In 2025, the women's peloton will welcome a new one-day race, the Schwalbe Women's One-Day Classic in Australia.

The Schwalbe Women's One-Day Classic, hosted by the Santos Tour Down Under, will be held on Sunday, January 26, on the same Adelaide city route as the final sixth stage of the men's stage race.

Tour Down Under race director Stuart O'Grady said the women's peloton was looking for more opportunities to score valuable UCI points.

“Unlike the men, the women's UCI World Teams are not obligated to participate in the Santos Tour Down Under, so being able to offer four opportunities to earn UCI points at the start of the season is a great incentive and will strengthen competition in the women's field.” O'Grady said.

Amanda Spratt, a three-time winner of the Tour Down Under, has been racing the event since its inception and sees the addition of the new one-day race as a positive step forward.

“Adding this additional UCI race to next year's schedule is a good first step. It gives us the opportunity to gain valuable points early in the season and hopefully it will be a catalyst to add more stages to the Women's Santos Tour Down Under in the future,” she said.

The Schwalbe Women's One-Day Classic, classified as a Pro Series, is a 90-km race of 20 laps around Adelaide and takes place after the Women's Tour Down Under, which runs over three days from January 17-19.

Offering 200 UCI points and prize money comparable to the Villa Wood Men's Down Under Classic, the race will add a national invitational team to the same peloton as the Women's Tour Down Under, giving up-and-coming riders a chance to compete on equal terms with the best in the world.

Sara Gigante (AG Insurance Soudal), the 2024 Women's Tour Down Under overall winner, is excited about the challenge the new race will bring.

“I first competed in the Tour Down Under in 2020. Now I'm taking on Willunga Hill and racing in front of a huge crowd in the World Tour peloton. The entire peloton is looking for more opportunities on the Women's Tour Down Under and the addition of this one-day race is a great step forward. Come join us.