Rolling Coverage: ’26 Tour Down Under

Welcome to the Ride On magazine / Bicycle Network coverage of the 2026 Santos Tour Down Under.

Coming to you live from Adelaide, this rolling post will feature all the day-by-day highlights.

Coverage is presented by Bicycle Network. Not a member? Join today for comprehensive insurance and peace of mind every time you ride.

Sunday January 25, 5:45 pm

An eventful final stage including a kangaroo nearly derailed Jay Vine’s chances of winning a second Santos Tour Down Under on Sunday.

Vine spent anxious seconds with his heart in his mouth, perhaps wondering how he had hit the deck during efex Stage 5 in Stirling.

“I can’t fathom how much bad luck we have had in the last couple of days,” Vine said after claiming his second overall Tour Down Under victory since 2023.

“We’ve got guys that are in the hospital. I have come out unscathed, but you never want that to happen. “All the Europeans (riders) always ask me what’s the most dangerous animal in Australia, and I tell them kangaroos.

“They (kangaroos) wait in the bushes until you cannot stop and then they jump out in front of you.”

Matthew Brennan Takes The Stage

Great Britain’s Matthew Brennan (Team Visma Lease a Bike) won the stage at Stirling before Vine’s GC 1min 03 sec time gap over second-placed Mauro Schmid (Jayco AlUla) and Australia’s Harry Sweeney (EF Education Oatly) third overall.

“It was quite chaotic (at the finish), we knew we couldn’t do a proper lead out,” Brennan said.

“Everyone (on my team) was happy with the win.” 

Vine’s GC was the second biggest time gap in Tour Down Under history, behind South Australia’s Patrick Jonker, who won by 1min 13 sec in 2004.

But it wasn’t the perfect efex Stage 5 race for Vine.

Vine lost another two UAE Team Emirates XRG teammates during the stage Mikkel Berg and Juan Sebastian Molano after the kangaroo incident.

Jhonatan Narvaez – the 2025 Tour Down Under champion – and Vegard Stake Laengden were forced out of the race during the Think! Road Safety Stage 4 on Saturday.

However, Vine, despite the fall on Sunday, recovered and got back on a teammate’s bike after his team’s staff assessed the situation, claiming the 2023 win was one he will never forget.

“I don’t know what’s better,” Vine said. “But I got a stage win this year, the surprise of 2023 was nicer.”

Vine had good company in Stirling as the stage race was drawing to a close. His two remaining team members Adam Yates and Ivo Oliveira were relentless and surrounded the 2026 Tour Down Under stage winner and the 2025 KOM at the Vuelta a Espana in a bid to keep him out of harm’s way.

However, Menno Huising (Team Visma Lease a Bike) wasn’t as lucky as he was forced to abandon race.

Oliveria and Yates worked extremely hard to pull the peloton about 10km before the Mount Barker Road finish line after the 169.8km final stage started frenetically.

There was attack after attack as soon as race director Stuart O’Grady waved the green flag after a neutral start from Mount Barker Road, Stirling.

Stirling at the start line was a comfortable 31C in the tree-lined street.

Jayco AlUla’s Luke Plapp, who was celebrating his 50^th race day in Australia, was at the front of the race – just as he was during the scorching Think! Road Safety stage 4 Brighton to Willunga on Saturday.

Plapp, 25, was joined by fellow Australian Robert Stannard (Bahrain Victorious) and Dutchman Pascal Eenkhoorn (Soudal Quick-Step).

The trio led by 2min 46 sec before Plapp had to replace a punctured tyre.   

Eenkhoorn earned maximum bonus Ziptrak intermediate sprint seconds for the first time at Heathfield, followed by Stannard and Plapp.

Plapp was then rewarded when he picked up maximum points for the efex King of the Mountain for the first time at Stirling, but it didn’t dent Martin Urianstad Bugge’s (UnoX Mobility) chances of keeping the 2026 KOM jersey for good.

Saturday January 24, 4:20 pm

Extreme fire danger was the reason Stage 4 of the Tour Down Under was adjusted, the route being shortened and start bought forward an hour to combat temperatures of more than 40 degrees.

The stage still started in Brighton before heading towards Willunga, with the famous hill excluded from the stage due to safety concerns.

UK rider Ethan Vernon overcame the searing heat to claim a maiden Santos Tour Down Under stage victory, but not before signifant on course drama.

“I really wanted to win out there and start the season strong, and to be the first rider (from the team) to be in this jersey is really special,” Vernon said.

“When I left my home country (Andorra) it was minus 15C so it was a big shock to the weather difference.

