The 14th Santos Tour Down in South Australia enters a new era in 2012, post the appearances of Lance Armstrong which the race built a new level of recognition on as it entered the UCI’s ProTour. 

The race receives a further shake-up in the form of the longed-for hill-top finish on Stage 5 at Old Willunga Hill, a 3 km climb at an average gradient of 7.6%. The Tour features stages surrounding Adelaide, which varies from flat to moderately undulating. However, it is typical for most tour stages to finish as a bunch sprint, an opportunity for RADIOSHACK NISSAN TREK’s Daniele Bennati to show his fast legs. The Tour does not include a time trial, as is typical in early season races and to avoid imposing extra shipping costs on the international teams. The conditions in South Australia in late January will be very hot.