstan

Luis Leon Sanchez (SPA) Manuele Boaro (ITA) Leonardo Basso (ITA) Fabio Felline (ITA) Dmitriy Gruzdev (KAZ) Martin Laas (EST) Gianni Moscon (ITA)

Bahrain-Victorious

Pello Bilbao (SPA) Nikias Arndt (GER) Kamil Gradek (POL) Hermann Pernsteiner (AU) Cameron Scott (AUS) Jasha Sutterlin (GER)

Trek-Segafredo

Tony Gallopin (FRA) Filippo Baroncini (ITA) Marc Brustenga (SPA) Asbjorn Hellemose (DEN) Emils Liepins (LAT) Natnael Tesfazion (ERI) Antonio Tiberi (ITA)

Bryan Coquard (FRA) Francois Bidard (FRA) Davide Cimolai (ITA) Wesley Kreder (NED) Victor Lafay (FRA) Alexis Renard (FRA) Harrison Wood (FRA)

Soudal Quick-Step

Mattia Cattaneo (ITA) Josef Cerny (CZA) Dries Devenyns (BEL) James Knox (GBR) Mauro Schmid (SWI) Jannik Steimle (GER) Martin Svrcek (CZA)

Alpecin-Deceuninck

Kaden Groves (AUS) Jenson Plowright (AUS) Robert Stannard (AUS) Samuel Gayze (NZA) Senne Leysen (BEL) Oscar Riesebeek (NED) Michael Gogl (AUS)

Groupama-FDJ

Michael Storer (AUS) Miles Scotson (AUS) Lorenzo Germani (ITA) Reuben Thompson (NZA) Laurence Pithie (NZA) Paul Penhoet (FRA) Rudy Molard (FRA)

Ineos Grenadiers

Geraint Thomas (GBR) Ethan Hayter (GBR) Kim Heiduk (GER) Luke Plapp (AUS) Magnus Sheffield (USA) Ben Swift (GBR)

Intermarche-Circus-Wanty

Sven Erik Bystøom (NOR) Julius Johansen (DEN) Hugo Page (FRA) Gerben Thijssen (BEL) Taco van der Hoorn (NED) Boy Van Poppel (NED) Dion Smith (NZA)

Jumbo-Visma

Rohan Dennis (AUS) Robert Gesink (NED) Lennard Hofstede (NED) Timo Roosen (NED) Milan Vader (NED) Timo van Dijke (NED) Jos van Emden (NED)

Gorka Izaguirre (SPA) Imanol Erviti (SPA) Johan Jacobs (SWI) Oscar Rodriguez (SPA) Ivan Romeo (SPA) Sergio Samitier (SPA) Luis Guillermo Mas (SPA)

Chris Hamilton (AUS) Matt Dinham (AUS) Patrick Bevin (NZA) Romain Combaud (FRA) Tim Naberman (NED) Marius Mayrhofer (GER) Martijn Tusveld (NED)

UAE Team Emirates

Jay Vine (AUS) George Bennett (NZA) Marc Hirschi (SWI) Sjoerd Bax (NED) Alessandro Covi (ITA) Michael Vink (NZA) Finn Fisher-Black (NZA)

EF Education-EasyPost Alberto Bettiol (ITA) Mikkel Honoré (DEN) Jens Keukeleire (BEL) Sean Quinn (USA) Jonas Rutsch (GER) Thomas Scully (NZA) Lukasz Wisniowski (POL)

Bora-Hansgrohe

Jai Hindley (AUS) Marco Haller (AUS) Shane Archbold (NZA) Luis-Joe Luhrs (GER) Jordi Meeus (BEL) Max Schachmann (GER) Giovanni Aleotti (ITA)

Israel Premier-Tech

Chris Froome (GBR) Daryl Impey (RZA) Simon Clarke (AUS) Corbin Strong (NZA) Taj Jones (AUS) Sebastian Berwick (AUS) Derek Gee (CAN)

Australian National Team

Caleb Ewan (AUS) Jarrad Drizners (AUS) Graeme Frislie (AUS) Connor Leahy (AUS) Zac Marriage (AUS) James Moriarty (AUS) Liam Walsh (AUS)

WOMEN'S START LIST

Jayco- AIUla Ruby Roseman-Gannon (AUS) Alex Manly (AUS) Amber Pate (AUS) Georgia Baker (AUS) Georgia Howe (AUS) Jessica Allen (AUS)

Amanda Spratt (AUS) Lauretta Hanson (AUS) Brodie Chapman (AUS) Tayler Wiles (USA) Lisa Klein (GER) Ilaria Sanguineti (ITA)

Grace Brown (AUS) Loes Adegeest (NED) Clara Copponi (FRA) Eugenie Duval (FRA) Victorie Guilman (FRA) Gladys Verhulst (FRA)

Human Powered Health

Lily Williams (USA) Daria Pikulik (POL) Antri Christoforou (GRE) Kaia Schmid (USA) Henrietta Christie (NZA) Nina Buijsman (NED)

Israel Premier Tech Roland

Caroline Baur (SWI) Silvia Magri (ITA) Mia Griffin (IRE) Thi That N'Guyen (VIE) Claire Steels (GBR) Elena Pirrone (ITA)

EF Education-Tibco-SVB

Lauren Stephens (USA) Emma Langley (USA) Krista Doebel-Hickok (USA) Abigail Smith (GBR) Georgia Williams (NZA)

COOP-Hitec Products

Mari Mohr (NOR) Josie Nelson (GBR) Tiril Jorgenson (NOR) Sylvia Swinkels (NED) Kerry Jonker (RZA) Georgia Danford (NZA)

ZAAF Cycling

Danielle De Francesco (AUS) Elizabeth Stannard (AUS) Nikola Noskova (CZA) Michaela Drummond (NZA) Debora Silvestri (ITA) Maggie Coles-Lyster (CAN)

ARA Skip Capital

Sophie Edwards (AUS) Chloe Moran (AUS) Isabelle Carnes (AUS) Alex Martin-Wallace (AUS) Georgia Whitehouse (AUS) Rachael Wales (AUS)

Emily Watts (AUS) Gina Ricardo (AUS) Jessica Pratt (AUS) Keely Bennett (AUS) Lillee Pollock (AUS) Mia Hayden (AUS)

Nicole Frain (AUS) Rachel Neylan (AUS) Josie Talbot (AUS) Anya Louw (AUS) Haylee Fuller (AUS) Alli Anderson (AUS)

New Zealand National Team

Ally Wollaston (NZA) Bryony Botha (NZA) Ella Wyllie (NZA) Prudence Fowler (NZA) Rylee McMullen (NZA) Annamarie Lipp (NZA)

St Michel - Mavic

Roxane Fournier (FRA) Coralie Demay (FRA) Simone Boilard (CAN) Dilyxine Miermont (FRA) Sandrine Bideau (FRA) Camille Fahy (FRA)

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Tom has been writing for Cycling Weekly since 2022 and his news stories, rider interviews and features appear both online and in the magazine. 

Since joining the team, he has reported from some of professional cycling's biggest races and events including the Tour de France and the World Championships in Glasgow. He has also covered races elsewhere across the world. 

As well as on the ground reporting, Tom writes race reports from the men's and women's WorldTour and helps with coverage of UK domestic cycling. 

