Tour Down Under 2026 | Cyclingnews

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Stage 2: Jay Vine and Jhonatan Narváez go 1-2 after powerful attack on Corkscrew climb / As it happened

Stage 2 was always going to bring the first GC shake up, but UAE Team Emirates-XRG really took that and ran with it, going on a two-up attack to deliver Jay Vine to the stage win and race lead, with defending champion Narváez in third. The pair put just shy of a minute into their closest rivals, a gap that is basically unheard of in this race which can come down to bonus seconds.

Stage 1: Tobias Lund Andresen holds off speeding Matthew Brennan to win tight sprint / As it happened

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Stage 1 ended in the expected bunch sprint, but it wasn’t the winner everyone expected, with Tobias Lund Andresen (Decathlon CMA CGM) holding off the favourites to win in Tanunda. Six-time stage winner Sam Welsford (Ineos Grenadiers) suffered a messy lead-out, whilst Matthew Brennan (Visma-Lease a Bike) finished incredibly fast but came from too far back, and couldn’t quite catch Lund Andresen on the line. The Dane moved into the race lead with his victory.

Prologue: Samuel Watson edges out Ethan Vernon for victory / As it happened

Sam Watson (Ineos Grenadiers) repeated his prologue victory from the Tour de Romandie last year by hitting the top spot early on in the short, flat time trial through the streets of Adelaide. Ethan Vernon (NSN) finished just half a second back, but none of the late GC names could come close, with Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) the best placed of the overall favourites, in fourth.

Men’s Tour Down Under information

The Australian six-stage event, centred in Adelaide, with stages held across South Australia in the height of the southern hemisphere summer, usually delivers a sweltering opener to the new WorldTour season.

The race, which has been part of the WorldTour since 2008, starts in Adelaide with a 3.6km prologue time trial on January 20 and concludes in Sterling on January 25.

Australian riders often impress after spending the winter at home, but with WorldTour status creating a strong international field, there is no guarantee the Aussies will have it all their way.

Previous winners include Simon Gerrans, who has won the race on four occasions in 2012, 2014, 2006, and 2016. Tied for twice winning the overall title are Richie Porte (in 2017 and 2020), Stuart O’Grady (in 1999 and 2001), Daryl Impey (2018 and 2019) and Andre Greipel (2010 and 2008).

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Since its inception in 1999, the race was cancelled for two editions due to COVID-19 in 2021 and 2022. The most recent overall winner was Jhonatan Narváez (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) in 2025.

Narváez will return to lead UAE Team Emirates-XRG in the 2026 edition of the race.

Cyclingnews is on the ground for the season-opening 2026 Tour Down Under, and a subscription gives you unlimited access to our unrivalled coverage. From breaking news and analysis to exclusive interviews and tech, we’ve got you covered as the new season gets underway in Australia. Find out more.

Tour Down Under start list

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2026 Men’s Tour Down Under stages

Prologue: Adelaide – Adelaide TT 3.6kmStage 1: Tanunda – Tanunda, 120.6kmStage 2: Norwood – Uraidla, 148.1kmStage 3: Adelaide – Nairne, 140.8kmStage 4: Brighton – Willunga Hill, 176kmStage 5: Stirling – Stirling, 169.8km