Day 1, Saturday 18 January

Welcome to South Australia

We look forward to meeting you at Adelaide Airport. Ideally you would arrive mid to late morning.

We’ll help you assemble your bike once we’re back at our central Adelaide hotel. Conveniently located right near Rundle Mall (think retail) and only a 15 min walk to the Santos Tour Down Under race village.

At about 3pm we’ll pop out for a short city ride. Maximum of an hour. Focussing on Adelaide’s amazing bike trails that aren’t far away from our hotel. A short ride purely to get the legs turning and to find those nasty little mechanicals that may pop up.

Team MAC - After you’ve settled into your room, we’ll meet up to have a wander around the funky East End. The Adelaide East End is known as the domain of choice for trendsetters. Right in the heart of the city, the neighbourhood is filled with cafes, restaurants, bars and premium shopping. There’s plenty of fabulous hidden dining lanes to explore. Let’s have an aperitif at one of the many wine bars before returning to the hotel for dinner.

This evening will be epic. It’s the Santos Tour Down Under Criterium. Known as the Down Under Classic and it’s within walking distance of our hotel. 90mins of shear adrenalin. The world’s best sprinters. You’ll be in the thick of it.

Our last act for today is our welcome dinner. We'll run through the plan for the next 10 days. Yes, you are now officially on holiday. Welcome to South Australia. Cheers to you.

/ Accommodation: Majestic Rooftop Adelaide Hotel
/ Meals Included: Welcome Dinner

PS, you are very welcome to arrive the day prior. We will take care of your transfers and accommodation for you. Our job is to make your job easy!!

PPS, what if, what if ... One of the most common questions we have is “what if my bike doesn’t turn up or it’s damaged”? The answer to that – we’ve got you covered. That’s why you do a tour with RH. We have about 10 bikes on standby to look after any of those airline misdemeanours.

Day 2, Sunday 19 January

Women’s stage 3. Stirling V.I.P. pen

We’re changing things around a bit in 2025. Normally we’d be leaving the city and heading out of town. However, today’s stage 3 of the women’s race is a must see.

We don’t feel the need for a 6am breakfast. Let’s relax and remind ourselves that we are indeed on holiday. The plan is to roll out of the hotel at about 8.30am and head up into the Adelaide Hills. The women's stage 3 starts and finishes in Stirling. A town we know very well.

We’ve booked a V.I.P. pen for the start and finish. There’s a great chance you’ll also have access to the warm-up area which will be closed to the public. The actual start time will be around 11.00am.

After the women have departed, we can stay or hop on our bikes. Their stage is 105km which will take them about 3 hours. They will complete five laps of the circuit coming past us at Stirling each lap and then we see the BIG finish. Before we simply roll back into town.

Team MAC – Katrina will have a couple of options for today. The initial plan is to leave the hotel early and go for a walk on the beach near Glenelg before it gets too hot. There are then many cafes to choose from for our morning coffee. We then head into the hills (Stirling) to catch up with the cyclists.

This afternoon we visit the City of Adelaide Tour Village in the City Square, which is only a 15 min walk from our hotel. We’ll wander down there late Afternoon and visit the teams and mechanics. The STDU offers fantastic opportunities to get close up and personal with your favourite riders.

The Tour village is also a great place for food. Offering an amazing variety of street food (we suggest you have dinner here) and refreshments. (Beer)

Oh, and in the past, we’ve also had clients buy bikes here as all of the major brands offer opportunities to get your credit card out. What’s stopping you?

/ Accommodation: Majestic Rooftop Adelaide Hotel
/ Meals Included: Breakfast (Lunch and Dinner are own arrangements)

PS, Team Mac - We really want this trip to be an active one. It’s not all eating and drinking. Katrina will have a plan each day for a good walk. You can then feel less guilty about the eating and drinking ...

Day 3, Monday 20 January

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it’s off to the Barossa we go!!

Over the past 11 years we've pretty much biked everywhere. It doesn’t get any better than the Barossa Valley. This region offers some of the best riding, food and wine in the whole of Australia.

Door to door is about 90km. Some of you can do more, others can ride less. Having support vehicles takes the pressure off.

Today won't be overly hilly, certainly when compared to the rest of the week. It’s a mixture of National Parks, country roads and bike paths. We would really like to leave Adelaide early as it’s the swimming pool you should be focussed on.

Team MAC - After a local walk along the River Torrens we also leave for the Barossa. Our first stop will be Maggie Beer’s Farm. We have booked a fun, iterative cooking demonstration, where all the produce used is grown and made at Maggie’s farm. We are then served tastings of the delicious dishes with a glass of non-alcoholic sparkling wine. On the way to the Novotel, we’ll visit Rockford Winery, a small boutique winery in a beautiful old stone building ... Welcome to Barossa Valley!!

Our hotel for the next 3 nights is stunning. All rooms have a view of the vineyards across the valley, and you’ll probably wake up to see a few of the local kangaroos grazing on the lawns. It’s one of the best hotels we stay at anywhere in the world.

