Hot racing coming up in Australia

[yaco]

Jayco has already sent their riders a list of their roles for the National RR on 11th January. They will try to set it up for O'Connor.

 

[Rockestar_33]

Men's Start List | Santos Tour Down Under

Every year, UCI WorldTeams travel to South Australia to race in Australia's greatest cycling race, the Santos Tour Down Under. View the men's team and riders who are racing in the 2026 Santos Tour Down Under.

tourdownunder.com.au

Good GC list actually. I reckon Vine wins it

 

[yaco]

This is a really good start list on both the GC and sprinters side.. The rider to watch for me is A.Yates who has been domiciled in Australia for 6 weeks preparing for this race. One thing that becomes apparent is that Jayco has always been reluctant to bring non-Aussies to the TDU, yet, other teams are happy to bring ex Jayco riders. Anyway, I'll be on the ground and hope to meet a few riders.

 

[Berniece]

Men's Start List | Santos Tour Down Under

Every year, UCI WorldTeams travel to South Australia to race in Australia's greatest cycling race, the Santos Tour Down Under. View the men's team and riders who are racing in the 2026 Santos Tour Down Under.

tourdownunder.com.au

Good GC list actually. I reckon Vine wins it

Because of that short ITT? Do they work with bonus seconds at the finish? Because there’s also FFB and LVE

 

[Samamba]

At first glace the parcours looks a bit harder than last few years no? That Corkscrew side on stage 2 seems decently long? Not sure if it's actually hard.

Also don't think that TT will be really relevant for GC with boni, or at least not for the top spots, will probably make the difference for some positions at the back of the top 10.

 

[Rockestar_33]

Because of that short ITT? Do they work with bonus seconds at the finish? Because there’s also FFB and LVE

I think the entire profile suits him, and that ITT is better for him than Plapp or the other GC favourites.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

The rider to watch for me is A.Yates who has been domiciled in Australia for 6 weeks preparing for this race

How do you know that? I saw that Yates was at UAE camp in Costa blanca before Christmas which was 9-17 December. So did he go to Australia basically straight after end of season 2025 to do 6 weeks and then fly back for training camp? Or do you mean 6 weeks from ~18 December until after the Aussie races? Sorry mate not saying you're lying but you confused me a bit.

 

[Berniece]

I think the entire profile suits him, and that ITT is better for him than Plapp or the other GC favourites.

But it’s so short and I don’t see him win sprints for boni’s

 

[Rockestar_33]

At first glace the parcours looks a bit harder than last few years no? That Corkscrew side on stage 2 seems decently long? Not sure if it's actually hard.

Also don't think that TT will be really relevant for GC with boni, or at least not for the top spots, will probably make the difference for some positions at the back of the top 10.

They're going up the longer but easier side unfortunately but it still has a little bit that gets above 10%. It's a tough little climb.

Only thing they could have done to make this better for me is if they added Mt Lofty to stage 3 as the summit finish instead of Nairne (turn left after the descent instead of right) as that's the more challenging side of Mt Lofty as well, has an inconsistent gradient up that side.

 

[Rockestar_33]

But it’s so short and I don’t see him win sprints for boni’s

I think he can gap the others up Willunga.

 

[Squire]

I think he can gap the others up Willunga.

Very wind dependent. If it's like 2025, it will be more for the FFBs and Narvaezes. But that Corkscrew thing looks promising compared to last year's parcours.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Is a GC bid out of the question for Brennan?

 

[Rockestar_33]

Very wind dependent. If it's like 2025, it will be more for the FFBs and Narvaezes. But that Corkscrew thing looks promising compared to last year's parcours.

It's a good climb, but as I said they're going up the longer but easier side (the other side is 2.3/2.4 km at around 10%), unfortunately they're not coming up the other side for the second time and finished somewhere like Athelstone or Campbelltown

Is a GC bid out of the question for Brennan?

He'll get dropped in stages 2 and 4.

 

[yaco]

How do you know that? I saw that Yates was at UAE camp in Costa blanca before Christmas which was 9-17 December. So did he go to Australia basically straight after end of season 2025 to do 6 weeks and then fly back for training camp? Or do you mean 6 weeks from ~18 December until after the Aussie races? Sorry mate not saying you're lying but you confused me a bit.

He flew back to Europe for the training camp.