Stacked field set for action in Saltburn over 19-23 June

By Adam Becket Published 10 June 24

The fourth edition of the race will begin in Brittany

‘I have no memory of the crash’ says Rudy Molard of Groupama FDJ after incident in Australia

By Tom Thewlis Published 26 January 24

Frenchman will focus on the Classics and then the Giro d'Italia in his contract year at Quick-Step

By Adam Becket Published 23 January 24

Stevie Williams’ victory at the Tour Down Under was just the latest breakthrough ride by a Briton, although there might not be a home UCI stage race to perform at soon

Scot finishes fourth, Mexican second, as breakthrough weeks end in dismay

By Adam Becket Published 21 January 24

The 27-year-old from Aberystwyth conquered Mount Lofty on Sunday to take overall victory in Australia, his first WorldTour GC win

The 27-year-old leads the Australian race on count-back, and is hoping to triumph overall on Sunday

By Adam Becket Published 20 January 24

The 21-year-old Scot has shown his potential before, but a first win, at WorldTour level too, proved it

Two climbing stages follow four days of largely flat racing in South Australia, so the weekend will decide the race

By Adam Becket Published 19 January 24

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Jorgenson and INEOS Crack Roglič | Critérium du Dauphiné Stage 8 2024

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Santos Tour Down Under 2023 Preview

WorldTour Cycling is finally back in 2023 with the Santos Tour Down Under, starting with a prologue on 17th January. Due to the Covid pandemic, the race was cancelled in the previous two years and it returns with a changed parcours, without the famous Willunga Hill finish or indeed Richie Porte. This Tour Down Under is suited for versatile sprinters like Michael Matthews, Ethan Hayter and Corbin Strong and offers many hilly stages.

Provisional Start List

Data powered by FirstCycling.com

The race will start with a short and explosive 5.5 kilometre prologue in the streets of Adelaide, ridden on road bikes. The start list includes strong time-trial specialists Magnus Sheffield, Rohan Dennis, Ethan Hayter, Luke Plapp and Geraint Thomas but prologues also suit strong sprinters and it would not be a surprise if a Micheal Matthews or Kaden Groves type rider would fight for the highest places.

The route goes along the Torrens River. There is more than one sharp corner per kilometre, so road bike cornering skills might decide the winner as every second will be important.

The first road stage will be a hilly one including five ascents of Menglers Hill (4.5 km, 3.7%) which is similar to the Poggio from Milano-Sanremo. It might be too hard for pure sprinters as Michael Matthews and Jayco-AlUla will be interested in dropping Caleb Ewan, Kaden Groves, Phil Bauhaus, Jensen Plowright and other sprinters. From the remaining fast finishers, Ethan Hayter and Corbin Strong are good climbers. Ewan looked strong in the hilly Australian Championships and also might survive as the gradients are not too steep and drafting will be important. In this Tour Down Under he will ride for the Australian National Team as Lotto-Soudal are not participating, however Ewan has his trade teammate Jarrad Drizners accompanying him for leadouts.

The following stage will be another Michael Matthews day. 22 kilometres before the finish there is the Nettle hill (2 km, 7.8%), which might be decisive as the drafting benefit on 8% gradient is reduced compared to the shallower climbs that feature in Stage 1. There are almost 2000 metres of climbing and not every sprinter will survive until the finish line.

There is no Willunga Hill in this year’s race, perhaps in honour of the king of Willunga Hill Richie Porte, who retired in 2022. Stage 3 might be the decisive GC day as it includes the hardest hill of the race, Corkscrew Road.

Corkscrew is 2.4 kilometres long averaging 8.9%, however the middle is the steepest with a 15.1% section for 500 metres. With minimal drafting it will be a perfect spot for climbers like Jay Vine, Ben O’Connor, Simon Yates, Pello Bilbao, Jai Hindley to attack and try to drop Matthews, Hayter who will likely have earned bonus seconds in the sprint stages.

After the Corkscrew there is a shallow six kilometre descent where it will be possible for dropped riders to gain back the lost time and difficult for lightweight climbers to stay away. Matthews looked strong in the Australian Championships and if he is anywhere close to his Tour de France Mende stage level he might win this stage.

The Corkscrew has been included in 2014, 2016 and 2019 Tour Down Under editions with the same finish. In 2019 Daryl Impey won a sprint from a 20-man group beating Patrick Bevin and Luis Leon Sanchez, with the South African former GC winner of the race recently announcing this will be his last year in the pro peloton. In 2016 Simon Gerrans won from a 10-man group but in 2014 Cadel Evans was strong enough to get a gap on Corkscrew and win with a 15 second advantage over a 12-man group that finished after him. With so many strong puncheurs on the startlist and fit sprinters, the 2016 and 2019 scenarios with a 10-20 man big bunch sprint is very likely.

This might be the easiest overall stage in the race. Despite the stage finishing in Willunga it does not include the famous Willunga Hill. The final kilometre averages 3.2% and should be perfect for Matthews, Groves, Hayter, Strong type sprinters although Caleb Ewan should also be able to contest for the victory after an easier stage.

The final stage will be short but with lots of climbing as the road goes up and down for the whole 114 kilometres, an early season light version of the Basque Country final stage. Despite the climbs not having severe gradients, there will be 2222 metres of climbing, which is a lot for such a short stage.

The stage finishes up Mount Lofty (1.5 km, 6.5%) and the hard part is in the final third, however it does not appear sufficiently difficult to generate big differences in the GC. Ethan Hayter in Vuelta a Andalucia 2021 won Stage 2 which finished up Alcalá la Real (1 km, 11.5%), a much harder climb with a cobble section. Corbin Strong won an uphill finish in the Tour of Britain 2022 up the Gleenshe Ski Centre beating strong puncheurs like Omar Fraile, Tobias Haaland Johannesen, Gonzalo Serrano, Tom Pidcock and Dylan Teuns, however the stage before the climb was not as hard.

As the race is in Australia, the finishes of road stages will be around 5-6 AM (CET) when most people are sleeping in Europe.

Europeans, ready to wake up early for #TourDownUnder ? 😴 Here are your finish ETA conversions: ACDT/CET 17/1 Prologue: 8:30 pm/ 11 am 18/1 S1: 3:18 pm / 5:48 am 19/1 S2: 3:36 pm / 6:06 am 20/1 S3: 2:35 pm / 5:05 am 21/1 S4: 2:51 pm / 5:21 am 22/1 S5: 2:29 pm / 4:59 am 📷Cor Vos pic.twitter.com/eUTLz7Jjsg — Lanterne Rouge (@LanterneRougeCP) January 13, 2023

There are two big GC favourites according to the bookmakers. Ethan Hayter and Michael Matthews who both have around a 20-25% chance to win according to the implied odds. The reason why they are the favourites is clear. The prologue suits them more than the climbers and either of them might win it. Then there are the available bonus seconds at every stage and both Matthews and Hayter are very likely to finish in Top 3 in at least one of them. Even when the finish on Willunga Hill was included Richie Porte did not win GC on every occasion because of bonus seconds gained in sprint stages by riders like Daryl Impey and Simon Gerrans. The Corkscrew is even harder due to its steeper gradients than Willunga Hill but the remaining six kilometres after it might have a big influence on the GC, as the best climbers will need to cooperate to gain as much time as possible if Michael Matthews is dropped, which is unlikely. Matthews even has Simon Yates and Chris Harper as teammates which might be useful on Corkscrew and after it.

Despite not winning the Australian Championships, Matthews looked very good despite recently travelling from Europe. Strong climbers like Luke Plapp, Ben O’Connor and Jay Vine are also in good shape but the course might be too easy for them to gain back crucial seconds against faster guys who will mop up bonus seconds. Magnus Sheffield, Rohan Dennis, Simon Yates, Pello Bilbao, Maximialian Schachmann, Patrick Bevin, Alberto Bettiol, Corbin Strong, Mauro Schmid are other riders who might show something in GC.

It will be interesting to see how many young riders will perform. Laurence Pithie, Finn Fisher-Black, Leo Hayter, Reuben Thompson, Jensen Plowright, Antonio Tiberi and Paul Penhoet are all 22 years old or younger and many of them will debut at World-Tour level here. For Fisher Black, this will be his first race after his horrific crash in Boucles de la Mayenne in May last year. Fisher-Black showed a promising performance in UAE’s December training camp, where he lost only 18 seconds to Tadej Pogačar up Vall d’Ebo test after already doing three hours of riding.