“In the end, the boys looked after me and kept me cool and showed that in the end they supported me the best.

“We had to readopt our plan, and we lost Corbin (Strong) and Jake (Stewart) at the start of the stage. In the end, it showed we can communicate and adapt to situations that are chucked at us.”  

Tobias Lund Andresen (Decathlon CMA CGM Team), who has been consistently brilliant throughout the stage race, finished second ahead of Laurence Pithie (Red Bull BORA Hansgrohe).

Australia’s Jay Vine ended the stage in the Santos Ochre Leader’s jersey, but he lost two teammates during the race.

The reigning Santos Tour Down Under champion, Ecuadorian Jhonatan Narvaez (UAE Emirates XRG) abandoned and was taken to the hospital for observation. He was only six seconds behind Vine on the GC before the shortened stage on Saturday before crashing inside the first 20kms.

The team suffered another blow when Norway’s Vegard Stake Laengen abandoned the race so too did fan favourite Danny Van Poppel (Red Bull BORA Hansgrohe). 

Considerably cooler temperatures will greet the riders for Sunday’s Stirling stage, with scenic loops through towns including Mylor and Aldgate inviting fans to embrace the action. 

At nearly 170 kilometres this is among the longest closing stages in Santos Tour Down Under history, chosen by race director Stuart O’Grady OAM to keep the world’s best working strategically until the very last moment. 

We’ll see a two-kilometre climb on approach to Stirling, sprints in Heathfield and a weary winner emerge after a huge day in the saddle.   

Friday January 23, 4:55 pm

Sam Welsford was visibly emotional as he rolled across the line first at Nairne, claiming today’s Stage 3 and delivering Henley Beach a debut finish for the Santos Tour Down Under.

It marked Welsford’s first win for INEOS Grenadiers, following two highly successful seasons with Red Bull BORA hansgrohe, where he collected six Tour Down Under stage victories. This one, though, carried extra weight.

“For me it’s one of my most special wins,” Welsford said. “Last year was really hard with injuries and broken bones. I lost a lot of belief, and as a sprinter you need that confidence and momentum. I kind of lost my way a bit.”

“To come here and win on a day that probably didn’t suit me on paper — not a pure sprint day — I’m really happy with that.”

The Nairne finish, near the former home of Chapman’s Smallgoods, was widely seen as the final opportunity for the pure sprinters before the race heads to Stirling on Sunday — and Welsford made it count, securing his 13th UCI WorldTour victory.

Up the road earlier, a three-man break featuring Enzo Paleni (Groupama–FDJ), Baptiste Veistroffer (Lotto–Intermarché) and efex King of the Mountains leader Martin Urianstad Bugge animated the stage, building a lead of just over a minute. Bugge added more KOM points at Wickham Hill as the peloton, led by UAE Team Emirates XRG, remained composed.

As the race approached its final third, sprint teams began to tighten the screws, reeling the break back before the decisive run into Nairne.

Behind the scenes, Jay Vine retained the Santos Ochre Leader’s Jersey, well protected by UAE Team Emirates XRG on a day built for the fast men. Vine remains six seconds ahead of teammate Jhonatan Narvaez, with Jayco AlUla’s Mauro Schmid still 1:05 adrift.

“The last 50 kilometres were really stressful,” Vine said. “But the team looked after me, and it was just about staying upright and out of trouble.”

Thursday January 22, 5:10 pm

Jay Vine has once again stamped his authority on the Santos Tour Down Under, detonating the race on the Corkscrew and reminding the peloton exactly who owns this climb.

The 2023 champion delivered a decisive blow on Stage 2 launching clear on the final ascent to claim the stage ahead of UAE Team Emirates XRG teammate Jhonatan Narvaez. The pair crossed the line together at Uraidla, well clear of the rest.

“Adam did an amazing job in the lead-up,” Vine said. “The whole team committed all day, so for it to come together at the end was really nice.”

Vine now holds a commanding overall lead, sitting 1 minute 5 seconds clear of Jayco AlUla’s Mauro Schmid, with Narvaez just six seconds behind in second place. It marks Vine’s first Tour Down Under stage win, adding to an already impressive resume that includes multiple Vuelta a España stage victories and a King of the Mountains title.

Despite the advantage, Vine was quick to play it down.

“Anything can happen,” he said. “But compared to my last Tour, this is a much more secure position. Having Jhonny in second puts us in a very strong spot.”

