Tour of the Great South Coast

The Tour of the Great South Coast is one of Australia's premier road cycling classics and is one of 10 events on Cycling Australia’s prestigious National Road Series Calendar.

In 2018 the Tour attracted 103 top-class cyclists from Australia and New Zealand, plus several international competitors. The race features 20 teams competing in a similar format to the Tour de France.

The event’s founder, Caribou Publications and Events – of which John Craven is the managing director – will again be the organising group, in conjunction with Cycling Victoria, under the patronage of Cycling Australia.

The six day tour will be held from Tuesday 27 August until Sunday 1 September 2019. The first three days will be raced in South Australia, with the final three days to be conducted on a spectacular Tour de France style course through the Glenelg Shire region taking in Casterton, Heywood, Cape Bridgewater and Portland.

Day 1 - Tuesday 27 August
The tour will start in Mt Gambier on with the traditional 36km criterium at Vansittart Park, followed by an afternoon 65km Blue Lake circuit race.

Day 2 - Wednesday 28 August
The action will continue at Port MacDonnell on day two with a five lap circuit of the town beachfront and rural outskirts covering 128km.

Day 3 - Thursday 29 August
Cyclists will embark on the inaugural Naracoorte criterium cycling from the town’s showgrounds to the World Heritage listed Naracoorte caves.

Day 4 and 5 - Friday 30 August and Saturday 31 August
Cycling will cross the border to Victoria with the Casterton to Heywood 94km endurance race on Friday 30 August followed by the Cape Bridgewater Lakes circuit on Saturday 31 August.

Day 6- Sunday 1 September
A final street party celebration will be held on the final day for the 48km Portland CBD criterium with racing on the foreshore waterfront.