My prediction is that Matthews will win the race overall due to bonus seconds and the prologue – not an original pick as he is practically the favourite to win but sometimes you have to go with the obvious choice. Matthews had great legs in the Australian Championships, has a strong team with Simon Yates, Luke Durbridge, Lucas Hamilton, Chris Harper, Michael Hepburn and Campbell Stewart and the parcours is perfect for him.

Kārlis Ozols (@CyclingGraphs)

Nice write up!

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Your guide to the 2023 Santos Tour Down Under Mens Stages

• Blog articles

Your guide to the 2023 Santos Tour Down Under Men’s Stages

Stages in detail.

Australia’s greatest cycling race is back to launch the international cycling season – and you’re invited to share every epic moment. Race director Stuart O’Grady OAM has waited three years to deliver these men’s stages. They celebrate South Australia at its best, taking the peloton from world-famous wine country to the dazzling Port Willunga beach and the summit of Mount Lofty. One thing is for sure: there’s work ahead for those ready to make their mark.   

Definitive elements of the race  

Stages for the fans   O’Grady has designed a race that takes fans to the heart of the action. Spend a summer evening at the prologue. Watch the pros tackle five laps around Tanunda on stage one. Get a group together for a day at McLaren Vale wineries Penny’s Hill or d’Arenberg on stage four – or line Mount Lofty Summit Road on stage five (O’Grady’s answer to the famed Cauberg climb from the Amstel Gold Race). Bring your cowbell – it’s time to make some noise.  

efex Prologue We’re starting the Santos Tour Down Under like never before. Gather beside the Torrens in Adelaide’s centre for a prologue that promises fast, technical racing – plus a chance for GC contenders to exert their influence early.   

Port Willunga features Port Willunga is the stuff summer dreams are made of: sparkling turquoise water, an atmospheric old jetty and shipwreck, plus a world-class restaurant overlooking it all. There’s good reason it frequently makes the list of top national beaches. This South Australian paradise will host the start of stage four, with riders to travel through McLaren Vale’s lauded vineyards before finishing on the main street of Willunga.   

Lofty finish   A formidable new ascent looms on the race’s final stage. Mount Lofty is Adelaide’s highest point: a fitting scene for the battle ahead. It’s the first time this iconic climb has been part of the Santos Tour Down Under, and there will be ample opportunity to watch the world’s best as they slog it out to the KOM point in front of Mount Lofty House near Mawson Road. They’ll pass this point twice: at 33.8 and 86.8km.  

SCHWALBE CLASSIC

This curtain-raiser always sets the scene for a great week of racing. Success here doesn’t count towards standings in the Santos Tour Down Under, but good form in central Adelaide always indicates the riders who mean business.  

In 2023 the Classic will start and finish in Flinders Street, skirting the Tour Village in Victoria Square/Tarntanyangga, continuing down Wakefield Street and along a section of Pulteney Street before a left turn back on to Flinders. Prime sprints will take place at 15, 30 and 45 minutes into racing. O’Grady describes it as a simple, fast circuit – one set to deliver all the excitement of international cycling once again.   

efex PROLOGUE

At a glance   The best way to welcome back Australia’s greatest cycling race? A city prologue. It’s an event first – one sure to test the peloton. The 5.5-kilometre Adelaide Riverbank route begins on the footbridge and finishes near the Elder Park Rotunda, with tight turns and a dive-bomb descent in the mix. Will local legend, Olympic bronze medallist and former world time trial champion Rohan Dennis take victory? Anything is possible as greatness returns.  

Up close   Our time trial will be ridden on road bikes and is the first Santos Tour Down Under men’s stage for 2023. Action will unfold from 6pm until about 8:30pm and is sure to be fast and exciting. The prologue format means fans can settle in and cheer each rider on as they tackle the course – War Memorial Drive, MacKinnon Parade, Bundeys Road and Victoria Drive feature.  

Ochre and sprint jerseys will be presented on the night, while the race’s first king of the mountains winner will be awarded after stage one. Maximum elevation for the prologue route is 45 metres, with 57 metres of climbing in total. It’s man versus clock in this all-out effort.  

The finish   Gather beside the Elder Park Rotunda to see the world’s best get to work. It promises to be an unforgettable evening – views across the Torrens to Adelaide Oval, a summer sunset and the cityscape surrounding it. Australia’s greatest cycling race is back.  

ZIPTRAK STAGE ONE : TANUNDA TO TANUNDA

At a glance   The open road awaits. Tanunda – in South Australia’s beautiful Barossa region – will host both the start and finish of stage one. At just over 150 kilometres of racing it’s the second-longest stage in the 2023 Santos Tour Down Under and a chance for sprinters to shine. Nuriootpa, Angaston, Bethany and Greenock will all welcome the peloton. A section of this stage also appeared in the 2021 Santos Festival of Cycling men’s race, where Luke Durbridge took victory with an 80-kilometre solo break on day one. Fans are invited to settle in for the spectacle – come and spend a day in world-famous wine country.   

Sprints   Big bunch sprints are on the cards as the men get out of town. Both intermediate sprints will take place across the line in Tanunda – look for the peloton pushing through at the 45.6km and 97.8km marks. The peloton will pass through Tanunda four times in total before the stage finish.     

Climbs   Get ready for four ascents of Menglers Hill – a category four climb found east of Tanunda – with those at 58.2km and 110.4km offering points in the king of the mountains classification. We’ll see a maximum elevation of 502 metres and 2053 metres of climbing.  

Finish   The world’s best cyclists will travel through Bethany on Barossa Valley Way before turning right and storming to the line in Murray Street. Tanunda has hosted nine finishes since the Santos Tour Down Under began – but never before from this direction.    

OAKLEY STAGE TWO: BRIGHTON TO VICTOR HARBOR

At a glance Stage two is all about the coast. It will start in beachside Brighton – another event first – and trace the esplanade before a sprint at Aldinga’s Snapper Point. Look for the peloton crossing Myponga dam wall and sprinting through Yankalilla before descending into Victor Harbor for a big finish. At 155.9km this is the longest of the Santos Tour Down Under’s five road stages. It’s set to be pivotal.      Sprints   The day’s first sprint is due to take place 33.6km into the stage at Snapper Point. From there the peloton will continue along the esplanade, taking a left on to Norman Road before following Main South Road through to Yankalilla. This charming Fleurieu Peninsula town will host the second intermediate sprint for the day – 71.7km into the stage.   

Climbs   There’s 2401 metres of climbing on stage two, with the first KOM set for Parawa Hill at the 87.2km mark. It’s a category two ascent. The second KOM, taking place at Nettle Hill Road – 133.9km into racing – is a brutal category one. Those with good legs over this short, difficult climb will be well positioned for the final 15km push to Victor Harbor. Climbers and all-rounders may well seize it as the launchpad for a late attack.   

Finish   Action will culminate at the intersection of Albert Place and the Esplanade in Victor Harbor. We’ve seen blistering sprints to the line here before – who will have what it takes at the first UCI WorldTour event of the year?  

HAHN STAGE THREE: NORWOOD TO CAMPBELLTOWN

At a glance   This one is going to hurt. The peloton will start in Norwood and tackle three of Adelaide’s toughest ascents, navigating Norton Summit, Checkers Hill and Corkscrew Road before finishing in Campbelltown. Those with an eye on overall victory – and strength in the mountains – will be in the mix here. This stage also features race director Stuart O’Grady’s favourite spot to ride in South Australia: beautiful Basket Range Road in the Adelaide Hills.   

Sprints The stage’s two sprints will take place through Lobethal – 29 kilometres into racing – and then at the 64-kilometre mark in Williamstown. They will follow the Ashton climb and are slotted in before the day’s remaining two ascents. As the legendary Jens Voigt would say: shut up legs!    

