At Saturday night's annual Tour Legends dinner, naming rights sponsor Santos was confirmed for another next three years.

It is a big boost for the Tour, now in its 21st year and well entrenched as Australian cycling's most prominent annual event.

The Tour entered a new era this year, with the Queen stage at Willunga also ending the race for the first time.

There has been a significant turnover of key staff in the last couple of years and the State government also changed last March.

As Turtur stressed, first and foremost the Tour is a state tourism promotion, not a bike race.

"That was a good announcement; very good for the race, of course, both men and women," Turtur said before the start of Sunday's sixth and final stage.

"So it consolidates us, moving forward."

Turtur's decision to make Willunga the final stage has worked, with the title in doubt and big names such as Australian Richie Porte in contention.

It comes the day after one of the biggest stages in Tour history.

New Zealander Patrick Bevin crashed 10km from the finish and bravely rode back to retain his overall lead, while Australian sprint ace Caleb Ewan was relegated from the stage win for a headbutting incident.

"I predicted a simple, straightforward stage could produce some surprises and it did," Turtur said.

"They're the classic stages where you think 'ah, we'll amble along, we'll do a couple of intermediate sprints, it will be a big bunch sprint at the end and nothing much will happen in between'.

"It was a full-on day ... the finish was just a ripper."

Australian Associated Press