South Australia is set to welcome one of the strongest line-ups in Santos Tour Down Under history, with reigning champion Jhonatan Narváez (pictured above) returning to defend the Ochre Jersey as part of a star-studded UAE Team Emirates-XRG squad for the 2026 race.
Narváez, who claimed overall honours last year, headlines a formidable seven-man team that also includes Australian ace Jay Vine, the 2023 Tour Down Under winner. Vine arrives in Adelaide following another standout international season, highlighted by back-to-back mountains classification wins at the Vuelta a Espana, plus a silver medal in the individual time trial and gold in the mixed relay at the UCI World Championships.
Adding further depth to the UAE Team Emirates-XRG roster is British star Adam Yates, a proven Grand Tour stage winner and overall champion of the Tour de Suisse, Tour of Romandie and Volta a Catalunya, as the team looks to secure back-to-back Tour Down Under titles.
The full start list for the Santos Tour Down Under has now been officially revealed, confirming an action-packed January for cycling fans. The three-stage women’s race will run from January 17 to 19, followed by the Vanguard Women’s One Day Race in the Barossa on January 21. The men’s race begins with the South Australia Prologue on January 20, before five challenging road stages conclude the event on January 25.
On the men’s side, the field will feature 140 riders representing all 18 UCI WorldTeams, alongside the Australian national team and Swiss ProSeries outfit Tudor Pro Cycling, owned by cycling great Fabian Cancellara, who will be in Adelaide for the race.
Australian sprint star Sam Welsford is set to make his Tour Down Under debut with INEOS Grenadiers, having already won six stages across the past two editions of the race. INEOS Grenadiers will also field Australians Jack Haig and Lucas Hamilton, alongside former world champion Michał Kwiatkowski and stage winner Ben Swift.
Team Jayco AlUla will fly the flag for Australia with Ben O’Connor targeting the Ochre Leader’s Jersey after his queen stage victory at last year’s Tour de France, supported by an experienced and well-rounded squad.
The women’s race is equally stacked, with the strongest field in Tour Down Under history welcoming 90 riders from all 14 UCI WorldTeams for the first time. Defending champion Noemi Rüegg returns alongside newly crowned world champion Magdeleine Vallieres for EF Education-Oatly, while Australian favourites including Ruby Roseman-Gannon, Amanda Spratt and South Australian stage winner Alex Manly are set to light up the roads.
Tour Down Under Race Director Stuart O’Grady said the depth of talent reflects the growing challenge of the race, with longer stages, more climbs and, for the first time, multiple ascents of iconic routes including the Corkscrew and Willunga Hill.
With world champions, Grand Tour winners and returning titleholders all choosing to open their seasons in South Australia, the 2026 Santos Tour Down Under is shaping up as a must-watch start to the international cycling calendar.
For all the details, head to https://tourdownunder.com.au/
More News