Climbs   King of the mountains will be a fitting title for the rider who prevails on this gruelling stage. First comes the category two Ashton climb – just 9.6km into the route – followed by two consecutive category one ascents: Checker Hill at 82.2km, then a fast descent into the notorious Corkscrew Road at 111km. An attack on this final climb could offer the dual rewards of stage win and overall lead. Total elevation for the day is 555 metres, with 2447 metres of climbing.   

Finish   Tight, fast turns down Montacute Road are in store after riders complete the Corkscrew Road climb. Once over the summit it’s about six and a half kilometres to the finish line in Campbelltown. This is the same stretch of road where Australian cycling legend Cadel Evans broke away in 2014, averaging 49 km/h on the descent to triumphantly take the stage win.     

THINK! ROAD SAFETY STAGE FOUR: PORT WILLUNGA - WILLUNGA TOWNSHIP

At a glance   We’re off to Willunga on this penultimate stage – but not as you know it. Get ready for a stage start at Port Willunga: a beach rated among Australia’s very best. And rather than ascending the slopes of Willunga Hill as in years past, the peloton will tackle a 135-kilometre stage set to take in McLaren Vale, celebrated wineries including d’Arenberg and Penny’s Hill, and the township of Willunga (there it is again!). The scene is set for a blistering sprint finish.       Sprints Stage four of the men’s race is another chance for the sprinters to step up. It’s also one that offers great viewing opportunities, including start and finish locations within easy reach of each other. Both of the day’s sprints will take place at Aldinga’s Snapper Point (also the site of sprints during stage two). The first will come with 69.5km of racing complete, with the second at 110.4km.   

Climbs Climbing isn’t a significant feature of this stage, with its two KOM ascents to take place in the township of Willunga. They will occur at 51.4km and 92.3km into the stage respectively, with total elevation for the day 197 metres and 1436 metres of climbing.   

Finish   The day’s finish is set to be another first for the Santos Tour Down Under. Never before have riders completed a stage on the main street of Willunga township, instead ascending Willunga Hill in years past. This time they’ll tackle a slightly uphill push to the line, a technical approach that demands aggression and exceptional bike handling skills.   

SCHWALBE STAGE FIVE: UNLEY - MOUNT LOFTY

At a glance The formidable Mount Lofty will make its first Santos Tour Down Under appearance on this final day of racing. O’Grady has kept the ascent in mind since taking on race director responsibilities. Now the time has come. Riders will leave from the inner-south suburb of Unley and travel up the old freeway, with the end of race neutral set to come at the notorious Devil’s Elbow. Next up: four passes of 25-kilometre loop through the Adelaide Hills – Summertown, Uraidla, Carey Gully, Bridgewater, Aldgate, Stirling and Crafers all feature.  

Get out on Mount Lofty Summit Road to cheer the peloton up a long, Euro-style climb – or be there atop the mountain waiting to see who has what it takes. At 112.5 kilometres this decider is set to be short, sharp and furious. We can’t wait.  

Sprints   It’s going to be a tough day in the saddle for sprinters. The stage’s two intermediate sprints will take place along Greenhill Road in Uraidla at 15.3 and 67km respectively. Riders will remain on this road as it travels south-east towards Carey Gully.  

Climbs The stage has only one – but it will be climbed four times. You’ll find the KOM mark in front of Mount Lofty House, close to the lush Mount Lofty Botanic Gardens. Points will be on offer at 33.6 and 85.3km into racing, with each pass potentially influential in overall standings. O’Grady designed this finale to create an aggressive race, but those going for victory will also have to play a very tactical game. Anything could happen on this short, difficult stage.  

Finish   The stage winner will be decided high on Mount Lofty Summit Road, just before the lookout turnoff. Gather here to watch the triumphant victor celebrate, and to discover who will claim ochre for 2023. It promises to be a moment to remember – an emphatic start to the new UCI WorldTour season.   

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Tour Down Under (TDU) 2024 will be held 16-21 january 2024.

Tour Down Under 2024 - Overall Winner

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Tour Down Under 2023

6 stages • 17-01-2023 -> 22-01-2023.

Frolich Honoré, Mikkel

Matthews, michael, sheffield, magnus, uae team emirates.

River Torrens / Karrawirra Parri (Adelaide) (AUS) -> River Torrens / Karrawirra Parri (Adelaide) (AUS)

17-01-2023 • 5.5 kms

Murray Street (Tanunda) (AUS) -> Murray Street (Tanunda) (AUS)

18-01-2023 • 149.9 kms

Brighton (AUS) -> Victor Harbor (AUS)

19-01-2023 • 154.8 kms

Norwood (AUS) -> Campbelltown (AUS)

20-01-2023 • 116.8 kms

Port Willunga (AUS) -> Willunga Township (AUS)

21-01-2023 • 133.2 kms

Unley (AUS) -> Mount Loffy (AUS)

22-01-2023 • 112.5 kms

AG2R Citroen Team

Astana qazaqstan team, soudal - quick step, groupama - fdj, bahrain - victorious, movistar team, jayco alula, ef education - easypost, dsm-firmenich, jumbo - visma, ineos grenadiers, lidl - trek, bora - hansgrohe, arkéa - samsic, intermarché - circus - wanty, alpecin - deceuninck, israel - premier tech, when it began to dispute this race.

The first time was in the year 1999 and this edition is number 23

How many kilometers are covered? And stages?

679 kms are covered in a total of 6 stage/s

What day begins? How long does it last?

It starts on 17-01-2023 in Adelaide and ends on 22-01-2023 in Mt. Loffy

How many teams and cyclists participate?

A total of 139 cyclists and 20 teams . Click on this link to see more

What UCI category does this race have?

UCI World Tour (Various stages) 2.UWT

What company or organizer manages it?

Government of South Australia

Information

Related races.

Tour Down Under 2019

AUS • 15-01-2019 -> 20-01-2019

Tour Down Under 2020

AUS • 21-01-2020 -> 26-01-2020

Tour Down Under 2023: The Route

The UCI World Tour kicks into gear with a flat prologue of 5.5 kilometres in the streets of Adelaide before the 1st stage is likely to see a sprint finish in Tanunda. Stage 2 takes in two climbs – the first of which measures 2.5 kilometres at 6.8% – inside the last 20 kilometres.

Stage 3 features 2,442 vertical metres in just 118.5 kilometres. The renowned Corkscrew climb – 2.3 kilometres at 9.2% – marks the finale before a technical downhill finish into Campbelltown. It’s back to the fast men on stage 4 , while Tour Down Under is to be decided on the final day of action. Starting in Unley and finishing on Mount Lofty, stage 5 takes in an elevation gain of 3,131 metres and a punchy uphill finish.

Tour Down Under 2023: routes, profiles, more

Click on the images to zoom

The Tour Down Under is (Finally!) Back for 2023—Here’s How to Watch

The 2023 pro cycling road racing season officially kicks off with the return of the Tour Down Under, and we’re ready.

What is even more exciting is that the women’s race, even though only three stages to the men’s five stages plus a prologue , will be part of the UCI WorldTour for the first time, making the Tour Down Under women’s race the first UCI Women’s WorldTour stage race in the southern hemisphere. Like, ever.

The women’s and men's races both unofficially kick off with a race before the race, when the riders line up for the curtain-raising circuit race on January 14th.

When is the 2023 Santos Tour Down Under happening?

The women's race runs from January 15-17 followed by the men’s race on January 17-22, 2023.

What are the women's stages like?

The women's teams racing in this year's Tour Down Under are:

EF EDUCATION - TIBCO - SVB (United States)

TREK - SEGAFREDO (United States)

ISRAEL PREMIER TECH ROLAND (Switzerland)

HUMAN POWERED HEALTH (United States)

TEAM JAYCO - ALULA (Australia)

FDJ-SUEZ (France)

ST MICHEL - MAVIC (France)

NEW ZEALAND NATIONAL TEAM

AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL TEAM

TEAM BRIDGELANE (Australia)

ARA SKIP CAPITAL (Australia)

ZAAF CYCLING TEAM (Spain)

TEAM COOP - HITEC PRODUCTS (Norway)

What are the men's stages like?