Tonight, we've booked a local restaurant for dinner. It’s called Harvest Kitchen (we book it 12 months in advance), and it really is fantastic. It’s even more special now that the Harvest Kitchen is actually based at the world-famous Jacobs Creek winery.

Our guarantee – you won’t lose any weight on this tour.

/ Accommodation: Barossa Novotel
/ Meals Included: Breakfast and Dinner (Lunch is own arrangements)

PS, OK, a bit of a warning. As you approach the Barossa hotel there’s a wee little kicker. A gentle false flat of around 25%. Nothing to be worried about though. Keep in mind that this hotel offers fabulous views. And, to have a view, you must get to the top of the hill!!

Day 4, Tuesday 21 January

Day 5, Wednesday 22 January

Stage 2 – Barossa Stage

6am yoga. Just kidding. Today’s stage starts (11am) and finishes in Tanunda. Which is about a 30min ride from our hotel via the bike path.

We’ll arrive at 10am as we have V.I.P. access. Yes, you’ll receive a special wrist band so you can walk through the team village as the riders sign on and warm-up for today’s opening stage. It’s a great opportunity for autographs and usually the riders are very approachable.

Stage 2 is 130km long so should finish at about 3pm. (Back in Tanunda) That means we have 4 hours to ride our bikes. We’ll certainly include Menglers Hill which the race goes over multiple times. It’s not a huge hill (about 250VM), however some of the sprinters may struggle to stay in touch. We’ll also make sure we include the gorgeous region of Seppeltsfield.

Team MAC - Today we start with a walk along the Jacobs Creek path and then we get to experience the excitement of Santos Tour Down Under. We’ll meet up with our riders while we watch the Pro Teams complete this stage of the race at Tanunda. Afterwards we’ll head to the Seppeltsfield Road Gin Distillery for a light lunch and a wee tasting!

This afternoon you should budget on some quality pool time. It’s not all cycling, eating and drinking ... We expect you to find some time to relax as well.

Tonight is a highlight as we dine on the lawn. Overlooking the vines that supply Jacobs Creek. It really is a lovely way of finishing a magnificent day.

/ Accommodation: Barossa Novotel
/ Meals Included: Breakfast and Dinner (Lunch is own arrangements)

Ps, don’t forget the swimming pool. It’s important.

Day 6, Thursday 23 January

It's off to the Hills!! Via stage 3

We leave the Barossa this morning and make our way to Hahndorf in the Adelaide Hills. Without doubt the best cycling in the State, arguably in all of Australia.

Yes, we’ll see stage 3 of the Men’s Santos Tour Down Under. Our target will be the town of Uraidla. Why? Because it’s a cool little town that has an awesome café. We know it well and the owners also know us. They always put aside room for Team RH. That’s the advantage of having local guides.

Riding hotel to hotel has its advantages. Your bags will be in your Hahndorf hotel room when you arrive. Please make sure they’re labelled clearly with your RH tags.

We will have plenty of ride options. Ranging from 50km to 110km. None of them will be flat!!

Other than Hahndorf being a gorgeous little German town and a fantastic place to stay for a couple of nights, it’s also noticeably cooler than staying in the city. In fact, the difference can be up to 10 degrees when compared with central Adelaide. That’s a good thing!!

We also pre-book massage while in Hahndorf. This afternoon would be a great time to give back to your legs. There’s lots of cycling to come!

Team MAC - This morning Katrina has booked a tour of Jurlque Farm where the beautiful, all-natural skin care range is made. We’ll walk through the gardens and experience the complete biodynamic process. We’ll then visit the historic Art Gallery of the famous Australian Artist, Hans Heysen at The Cedars and enjoy a light lunch in the gardens. Finally, we’ll head to Melba’s Chocolate Factory and Kris Lloyd Cheeses for a tasting ... if we’re still hungry!!

/ Accommodation: The Manna of Hahndorf
/ Meals Included: Breakfast and Dinner (Lunch is own arrangements)

Practical stuff – you have access to washing machines, etc, when in Hahndorf.

Day 7, Friday 24 January

Cuddly little bears - wildlife spotting

Today is all about exploring the magnificent Adelaide Hills.

We start with breakfast. Hmm, which is at the top of Mount Lofty. 700m above sea level and the café is opening just for us. The big breakfast is unbelievably big, the views are amazing. Thousands of cyclists ride this climb daily.

Ride options vary from 60km to 120km although only a select few would consider 120km in this part of the world. It's lumpy. Full of false flats. Little Italy, German Town, Montacute, Mount Lofty and Norton Summit. All need to be ticked off.

Stage 4 starts in Glenelg and finishes in Victor Harbor. It’s surprisingly flat. You will have seen the STDU 7 or 8 times over the past few days. We see today as being the best day for taking advantage of the magnificent cycling that the Hills offer. Rather than focusing on the race.

Team MAC – You’re in for a treat. After joining us for breakfast up the top of Lofty. You’ll visit the d’Arenberg Cube (McLaren Vale) featuring a contemporary art museum including a Salvador Dali exhibit. We’ll also enjoy wine tasting and lunch. The design concept for the building was developed by d'Arenberg's Chief Winemaker, Chester Osborn, who is of the fourth generation of the Osborn family. The vineyard dates back to 1912 but the new building is world renowned for its unique design.