 

[yaco]

The injuries have aready started. Smulders who finished 2nd in 2025 and was Liv Alula Jayco's GC is out after a training crash. i assume Liv will shoehorn Baker into the team to sprint and hope Wylie rides a blinder.

 

[ingsve]

At first glace the parcours looks a bit harder than last few years no? That Corkscrew side on stage 2 seems decently long? Not sure if it's actually hard.

Also don't think that TT will be really relevant for GC with boni, or at least not for the top spots, will probably make the difference for some positions at the back of the top 10.

It will make a difference for anyone not good at ITTs. If you lose 20s on the ITT them you can forget about winning the race overall. You won't be able to get that type of gap on Willunga, or any of the other stages, on everyone in front of you.

 

[Rockestar_33]

It will make a difference for anyone not good at ITTs. If you lose 20s on the ITT them you can forget about winning the race overall. You won't be able to get that type of gap on Willunga, or any of the other stages, on everyone in front of you.

If anyone is losing 20 seconds on a 3.6 km ITT they're obviously going as a domestique.

 

[Samamba]

It will make a difference for anyone not good at ITTs. If you lose 20s on the ITT them you can forget about winning the race overall. You won't be able to get that type of gap on Willunga, or any of the other stages, on everyone in front of you.

No one who has ambition to win this loses 20s on this TT to some other favorite.

 

[Rockestar_33]

No one who has ambition to win this loses 20s on this TT to some other favorite.

Let's say it's between Yates, O'Connor, Narvaes, Vine, Plapp, Buitrago, Martin, Fisher-Black, Haig and Zana in terms of GC.

You'd say Plapp and Vine are the two best ITT riders of that group and then Martin comfortably the worst. Last year Plapp put 4.7 s/km into Martin in the 33 km Tour ITT, which equates to about 17 seconds. Not the most reliable guide as the 30 extra km exacerbates the difference. I think there'll probably be a 10-12 second gap in reality.

 

[AlfaLum]

Is a GC bid out of the question for Brennan?

Thats the big question. He won on similar terrain in Norway, but Willunga is a bit harder and with more competition.

I think in form he can definitely survive stage 2. But stage is a big question mark even in very good shape for now. Will be interesting too see for sure.

 

[Samamba]

Let's say it's between Yates, O'Connor, Narvaes, Vine, Plapp, Buitrago, Martin, Fisher-Black, Haig and Zana in terms of GC.

You'd say Plapp and Vine are the two best ITT riders of that group and then Martin comfortably the worst. Last year Plapp put 4.7 s/km into Martin in the 33 km Tour ITT, which equates to about 17 seconds. Not the most reliable guide as the 30 extra km exacerbates the difference. I think there'll probably be a 10-12 second gap in reality.

I was talking about potentially winning and you mention Martin. He's obviously absolute *** at these kind of short TTs, he can lose 20s but TT or not, he's not coming close or he needs to be the only one in form here.

 

[AlfaLum]

I was talking about potentially winning and you mention Martin. He's obviously absolute *** at these kind of short TTs, he can lose 20s but TT or not, he's not coming close or he needs to be the only one in form here.

Dont think Haig or Zana have a very good chance of winning either. Eetvelt does reserve a mention though and maybe Ronnie as well after last year.

 

[Rockestar_33]

I was talking about potentially winning and you mention Martin. He's obviously absolute *** at these kind of short TTs, he can lose 20s but TT or not, he's not coming close or he needs to be the only one in form here.

Eh, I have a soft spot for him despite him being, well, him. I don't think he wins but the race puts up some odd results and it's a harder race than most years.

Dont think Haig or Zana have a very good chance of winning either. Eetvelt does reserve a mention though and maybe Ronnie as well after last year.

Haig probably not but I think Zana will like Willunga. van Eetvelt I thought I mentioned, oversight on my part.

 

[Berniece]

I was talking about potentially winning and you mention Martin. He's obviously absolute *** at these kind of short TTs, he can lose 20s but TT or not, he's not coming close or he needs to be the only one in form here.

What can we expect from LVE. Is he planning on starting the season in decent shape or really building up towards spring?

 

[Rockestar_33]

Unfortunately a weak Nats with Stannard, Scotson, Haig, both Hamilton's, Sweeney, Fox, Schultz, Drizners and Tuckwell electing not to race there despite riding the TDU.

Expect Jayco to control the race with someone (probably Durbridge or O'Brien) in the break