The Tour Down Under will take a turn this weekend. The sprinters' chances are over, and the battle for the overall win will be played out on Willunga Hill and Mount Lofty.

The double punch of a Hilltop finish has some calling it the hardest finale in Tour Down Under history.

Saturday's fifth stage features Willunga Hill twice, with the finish at the top of the iconic South Australian climb. Sunday's final stage will climb Mount Lofty three times.

Both climbs are short and not steep, but there is sure to be intense racing, and time bonuses for the top three finishers in each stage will likely determine the winner of the ochre-colored leader's jersey.

The technical guide for Willunga Hill describes it as a 3km climb with an average gradient of 7.4% and a maximum gradient of 15.6%. As Richie Porte proved on six occasions in the Tour Down Under, this hill is a 7-minute climb, and in the kilometers preceding it, positioning and protection from teammates is critical. As seen in the Women's Tour Down Under, exposed valley roads and uphill wind can be decisive factors, but raw power and speed will dominate Willunga Hill.

Sarah Gigante (AG Insurance Soudal) attacked repeatedly from below, dropping her rivals with just over 2km to go to take the overall win. Will anyone attempt a similar move in the men's race the day after Mount Lofty?

The final stage is short at 128km, but with the three-stage climb of Mount Lofty, the distance climbed is significantly longer than in stage 6. Positioning will again be important before the 1.3km climb as the road continues to test the hilly terrain overlooking Adelaide.

After only 50km, the stage enters the hills of Adelaide, with three climbs and a shady descent, much like the Ardennes Classics fought in the Australian heat.

Last year, Simon Yates (Jayco Alura) won the Mount Lofty stage ahead of Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates), but the Australian won the overall after outperforming in the opening time trial.

This year, Sam Welsford and his sprinters won the first four stages, making the overall standings closer and adding to the overall contenders.

Neo-pro Isaac del Toro won the second stage to Robetal with a strong solo attack in the closing stages, and he and UAE Team Emirates have been carefully guarding the ochre jersey ever since.

The 20-year-old Mexican leads Biniam Girmay (Intermarché Wanty) by one second, with Corbin Strong (Israel Premier Tech) trailing by two seconds.

Del Toro's biggest rival is a few seconds back, but within reach if he can win stage 6 or 7 and gain a few seconds bonus.

Stefan Williams (Israel Premier Tech) is seven seconds behind del Toro, Honatan Narvaez (Ineos Grenadiers) is 10 seconds behind, and 56 riders are 11 seconds behind. Among them are Adam Yates (Jayco Alura), another talented English climber, Oscar Only (Team dsm-Filmenig Post NL), Archie Ryan (EF Education Easy Post), and Jack Hague (Bahrain Victorious), Julian Alaphilippe (Sudar-Quick Step), and Canadian Derek Gee (Israel-Premier Tech).

Gee set the fastest time in training at Willunga Hill and is listed as one of the favorites to win. Porte's official Strava record of 6:34 could be broken on Saturday.

The Mexican can count on Diego Ulissi, who was second overall in 2020, and Kiwi Finn Fischer-Black. But he faces the biggest opportunity of his career, his World Tour debut.

He is not feeling stressed, admitting that he "feels a little more stress in my legs" after falling off the tail of the peloton on stage 4.

"I did a little sprint to check my legs for tomorrow [stage 5]. I feel good. I'm a little nervous, but I feel good," del Toro said.

Del Toro went to see Willunga Hill before the Tour Down Under and liked it.

"I ran in training and it was a good climb. I want to have a good race."

The 20-year-old's rivals expect him to feel the pressure, heat, and fatigue of his first World Tour-level race on the final weekend of the Tour Down Under.