It's also important that you save some time for Hahndorf. This is the town where Adelaide locals visit for the day. If you are from New Zealand, think Greytown but about 5 times bigger. The good thing is that come 3pm all those day-trippers depart for the city. Leaving this beautiful little town just for Ride Holidays.

/ Accommodation: The Manna of Hahndorf
/ Meals Included: Breakfast (Lunch and Dinner are own arrangements)

PS, we’ve hired the local movie theatre to show you a movie after dinner. In 2024 we saw the Greg LeMond doco – The Last Rider. It was brilliant and we’ll look for something similar. Otherwise, we could revert back to some Russian Fly Fishing.

PPS, cyclists are welcome to join Team Mac today at the Cube.

Day 8, Saturday 25 January

Queen stage race, finish Willunga Hill!!

Our plan is soooooooo cunning.

We ride from Hahndorf to the wine region that is the McLaren Vale. No introduction required. It is also the start of today’s stage. Kicking off at 11.10am.

We plan to arrive at the race start by 10.30am. The great thing about the STDU is that the professionals are very approachable. Unlike at say the TDF or the Giro where you can’t get within 50m. You literally can rub shoulders with the likes of Michael.

It’s then a race route loop out to the coast and it features Willunga Hill. The pros ride it twice, we will just go up once. The atmosphere at the top of Willunga is Alpe d’Huez like. Almost 50,000 people cram the last 4km of this hilltop finish. This is the stage that will ultimately decide the winner of this year's event.

Again, a choice of rides. Anywhere from 70km to 120km. After 8 continuous days riding there will be some legs that are tired. Others will be just warming up.

There’s only one restaurant at the top of Willunga Hill and we now have it secured for the next 5 years. The idea is that you can use the restaurant as a base and come and go as you please. They have a beautiful deck, shady spots, BIG screen and all the comforts. We know Andy, the owner, well. He really looks after us. Don’t worry – we won’t make you ride. We’ll take your bikes which means you can enjoy that 2nd or 3rd glass of wine. A long Italian-Aussie lunch from 12-2.30 pm just in time to see the finish at 3.00 pm.

Team Mac – This morning we will head to the surf coast of Port Elliot as it’s market day and visit the local gallery. Then it’s off to Victor Harbour to take a walk across the historical bridge out to Granite Island. Later in the afternoon, you will meet up with the riders on top of Willunga Hill.

/ Accommodation: Majestic Roof Garden Hotel
/ Meals Included: Breakfast and a late Lunch (Dinner is own arrangements but the late lunch means you won’t be hungry)

PS, tonight would be a great night to head back to the tour village. There will be live music and a great vibe. All in the name of cycling.

Day 9 Sunday 26 January

Final stage - A must see…

The final stage of the 2025 Santos Tour Down Under is a 100km street circuit around Adelaide. 20 x 4.5km laps. The added bonus is that it’s both the men and women who are racing today.

At time of writing – our RH Adelaide team is searching for spot X. It will be on the racecourse, have a cracking view, shade, great coffee and you will feel special.

That’s actually our job – to make you feel special for 10 days.

Yes, there’s a bike ride but it won’t be overly lumpy. Probably more like a beach coffee ride. Bring you togs. (Just remember my earlier warning about sharks.) No more than 60km today.

We expect the stage to start at about midday and finish at 3pm.

Team Mac - This morning we’ll walk along the river and take a ride on a historical boat called Popeye. We’ll see the buildings of the city as well as learn all the interesting history of Adelaide, including the stories of the old prison. Afterwards, we can choose to spend time shopping or join the riders to enjoy the race finale.

Tonight, we really want to finish off with a highlight. So, after packing up all the bikes it’s time for some fine dining. A decade ago, we booked a private room at the National Wine Institute of Australia. It was fantastic!! We feel that it’s important to celebrate the TDU Silver jubilee, so we’ve decided to go back.

Please bring you flashiest clothes. You will look smashing. A few stories and lies will be told as we raise a glass to you. In fact, we’ve included a wine package showcasing South Australia’s finest.

What a day ... What a trip.

/ Accommodation: Majestic Roof Garden Hotel
/ Meals Included: Breakfast and Dinner (Lunch is own arrangements)

Day 10 Monday 27 January

Home, James

The tour concludes with breakfast. Some of us will pack our bags, bikes and leave for the airport. Our tour is all but over.

Or ...

We can easily look after extra accommodation if you choose to stay on. It's a really nice way to round out the holiday. Today is Australia day and there’s a lot going on.

Throughout the city there will be hundreds of events – celebrating Australia’s National Day. In the early evening, join the "Respecting Country" parade at Elder Park, celebrating the cultural diversity of South Australia.

Conclude your day by staying at Elder Park for live music performances and a spectacular fireworks display, creating a memorable end to your Australia Day celebrations.

Whatever you decide - thank you for joining us. Safe travels home ...

/ Meals Included: Breakfast