Known by cyclists as "Satan's Velodrome", the Simpson Desert claimed a further 12 riders on day two - leaving only one out of 30 starters still eligible to complete 100% of the 580km from Purnie Bore to Birdsville.
Yesterday's event leader, Lynton Stretton from Emu Park in Queensland succumbed to the extreme conditions this morning. Riders battled head winds, 40-plus degree temperatures, and very soft sand on some flat sections which made it difficult for riders to finish the stage within the allocated time.
Swipe to scroll horizontally
| # | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result | Header Cell - Column 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alan Keeneleside (Aus) | 100 | % Completed |
| 2 | Lynton Stretton (Aus) | 91 | Row 1 - Cell 3 |
| 3 | Jason Dreggs (Aus) | 89 | Row 2 - Cell 3 |
| 4 | Andrew Jamieson (NZl) | 86 | Row 3 - Cell 3 |
| 5 | Ken Schack-Evans (Aus) | 83 | Row 4 - Cell 3 |
| 6 | Michael Dalton (Aus) | 82 | Row 5 - Cell 3 |
| 7 | Jeff Rooney (Aus) | 82 | Row 6 - Cell 3 |
| 8 | Kane Chandler (Aus) | 80 | Row 7 - Cell 3 |
| 9 | Kerry Richards (Aus) | 76 | Row 8 - Cell 3 |
| 10 | Ben Turner (Aus) | 74 | Row 9 - Cell 3 |
| 11 | Al Descantes (Aus) | 74 | Row 10 - Cell 3 |
| 12 | Rodney Edwards (Aus) | 73 | Row 11 - Cell 3 |
| 13 | Leon Colbert (Aus) | 72 | Row 12 - Cell 3 |
| 14 | Roman Petr (Svk) | 71 | Row 13 - Cell 3 |
| 15 | Katarina Cervikova (Svk) | 69 | Row 14 - Cell 3 |
| 16 | Billy Johnstone (Aus) | 66 | Row 15 - Cell 3 |
| 17 | Simon Holland (Aus) | 65 | Row 16 - Cell 3 |
| 18 | Mark McLaren (Aus) | 63 | Row 17 - Cell 3 |
| 19 | David Schutz (Aus) | 61 | Row 18 - Cell 3 |
| 20 | Ole Kelderman (Aus) | 57 | Row 19 - Cell 3 |
| 21 | Rick Neale (Aus) | 56 | Row 20 - Cell 3 |
| 22 | Aaron Branden (Aus) | 55 | Row 21 - Cell 3 |
| 23 | Freddy Moojen (Aus) | 52 | Row 22 - Cell 3 |
| 24 | John White (NZl) | 49 | Row 23 - Cell 3 |
| 25 | Elisha Houghton (Aus) | 47 | Row 24 - Cell 3 |
| 26 | Andrew Hellier (Aus) | 44 | Row 25 - Cell 3 |
| 27 | Andrew Armstrong-Taylor (Aus) | 39 | Row 26 - Cell 3 |
| 28 | Mike Brennan (Aus) | 36 | Row 27 - Cell 3 |
| 29 | Chris Bain (Aus) | 36 | Row 28 - Cell 3 |
| 30 | Wayne Chapman (Aus) | 22 | Row 29 - Cell 3 |
-
From 'homecoming' happiness to 'shoe kick in the kidneys', riders react to Life Time Grand Prix selections for 2026 off-road series
First-time invitee Morgan Aguirre finds opportunity to return home to the US -
'Paradoxically, the teams didn't accept it' – Teams budget caps not coming to cycling in near future, reveals UCI President
David Lappartient talks cycling's financial state in extensive interview with Ouest-France, also explaining difficulty of future ticketed entry at races -
'We would like the last World Championships to have a legacy' – Rwanda aiming for a spot on the WorldTour calendar in 2027
Rwandan federation working with UCI to establish a new top-level race in the country -
Chasing Tadej Pogačar – What it's like covering the best cyclist in the world in his era of domination
An inside look at a journalist's experience of reporting on the World Champion, from his quirks to his brutal honesty