The stage came alive early when Uno-X’s Martin Urianstad Bugge helped animate a seven-rider breakaway, hoovering up King of the Mountain points and stretching the lead beyond two minutes. The peloton, sensing danger, ramped the pace dramatically along Gorge Road as teams scrambled for position ahead of the first Corkscrew ascent.

A late mechanical for Narvaez briefly disrupted UAE’s plans, but the Ecuadorian was shepherded back before the decisive moment. The break was reeled in just before the second ascent, where UAE Team Emirates XRG took full control.

With Adam Yates drilling the pace, Vine launched with perfect timing near the summit, Narvaez glued to his wheel. The pair instantly gapped the field, opening daylight on the rest of the contenders and effectively reshaping the general classification.

Vine will now pull on the Ochre Leader’s Jersey for Friday’s Ziptrak Stage 3 from Henley Beach to Nairne — firmly in control, but fully aware the race is far from over.

Wednesday January 21, 6:15 pm

Canada’s Maggie Coles-Lyster incredibly claimed the Vanguard Women’s One Day Race in Tanunda after coming back from a crash. It was biggest win after her Canadian national road title in 2022.

“I crashed with two laps to go, and I tried the whole week just to try and be calm,” Coles-Lyster said.

“It’s just sinking in, the pressure, it really felt like a criterium, and I love that racing.

“I felt like this was my happy place, there were lots of attacks, and it was really punchy.

“People were expecting me to be a bit tired after the TDU, but that wasn’t the case out there.

“The number of good Canadian riders right now on the podium and winning is really inspiring the nation, like (ice) hockey is the primary sport.

“Now cycling is very much on the radar.”

The final lap saw several of the favourites suddenly up the ante, which saw crashes about 1.4km from the Tanunda finish line.

However, the favoured sprinters remained unscathed before Coles-Lyster was the best in a bunch sprint finish, claiming it took her 4km after the crash to get back to the peloton.

The UCI ProSeries peloton was missing seven starters from the Santos Women’s Tour Under, including two-time stage winner Ally Wollaston (FDJ United – SUEZ), and 11 starters abandoned the race.

Wednesday January 21, 4:10 pm

Tobias Lund Andresen wins Stage 1 of the 2026 Tour Down Under in Tanunda.

The 23-year-old Dane upstaged Britain’s Matthew Brennan and hot favourite Australia’s Sam Welsford at the finish line after the 120.6km stage.

“When I crossed the finish line I could see wheels coming up on both sides, but with a lead-out like this, it really sets you up for a win,” he said.

“There were cross-winds the last 5km so we wanted to be in a good position, and I think we did really well to stay together.

“I just had to commit and trust my teammates and it ended up like this.”

Max Van Der Meulen, 22, crashed heavily into a barrier not long after the first Ziptrak intermediate sprint on the way to Angaston and was assessed for concussion.

His team, Bahrain Victorious, issued a statement declaring the Dutchman’s health was a concern after he was taken to the hospital by ambulance.

The team confirmed that Van Der Muelen was “conscious and communicating” on his way to the hospital.

Tuesday 10 pm

Great Britain’s Sam Watson has stormed to victory in the Santos Tour Down Under Prologue, and pulled on the Ochre Leader’s Jersey.

An individual TT ridden on road bikes, the 24-year-old INEOS Grenadiers rider set the benchmark early on Tuesday night, then spent the next two hours watching 129 rivals try to beat his time over the 3.6-kilometre circuit.

“It was a big sigh of relief,” Watson said. “I’m really happy to start the season with a win.”

Watson stopped the clock at 4:16.9, averaging 50.7km/h, and immediately put the peloton on notice ahead of Stage 1 from Tanunda to Tanunda.

Canada’s Michael Leonard finished 13th to claim the MyWhoosh young rider jersey, while Jay Vine was the standout local, riding strongly into fourth place — just four seconds shy of Watson — to cap off a lively Prologue.

With the race now rolling into the Barossa, attention quickly turns to Watson’s teammate Sam Welsford, who looms as the favourite for the Tanunda sprint finish. Watson confirmed INEOS will fully commit to the fast man.

“We’re going 100 per cent for him,” Watson said. “He’s won here six times in the last two years. Whatever Sam needs, I’ll be there late.”

Tuesday January 20, 8:30 am

With the Women’s race over, and the men’s beginning with the Prologue at 6 pm tonight, what’s on in Adelaide today?

For starters there are bunch and group rides galore – to find out further details the best bet is to ask exibitors at the village of visit one of the many established bike shops or industry pop ups around Adelaide city.