The men's teams rolling up to the line are:

ALPECIN-DECEUNINCK (Belgium)

COFIDIS (France)

ASTANA QAZAQSTAN TEAM (Kazakhstan)

AG2R CITROEN TEAM (France)

BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS (Bahrain)

SOUDAL QUICK-STEP (Belgium)

GROUPAMA - FDJ (France)

INEOS GRENADIERS (United Kingdom)

INTERMARCHE - CIRCUS - WANTY (Belgium)

JUMBO-VISMA (Netherlands)

MOVISTAR TEAM (Spain)

TEAM DSM (Netherlands)

UAE TEAM EMIRATES (United Arab Emirates)

TEAM ARKÉA-SAMSIC (France)

EF EDUCATION-EASYPOST (United States)

BORA-HANSGROHE (Germany)

ISRAEL-PREMIER TECH (Israel)

AUS COMPOSITE TEAM (Australia)

Where can I watch it?

The Tour Down Under will be available for streaming on Peacock , FloBikes and on Global Cycling Network with a subscription to GCN+ .

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• Tour de France
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• La Vuelta ciclista a España
• World Championships
• Amstel Gold Race
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Tour Down Under Men Route, Stages and Results 2023

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Bettiol prevails in a wet prologue at the Tour Down Under - Live coverage

All the action from the 5.5km WorldTour opener around Adelaide

Tour Down Under results and news Tour Down Under preview How to watch the Tour Down Under – live streaming Aero tucks and marginal gains to make a difference in Tour Down Under prologue

Hello and welcome to our live coverage from the first WorldTour race day of the 2023 season at the Tour Down Under!

The first rider is already off in Adelaide!

James Moriarty, riding for the Australian national team, kicks off proceedings.

No time trial bikes here – the riders will be racing on normal road bikes here. They will, however, be allowed to race with the infamous 'puppy paws' position that has been outlawed by the UCI though.

Read more about that here...

Aero tucks and marginal gains to make a difference in Tour Down Under prologue – Rule clarification from UCI allows aero tuck position on road bikes

Alberto Bettiol (EF Education-EasyPost) and Patrick Bevin (Team DSM) among the early starters.

A look at the map of today's stage – some technical sections but a few places to put the power down, too.

Moriarty coming home to set the first time of the day...

He finishes with a 6:38 to lead the standings.

Arkea-Samsic man Kevin Ledanois goes four seconds quicker.

Bettiol, meanwhile, smashes that time to go quickest with 6:19.

Of course, today is the first time we'll see the new team kits of 2023 in action.

Bettiol of EF and Dries Devenyns of Soudal-QuickStep among the early runners showing off their new threads.

These are the 2023 team kits

Aussie rider Cameron Scott sets off to make his Bahrain Victorious debut.

Bettiol's 6:19 still the quickest time so far by some 12 seconds.

Leo Hayter, Chris Froome, Luke Durbridge, Caleb Ewan among the next batch of starters here.

There are some spots of rain falling out on course. Not what you might expect from the Tour Down Under!

A 6:44 for Dries Devenyns sees him go ninth quickest. Now it's time for Leo Hayter to make his WorldTour debut.

21-year-old Hayter is the U23 Giro d'Italia champion and also the British U23 time trial champion. One to watch far beyond today, that's for sure.

Chris Froome kicks off his ride in Israel-Premier Tech's bright new kit. It's the first race day outside the WorldTour for the team.

Rain on the camera lens and wet roads out on course now. This might just have a big effect on the times today as Luke Durbridge (Jayco-AlUla) tentatively rolls off.

It's only coming down heavier now as more and more riders roll down the start ramp. Not ideal at all.

Trek-Segafredo's Emils Liepins rolls home with a bent handlebar and some cuts and grazes. It looks like the Latvian is the first crash victim of the 2023 WorldTour.

A 6:43 for Leo Hayter. We're seeing times up around the seven-minute mark with the recent finishers.

Bettiol's 6:19 looks a long way away in these wet conditions...

Hayter shakes his head as he crosses the finish line. The rain is coming down hard now.

Caleb Ewan among the riders out on course at the moment. He's riding for the Australian national team here.

Bettiol was the fourth man off today and he might've played a blinder here with the rain pouring down after he finished his ride. 

Will anybody get close to that 6:19 time today?

A 7:16 for Froome at the finish line.

A 7:12 for Durbridge. He was second in the time trial at the recent Australian Nationals but looked like he wasn't taking any risks today.

The top three so far...

1 Alberto Bettiol (Ita) EF Education-EasyPost 0:06:19

2 Samuel Gaze (NZl) Alpecin-Deceuninck 0:06:30

3 Hugo Page (Fra) Intermarche-Circus-Wanty 0:06:31

As the men's Tour Down Under gets underway in these awful conditions, the three-stage Women's Tour Down Under has just finished.

Check out our report on the final stage of action here

EF's new signing for 2023, Mikkel Honore, has taken a spill and it looks like Chris Hamilton of DSM has fallen on the same corner...

Sjoerd Bax's recent time of 6:50 is only the second of the last 13 under seven minutes.

Luis Leon Sanchez, winner of this race in 2005, gets underway back in Astana colours.

Now 39, he beat Lotto-Dstny DS Allan Davies and Tour Down Under race director Stuart O'Grady to win this race all those years ago.

Luis León Sánchez: at my age you're worse at some things but better at others

Time of 6:40 from Sven Erik Bystrom and Michael Gogl are the best we've seen in a while...

Only good for ninth and 10th, though.

Simon Yates, George Bennett, Mattia Cattaneo among the next batch of starters.

Sanchez sneaks in under seven minutes with a time of 6:59.

Now Simon Yates rolls down the start ramp in the new look Jayco-AlUla kit. This team is, of course, formerly known as BikeExchange-Jayco.

A 6:49 for Natnael Tesfatsion – not a bad way to kick off his time at Trek-Segafredo after making the switch from Androni Giocattoli.

Nobody has come within 20 seconds of Alberto Bettiol's time since the rain started falling.

More riders getting in under seven minutes now, though. Kim Heiduk, Timo Roosen, and Taj Jones all following Tesfatsion in getting under that time. 

A few riders heeding this road marking out on the course today in these dismal conditions...

A 6:45 for Yates as he kicks off his race. Not a bad time in the wet.

Yates the latest man to shake his head as he crosses the finish line.

Fourth overall at women’s Tour Down Under a bittersweet result for Jayco-Alula

'It’s nice to get fourth but we wanted more' Roseman-Gannon tells Cyclingnews

A time of 6:54 for George Bennett.

Australians Matthew Dinham (Groupama-FDJ) and Jensen Plowright (Alpecin-Deceuncink) head off to make their pro debuts.

And now Mattia Cattaneo starts his ride.

Another crash on that same corner late on the course and it's another EF rider, American Sean Quinn.

Our 50th starter has rolled down the ramp – Andre Carvalho of Cofidis.

Yet another crash on that same late corner. It's Plowright, who slides out before getting back up swiftly.

He still crosses the line at under seven minutes, though. 6:57 for him.

And Mattia Cattaneo also puts in a decent time with a 6:49.

Bettiol's leading time saw him race around the course with a speed of 52.2kph.

Only three others have broken the 50kph barrier, and few have even managed to hit 49kph since the rain started.

Ben Swift, Jai Hindley, two-time winner Daryl Impey among the latest starters.

Hindley kicks off his race with a time of 7:03.

A shot of Sean Quinn getting back up after crashing during his run earlier on.

The rain has stopped but it's still wet out on course and times aren't really coming down.

Marc Hirschi crosses the line with a time of 6:47. That's the best ride for a while though he's only 17th quickest so far.

Geraint Thomas the next major name to start in seven minutes.

