Tour Down Under Past Winners
The Tour Down Under's history is the story of the season's opening WorldTour race, traditionally decided on Willunga Hill. The roll of past winners is evergreen reading, and for South African fans it carries a genuine landmark: the first SA rider ever to win it. Here is the pattern, and what it tells a bettor.
The South African landmark
The headline for SA cycling is Daryl Impey. He became the first South African to win the Tour Down Under overall, taking the title in 2018 and then again in 2019, back-to-back. That made him a two-time winner and, at the time, the only rider to have won the race in consecutive years, a real milestone for South African road cycling on the WorldTour stage.
His wins fit the race's character. The general classification has long turned on Willunga and on holding time across a hot week, and Impey's back-to-back titles came from exactly that blend of climbing the decisive ascent well and staying in contention on the flatter days. We frame this as evergreen history rather than current form; for today's contenders, look to the live markets.
What the pattern tells a bettor
Across the eras, the riders who win the Tour Down Under share a profile: punchy general classification riders who handle Willunga Hill and cope with the South Australian heat over a week of racing. It has rarely been a pure sprinter's race overall and rarely a high-mountain specialist's either, the climb is too short for that. That middle ground is the read history offers.
Use it to judge a rider type rather than to predict a name. For how the outright settles, see the overall winner page; for the climb's role, the route; and for the markets themselves, our cycling bet types and Cycling betting guides. All current Tour Down Under markets sit on the Tour Down Under.
Frequently asked questions
Who was the first South African to win the Tour Down Under?
Daryl Impey. He won the overall in 2018 and successfully defended it in 2019, becoming the first South African to win the race and a two-time champion in consecutive years. It remains a landmark result for SA road cycling.
What does the history tell me about who to back?
It points to a rider type rather than a name: punchy general classification riders who climb Willunga Hill well and handle the heat over a hard week. Pure sprinters and high-mountain specialists have rarely won the overall. Use that as a filter, then check current form and prices with the sportsbook.