Health Partners Family Day – from 2 pm

A bumper day at Victoria Park kicks off at 2pm with the Health Partners Family Day. There are food trucks, a bar and music and kids activities including mini-motorbikes from Yamaha, a craft station, Oppy tattoos and face painting.

Santos Para Cycling Criterium – from 2:30 pm

Catch all the action from the SASI Para Cycling Program featuring rising talent alongside world champions and Paralympic medallists.

Health Partners Family Ride – 4 pm

Join Olympic marathon star Jess Stenson and ride the same circuit as the professionals and complete as many laps as possible before the riders arrive for the prologue. Registrations are from 2pm and the track will be cleared by 5.15pm.

Prologue – 6 pm

The men’s Santos Tour Down Under officially gets under way with a race against the clock, each rider starting from the CBD and riding a 3.6km circuit into the finish at Victoria Park. The lead rider will be in the hot seat until the podium presentation from 8.40pm.

Live Site – from 6pm

If you can’t get to Victoria Park the next best thing is the free Live Site at 83 Hutt St. The action will live on the big screen with pop-up picnic vibes.

Monday January 19, 5 pm

Swiss rider Noemi Ruegg has claimed consecutive Santos Women’s Tour Down Under titles for the first time since Australian legend Amanda Spratt completed a hat-trick of victories in 2019.

Ruegg, 24, powered to the top of the general classification after beating three star rivals from UAE Team ADQ to win the final Hyundai Stage 3 on Maryvale Road, Athelstone, on Monday.

“Yeah, we came into the race with ambition to defend the GC (general classification),’’ Ruegg said.

“And for a stage win as well. I knew I was in great form, but I still hesitated a bit. I wasn’t sure how well I would actually do, but the other team believed in me so much, and we had a plan every day that we committed to, and everyone was so committed and trusted in me.

Ruegg incredibly outwitted three riders, UAE Team ADQ’s Dominika Wlodarczyk, Paula Blasi and Mavi Garcia, 500m from the finish line to earn the coveted crown for a second time.

Ruegg appeared to be out of gas for the first Corkscrew Road climb.

However, she received a new lease of life when UCI World Champion teammate Magdeleine Vallieres nursed the Swiss star back to life where she had aggressively overcome the Corkscrew Road for the second time.

“I knew if I went into the last 500m with them (UAE Team ADQ members) then nothing can happen anymore,” Ruegg said.

“I didn’t want to believe it (the win) too early but it’s crazy.”

Blasi, who won the 2026 Tour Down Under efex Queen of the Mountain Jersey, said her team would dissect what went wrong, given it had strength in numbers before Ruegg powered to victory.

“At the last 500m we misunderstood each other,” Blasi said.

“We didn’t communicate that well, we tried to play our cards before the finish line.”

Ruegg’s EF Education Oatly’s team plan wasn’t evident early in the race.

The major general classification contenders, including back-to-back 2026 stage winner and Monday’s Santos Ochre Jersey leader Ally Wollaston, were all well protected by their teams.

The definitive calm among the GC favourites was evident before the Corkscrew Road double Category 1 climb storm as Austria’s Carina Schrempf broke away to open a 45-second lead with 107km before the finish.

Team tactics then shifted quickly when Mikayla Harvey (Team SD Worx Protime) and Rosita Reinhout (Team Visma – Lease a Bike) attacked in a bid to close Schrempf’s gap with a little more than 102km before the finish line.

Harvey then joined Schrempf at the front of the race as counterattacks were mostly conquered, testing the resilience of the peloton in a show of attrition.

The pair – at one stage of the race – led by nearly six minutes before the peloton started to gain serious ground on Gorge Road, then turned left to tackle the first Corkscrew Road lap, which created history for the women’s tour.

It was the first time the toilsome climb, which peaks at a 19.8 per cent maximum gradient, was granted the thrilling presence of the best UCI WorldTour women’s cyclists on the planet twice in the one stage.

Climbing the 2.5km Corkscrew was expected to be the most challenging part of the race before the fast Montacute Road descent.

UAE Team ADQ showed their hand when veteran Garcia, Wlodarczyk and Blasi and Sarah Van Dam (Team Visma – Lease a Bike) caught Harvey and Schrempf at the first switchback, opening an 11-second gap over three-time Spratt (Lidl-Trek) and Ruegg.

Wlodarczyk earned the first efex Queen of the Mountain points at the summit peak while Van Dam picked up a handy sprint time bonus on Maryvale Road to make her the virtual GC leader of the time.

The Pole was first to hit the Corkscrew for a second time, but it was Spratt, 38, who instigated a brave attack as Wlodarczyk showed signs of fatigue.