WIth the puppy paw rules not applying today, we've seen riders set off with their shifters turned in. Pello Bilbao, who has just set off, has taken it to another level, though.

His shifters are pushed inwards almost as far as possible and the Spaniard gets super-aero straight away.

Bilbao with a time of 4:53 at the checkpoint to go ninth quickest. That's the best time there in about 40 minutes.

A look at Bilbao in his aero tuck out on course. Check out those shifters!

Now Geraint Thomas starts his ride.

6:38 for Bilbao! He's eighth quickest.

That's the best time set since the rain started. The top seven times so far were set by seven of the first eight men to set off.

James Moriarty, who set off first, set a time of 6:38, fractionally slower than Bilbao.

Michael Matthews sets off.

A 7:03 for Thomas, who didn't look like he was taking massive risks today.

Meanwhile, Matthews has flown around the course. The Australian sets a time of 6:33 to go fourth fastest!!

No other major favourites out on course at the moment.

Around 50 riders left to start their runs now. Michael Storer is out on course now.

A look at Michael Matthews during his impressive ride earlier on.

Meanwhile, Storer crosses the line with a time of 7:08.

Australian road champion Luke Plapp kicks off his race.

He's out there with Jos Van Emden, Max Schachmann, and Simon Clarke at the moment.

Trek-Segafredo's second-year pro Marc Brustenga puts in a nice ride to go eighth fastest with a time of 6:37.

Michael Storer getting aero during his run.

Plapp ends up in 12th with a time of 6:39.

Riders are getting well under the seven-minute mark now with the rain having stopped and the roads slowly drying up.

Brustenga and Matthews the only riders to break into the top 10 since the rain.

Now another lull in proceedings as we wait for more big guns to take the start late on.

Marc Brustenga, who has put in one of the more impressive rides on the drying course.

Ben O'Connor sets off. Rohan Dennis and Magnus Sheffield are setting off next. 

If Dennis doesn't beat Bettiol's time then you sense nobody else will be able to.

4:50 for Dennis at the checkpoint. That's good for seventh quickest...

Jay Vine starting shortly in his new UAE Team Emirates colours.

Sheffield quicker than Dennis at the checkpoint. The American's time of 4:44 is still five seconds down on Bettiol, though.

Seventh place for Dennis as he finishes with a time of 6:36.

And Sheffield goes even quicker. He couldn't beat Bettiol either, though, and he goes second with a time of 6:27.

Australian TT champion Jay Vine is out on course now. Can he beat Bettiol?

British TT champion Ethan Hayter will be heading out soon as well...

A shot of Rohan Dennis during his run.

Vine has set a time of 4:50 at the checkpoint. Ninth quickest.

His fellow Australians Miles Scotson and Kaden Groves are setting off now.

6:33 at the finish for Vine, good for sixth place.

DSM's Marius Mayrhofer with a nice start to go sixth at the checkpoint.

A look at our leader Alberto Bettiol, who has been in the hot seat for two hours now.

The times are dropping now. Julius Johansen third at the checkpoint, Scotson seventh.

6:29 for Johansen puts him in third!

Scotson 10th at 6:35.

Johansen with a good time today on the drying roads.

Meanwhile Kaden Groves has flown around the course to put in a time of 6:30 for fourth place. It's his first race day for his new team Alpecin-Deceuninck.

Gianni Moscon is next to roll down the ramp. Ethan Hayter a few minutes later.

Still nobody is any closer to Bettiol than Sheffield at eight seconds.

Hayter sets off. He should be the last man who could beat Bettiol's time today.

At the checkpoint, Hayter puts in a time of only 4:52. 13 seconds down...

It's Bettiol's to lose now.

Shane Archbold, Corbin Strong, and Chris Harper still out on course too.

Tim van Dijke (Jumbo-Visma) crashes on that infamous late corner.

Some more spots of rain on the camera lens now. The rain maybe picking back up late on.

Bettiol still sat in that uncomfortable looking chair which he's occupied for two hours now. He's all set for the first ochre jersey of the race!

14th place for Strong and 22nd for Harper.

Alberto Bettiol has won the stage!

Here's what Bettiol had to say after his win.

"I'm really happy and I feel really lucky at the same time. I knew I could do well but not to win. The weather of Australia helped me. I really appreciate the help of all my team today. I just had to pedal full gas for six-and-a-half minutes.

"The strategy was a bit different. I asked the sporting director to start first because I think I had enough experience. In the end I won. It's a surprise and I'm really happy. There's not a lot of strategy. You have to learn the corners but sometimes you have to be lucky.

"I like this race and I'll be really proud to wear the jersey of the Tour Down Under tomorrow morning. It's a prologue and the real race starts tomorrow."

Alberto Bettiol wins a wet prologue at the Tour Down Under

Italian takes advantage of early dry roads to set an unbeatable time in Adelaide

Bettiol takes the plaudits on the podium as the first Tour Down Under stage winner in three years.

He's also in the ochre leader's jersey tonight with a nice gap to second place.

Magnus Sheffield, meanwhile, is in the best young rider's jersey.

We'll have plenty of news and reaction coming from reporters Simone Giuliani and Stephen Farrand in Australia as well a tech gallery coming up...

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2024 U.S. Open predictions, best bets by Chris 'The Bear' Fallica

"Bear Bets" are real wagers that Chris "The Bear" Fallica is actually making.

The third major of the season is here, as the top golfers in the world will tee up for the 124th U.S. Open , Thursday through Sunday, on Course No. 2 at Pinehurst Resort in Pinehurst, North Carolina.

Can Scottie Scheffler continue his historic run this season with five wins in his last eight starts? 

Or will Xander Schauffele build off his first career major at the 2024 PGA Championship?

How about Rory McIlroy's chances to reach the winner's circle at a major for the first time since 2014? 

If you want to throw a few bucks on the action, I have you covered with my best bets. 

Let's dive into the wagers I’m making this week.

Scottie Scheffler to win +300

There really isn’t anything I need to say here. Usually I avoid playing for such a short price in a major, but there’s also the chance we’re looking up at the oddsboard on Thursday afternoon, and suddenly he’s +180. So you’ll be glad you’re holding 3-1 at that point.

Ludvig Aberg to win +2200, Top 10 +210

It’s Aberg’s first U.S. Open, but it’s clear he’s got the game to challenge Scheffler, as he finished second to him at Augusta and, even after going in the water on the second nine, wouldn’t go away. He was hampered by an injury at the PGA but bounced back with a top-five finish last week at the Memorial. He’ll be a popular alternative to Scheffler this week, and for good reason. 

Min Woo Lee Top 20 +230, Top 30 +130 

Lee was fifth last year at LACC and finished just outside the top 20 in the first two majors of the year this year. He’s one of the best drivers out there and avoiding the Open rough will be big this week. He’s not the best putter, but as we’ve seen in the past, putting is the most random of the metrics, so as long as he makes a few putts, we’ll have a nice shot at cashing. 

Christiaan Bezuidenhout Top 30 +170

A poor first round prevented him making the cut at Valhalla, but he bounced back last week with a T-4 finish. He’s also posted a top-15 finish at The Players and a top-20 finish at Pebble, so he can play with the best of them. The 30-year-old South African is excellent around and on the greens, so he could gain some strokes on the field this week, as reports are these greens are going to be extremely tough. His best major finish is 30th, so if he can equal that this week, we’ll be in a good place. 

Rory McIlroy Top 10 +125

Five straight top-10 finishes in the U.S. Open to go along with three more top-10s and a win earlier in his career. He may not win, but he knows how to grind at an event which can be as much mental as it is physical. 

Tom Kim Top 30 +115

Kim has played 10 career majors and posted a top-30 in six, including, both majors this year and three of the four last year. So, while he hasn’t emerged with a bunch of wins, as many of us thought he might have given his international performance, remember he’s still just 21. He's been one of the more consistent cut makers in major championship golf over the last two years. 

Sepp Straka Top 10 +550, Top 30 +125

Missed the cut at the PGA and missed the cut in the sandwich event (Valspar) between the PLAYERS and Masters. In those other seven events, though, he finished with three top-fives, and nothing worse than 16th. Straka was runner-up to Brian Harman at the Open last year. 

Collin Morikawa Top 10 +150

The 2021 Open champion has finished in the top four in three straight events and was third at the Masters. It’s clear he’s out of the career lull he went through in parts of 2022 and 2023 and is back to being a top five/10/win threat every week. As is always the case, can he make enough putts to go along with his pristine iron play? Only Scheffler — and maybe Schauffele — are in better form right now, so hop aboard the Morikawa money train. 

TO MISS CUT

Patrick Cantlay +160, Adrian Meronk +110, Max Homa +175, Jon Rahm +215* 

Rahm may not even play as he has a toe injury, and he’s off the board in some spots, but you’d have to think he goes and will likely struggle or WD if the pain is too much. 

Meronk has played six majors in the U.S. and missed the cut five times, including both U.S. Opens. 

Homa has missed the cut in four of his five U.S. Opens and hasn’t been in his best form this year. 

Cantlay hasn’t missed a cut in a major since 2022, but he was a mess at the Memorial last week and was a non-factor at the PGA. 

FIXED PARLAYS AT DRAFTKINGS

Xander Schauffele Top 5, Sahith Theegala Top 10 and Min Woo Lee Top 20 +6500

Ludvig Aberg Top 5, Sahith Theegala Top 10 and Sungjae Im Top 20 +11000

I’ve never played any of these sportsbook pre-arranged parlays because they are usually losing propositions. 

But I do like to go through to get ideas for some things I could either play, or play against separately. 

I am going to throw some pizza money on these two, as none feel too far-fetched, given Theegala’s play in big events this year. 

Chris "The Bear" Fallica has covered sports for nearly three decades. While college football has been his focus, he also enjoys the NFL, Soccer, Golf, Tennis, MLB, NHL and Horse Racing, with an "occasional" wager on such events. Chris recently won the inaugural Circa Football Invitational and finished in the Top 10 of the Golden Nugget Football Contest. He's a multiple-time qualifier for the NHC Handicapping Championship. Remember, "The less you bet, the more you lose when you win!" Follow him on Twitter @ chrisfallica .

* Editors note: John Rahm has withdrawn from the tournament

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2024 U.S. Open odds, predictions: Scottie Scheffler huge favorite to win

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Professional golfer Grayson Murray, 30, dies by suicide after withdrawing from Charles Schwab Challenge

Murray was a two-time winner on the pga tour.

Professional golfer Grayson Murray has died. He was 30 years old. Murray's death comes after he withdrew Friday during the second round of the 2024 Charles Schwab Challenge, citing an illness.

A day after Murray's death rocked the larger sporting world, his parents announced in a statement through the PGA Tour that he died by suicide. 

"We would like to thank the PGA Tour and the entire world of golf for the outpouring of support," Eric and Terry Murray said. "Life wasn't always easy for Grayson, and although he took his own life, we know he rests peacefully now."

An undeniable talent, Murray was the second-youngest golfer in history to make the cut on the Korn Ferry Tour before turning eventually pro in 2015. He bounced up and down between the Korn Ferry Tour and PGA Tour over the course of his career, becoming a polarizing figure at times because of frequent outbursts on the course.

Still, his potential consistently flashed as he won twice on the PGA Tour -- capturing the 2017 Barbasol Championship and 2024 Sony Open in Hawaii -- and three times on the Korn Ferry Tour.

When he won the Sony Open, it seemed as if Murray had turned a corner after battling anxiety, depression and alcohol abuse throughout his young career. He said in January that he had been sober since early 2023. He also shared that he was unprepared for life as a pro when he first got out of college and began traveling.

"Yes, I would drink during tournament weeks," Murray said after his Sony Open win. "It was my outlet. I thought I was invincible coming out here as a 22-year-old, winning as a rookie, played three days hungover when I won. Best thing and worst thing that ever happened to me was winning my rookie year -- but also feeling like I was invincible."

Murray cited his faith and his fiancee as helping ground him, and he spoke about his road to recovery. 

"It took me a long time to get to this point," he said. "… I'm a different man now. I would not be in this position right now today if I didn't put that drink down eight months ago."

Murray added: "People who don't know me, I'll have to show it through my actions, and they'll get back on Grayson's side. My demeanor is so much better. It's really a lot of fun now. I really don't live and die by a golf shot anymore. I'm not going to sit here and say it's going to be all glory and roses, but it's going to be a lot better."

The PGA Tour considered postponing play at the Charles Schwab Challenge as the golf world was rocked by Murray's death . However, his parents insisted the tournament continue as scheduled as it was what their son would have wanted.

"We were devastated to learn -- and are heartbroken to share -- that PGA Tour player Grayson Murray passed away this morning. I am at a loss for words," said PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan in a Saturday statement. "The PGA Tour is a family, and when you lose a member of your family, you are never the same. We mourn Grayson and pray for comfort for his loved ones.

"I reached out to Grayson's parents to offer our deepest condolences, and during that conversation, they asked that we continue with tournament play. They were adamant that Grayson would want us to do so. As difficult as it will be, we want to respect their wishes."

A native of Raleigh, North Carolina, Murray attended Wake Forest, East Carolina and Arizona State where he played golf before turning pro. In 141 career PGA Tour starts, Murray had 10 top-10 finishes, including those two victories.

The PGA Tour has sent grief counselors to both tournament sites this week and made others available virtually for its members.

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Tony Finau betting profile: The Memorial Tournament Presented By Workday

Betting Profile

FORT WORTH, TEXAS - MAY 25: Tony Finau of the United States plays his shot from the third tee during the third round of the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club on May 25, 2024 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images)

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In his last competition at the Charles Schwab Challenge, Tony Finau finished the weekend at 2-under, good for a 17th-place finish. He heads into the 2024 the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday June 6-9 trying for an improved score.

The Memorial Tournament presented by Workday tournament and course info

• Date: June 6-9, 2024
• Location: Dublin, OH
• Course: Muirfield Village Golf Club
• Par: 72 / 7,569 yards
• Purse: $20M
• Previous winner: Viktor Hovland

At the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday

• Finau's average finish has been 23rd, and his average score 3-under, over his last five appearances at the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday.
• Finau last played at the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday in 2021, finishing 32nd with a score of 1-over.
• With numbers of 3.322 in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee (eighth in field), 0.516 in SG: Approach the Green (40th), and 6.068 in SG: Putting (third), Viktor Hovland won this tournament in 2023.
• Hovland also posted numbers of 317.1 in average driving distance (16th in field), % in terms of greens in regulation (), and 25.25 putts per round (second).

Finau's recent history at the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday

Finau's recent performances.

• Finau has made the cut and finished in the top 20 on the leaderboard three times over his last five tournaments.
• Finau has finished with a better-than-average score in three of his last five tournaments.
• He has finished with an average score of -1 those five times he's made the cut.
• In terms of driving distance, Tony Finau has averaged 314.4 yards in his past five starts.
• Finau is averaging -0.655 in terms of Strokes Gained: Putting in his past five tournaments.
• In his past five starts, Finau is averaging 3.201 Strokes Gained: Total.

Finau's advanced stats and rankings

• Finau has delivered a Strokes Gained: Off the Tee average of 0.191, which ranks 64th on TOUR this season. Meanwhile, his average driving distance (308.2 yards) ranks 23rd, and his 62% driving accuracy average ranks 82nd.
• In terms of Strokes Gained: Approach, Finau sports a 0.786 mark (fifth on TOUR).
• On the greens, Finau has delivered a -0.386 Strokes Gained: Putting mark this season, which places him 155th on TOUR. In addition, he ranks 144th with a putts-per-round average of 29.35, and he ranks 40th by breaking par 26.76% of the time.