Wlodarczyk had teammate Blasi with her on the descent, and Spratt was lurking alongside Ruegg.

The Swiss reigning Tour Down Under champion was far too good in the final sprint.

Ruegg and the rest of the UCI WorldTour Women’s peloton return to action on Wednesday afternoon for the Vanguard women’s one-day race for priceless UCI points in Tanunda. 

Sunday January 18 3:35 pm

Ally Wollaston promised she would honour the Santos Tour Down Under leader’s jersey.

Today she did exactly that, and in style.

The Kiwi allrounder successfully defended the Santos Ochre Leader’s Jersey with a composed, gutsy ride on Stage 2, which rolled out from Magill for the first time in race history and finished atop Paracombe. Backed by a superb FDJ United–SUEZ team effort, Wollaston held firm before sprinting clear from a reduced group at the summit.

“It was bloody tough … it was a really tough day out there,” Wollaston said. “The pressure was on our team all day and there was a very strong breakaway. It was touch and go on that final ascent, but we had the strength to bring it back.”

Wollaston carried a 10-second advantage into the stage over Josie Nelson, Amber Kraak, Léa Curinier and Marie Le Net after winning Saturday’s Ziptrak Stage 1, and she emerged from Sunday still in control — though fully aware of what lies ahead.

Monday’s Hyundai Stage 3 from Norwood to Campbelltown looms as a very different test. The back-to-back ascents of Corkscrew Road, followed by a lightning-fast descent to the finish on Maryvale Road in Athelstone, will stretch both legs and tactics — and Wollaston was realistic about her chances.

“I think it could be a miracle if I make it over Corkscrew,” she said with a grin. “But I’ll give it a good shot.”

While Wollaston downplayed her own prospects, she flagged a potential wildcard within her team.

“I think Lauren Dickson is a real unknown in the peloton right now. The way she was climbing today was phenomenal — she was in almost every move. She could be a really good card to play.”

Elsewhere, it was a tough day for Australian outfit LIV AlUla Jayco, which started the stage already reduced after Georgia Baker failed to line up following a knee injury sustained in Saturday’s crash. Baker joined Amber Pate on the sidelines, but the team still animated the race after Paula Blasi (UAE Team ADQ) claimed the first efex Queen of the Mountain points at Ashton.

The race also lost one of its major contenders when Brodie Chapman (UAE Team ADQ), the 2023 Australian road champion, abandoned with 66 kilometres remaining – a blow that reshaped the dynamics of the stage.

Saturday January 17 4:41 pm

Ally Wollaston has won a thrilling Stage 1 of the Santos Tour Down Under, the New Zealander now wearing the Ochre Leader’s Jersey after the win in Willunga.

The race came down to the line, with Italian rider Alessia Vigilia of team Uno-X Mobility staying out the front solo until just 250 metres from the finish. Caught on the final drag to the line, she didn’t win the race but earned a huge round of applause before landing the EF Education-Taylor’s

Stage winner Ally Wollaston said despite the tough chase she never doubted her team would make the catch.

“We were fully committed to the plan of sprinting, so the girls had full belief in me. The girls rode so amazingly, they were all there for me and the final sprint,” she said.

“Amber (Kraak) rode the front basically the whole race (and) I really owe that to them. I’m so thankful that I could finish it off for the girls.”

Baril claimed the Ziptrak intermediate sprint at Snapper Point’s 17.3km mark in the longest stage in women’s TDU history. For the first time in Santos Women’s Tour Down Under history, the stage race paraded all 14 UCI WorldTeams for the 137.4km race.

Saturday January 17 1:30 pm

Photo Gallery: Fans & riders during stage 1 of the 2026 Tour Down Under

Friday January 16, 9 pm

The teams presentations has come to a finish as the 140 men from 20 teams, and 75 ladies from 15 teams, are introduced to what looked to be record TDU crowds at Victoria Square / Tarntanyangga in central Adelaide.

Commentators Matt Keenan, Gracie Elvin and Dave McKenzie introduced the teams and riders – here’s a gallery of the highlights.

Friday January 16, 1 pm

Some of the world’s leading female professional riders assemble for a press conference prior to tomorrow’s Stage 1 of the 2026 Tour Down Under.

Speaking at the media event are Assistant Race Director Carlee Taylor, Magdeleine Vallieres (EF Education-Oatley), Noemi Rüegg (EF Education-Oatley), Mackenzie Coupland (Liv AIUla Jayco), Chloé Dygert (Canyon–SRAM zondacrypto) and Race Director Stuart O’Grady.

More to come …