Finau's best finishes

• Finau has played 14 tournaments this season, and he has earned one top-five finish and two top-10 finishes.
• In those 14 events, he made the cut 13 times, a success rate of 92.9%.
• As of now, Finau has compiled 788 points, which ranks him 43rd in the FedExCup standings.

Finau's best Strokes Gained performances

• This season, Finau's best Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee mark came at the Texas Children's Houston Open in March 2024, as he ranked second in the field with a mark of 5.073.
• Finau put up his best Strokes Gained: Approach mark this season at the Farmers Insurance Open (January 2024), ranking second in the field with a mark of 7.030.
• When it comes to Strokes Gained: Around-the-Green, Finau's best performance this season was in March 2024 at the Texas Children's Houston Open, where he ranked No. 1 in the field with a mark of 6.462. He finished second in that event.
• At THE PLAYERS Championship in March 2024, Finau recorded his best Strokes Gained: Putting mark so far this season (1.279, which ranked 34th in the field). In that event, he finished 45th.
• Finau recorded his best Strokes Gained: Total mark this season (11.048) in March 2024 at the Texas Children's Houston Open. That ranked second in the field.

Finau's Strokes Gained rankings

Finau's past results.

All stats in this article are accurate for Finau as of the start of the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday.

Note: The PGA TOUR has created this story via a machine-learning model using data from ShotLink , powered by CDW, in addition to player performance data. While we strive for accuracy and quality, please note that the information provided may not be entirely error-free.

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Betting odds, value picks, insight for 2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2

The U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2 is here, so we have provided the latest odds and some predictions for the third major of the year.

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The best players in the world have descended upon Pinehurst, North Carolina, for the 2024 U.S. Open , the most challenging tournament in golf and the third major of the year.

Both PGA Tour and LIV Golf players are eligible, although the 156-man field includes only 13 LIV players.

Still, those who qualified are among the game’s elite, so let’s get to the odds:

U.S. Open Odds:

Here are the latest odds for the 2024 U.S. Open, courtesy of DraftKings:

• Scottie Scheffler +300
• Rory McIlroy +1000
• Xander Schauffele +1200
• Viktor Hovland +1600
• Collin Morikawa +1600
• Bryson DeChambeau +1600
• Brooks Koepka +2000
• Ludvig Åberg +2000
• Jon Rahm +2800
• Tommy Fleetwood +3500
• Justin Thomas +3500
• Cameron Smith +3500
• Patrick Cantlay +4000
• Tyrrell Hatton +4500
• Max Homa +4500
• Shane Lowry +5000
• Matt Fitzpatrick +5000
• Hideki Matsuyama +5000
• Tom Kim +5500
• Jordan Spieth +5500

U.S. Open Predictions

Fresh off another win at the Memorial Tournament, Scottie Scheffler arrives at Pinehurst No. 2 as a massive favorite at 3-to-1. Many gasped at the gaudy figure of +450 for Scheffler at the PGA Championship , but now his odds are even better one month later.

He has no weaknesses in his game from tee to green, and his short game is severely underrated. Considering Pinehurst No. 2 is a ball-strikers course that also requires a deft touch around the greens, it makes sense that Scheffler has odds that low—given how good he has played this season.

Nevertheless, plenty of other prospects have arrived in the Tar Heel State hoping to make history, so here are some value picks for this week:

Cameron Smith finishes in the top 10 again

Last year, Cameron Smith finished in solo fourth at the Los Angeles Country Club, a course that suited his short game perfectly. This year, Smith will lean on his exquisite chipping and pitching abilities, as well as his world-class putter, to contend for another U.S. Open title at a course with ‘turtleback’ green complexes.

Although he had a rough finish at LIV Golf Houston , going 11-over on his final six holes, Smith has proven himself on the biggest of stages before and will do so again this week.

Since winning The Open at St. Andrews in 2022, he has recorded three top-10s in majors, and his price of +320 to nab another is a solid offer.

Collin Morikawa right there; records another top 5

If not for Scheffler, Collin Morikawa may have taken home a couple of trophies already in 2024. Instead, he has six top 10s this season, five of which have come since the beginning of April.

His game is trending in the right direction, especially his ball striking, which was not up to his standard earlier in the year. Because of that, he ranks 51st on the PGA Tour in strokes gained, approaching the green this season. He ranked second to Scheffler in this metric in 2023.

This past week, Morikawa gained more than five strokes approaching the greens, good for fourth among the Memorial field—demonstrating that his iron play is coming around. Should he continue this trend, Morikawa will be there on Sunday. A top 5 finish at +350 is worth it for the two-time major champion.

Tony Finau contends, as does Bryson DeChambeau

Another solid iron player, Tony Finau arrives in North Carolina searching for his first major title. He has come close many times before, as he has 10 career top-10 finishes in majors. But he has not recorded one since the 2021 PGA Championship.

Still, he tied for 18th at Valhalla last month and most recently finished in a tie for eighth at Muirfield Village. Finau currently ranks fourth on the PGA Tour in strokes approaching the green and 16th in proximity to the hole. You need to fire at the middle of the greens at Pinehurst, regardless of pin position, and Finau has demonstrated that ability year after year. We like him to finish in the top 10 at +450.

On the flip side, DeChambeau’s strength is not his iron play; instead, his mind and length off the tee routinely bring him toward the top of leaderboards. His game does not necessarily translate to Pinehurst No. 2 on paper, but he has played so well in majors this season that ruling him out would be foolish. Thus, although the price is low, we like DeChambeau to record another top 10 at +180.

Longshot Contenders

Si Woo Kim has had a decent season, recording 10 top-25 finishes in the 16 events that he has played. He ranks fourth on the PGA Tour in strokes gained: tee-to-green and 24th in strokes gained around the green, proof that he can also scramble when needed.

But his putter has let him down this season, as he ranks 162nd on tour in strokes gained: putting. Despite that, Kim’s game aligns with Pinehurst No. 2, so taking a flier on him to finish in the top 10 at +650 is worth it.

Two other longshot contenders we like are Tom Hoge and Dean Burmester.

Hoge ranks 3rd on the PGA Tour in strokes gained, approaching the green, trailing only Scottie Scheffler and Corey Conners, respectively. At +1100 to record a top-10 finish, Hoge is worth it. If his short game can cooperate, he has the talent to contend and surprise plenty of people.

As for Burmester, he has won three times since November and is a budding star on LIV Golf. The South African can hit the ball a country mile and posted a solid finish at the PGA Championship, tying for 12th. Do not be surprised to see his name on the leaderboard again, so Burmester recording a top 10 at +700 is a solid pick.

Avoid Betting Scottie Scheffler; return too low

If you have followed golf as of late, you know that Scottie Scheffler is on a historic heater. It would surprise nobody if he went on to win this year’s U.S. Open, but he has zero value on the market, even to win.

If Scheffler does win, you are better off looking for other players to finish in the top 5 or top 10. The World No. 1 is currently -275 to record a top 10 and -140 to post a top 5 result, preposterous figures that bettors should avoid.

Stay tuned for Playing Through’s Staff Picks for the 2024 U.S. Open, set to publish on the morning of Tuesday, Jun. 11.

Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.

Next Up In Golf

• Xander Schauffele shares sure fire U.S. Open strategy ahead of Pinehurst
• Rory McIlroy’s divorce shockingly called off ahead of U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2
• Scottie Scheffler talk of Pinehurst; PGA Tour, LIV Golf pros praise World No. 1 at U.S. Open
• LIV Golf’s Jon Rahm withdraws from U.S. Open due to foot injury after consulting medical team
• Tiger Woods ready for U.S. Open, thanks to son Charlie playing big role in preparation
• Rory McIlroy is as ‘close as ever’ to rare 5th major win at 124th U.S. Open 

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