As it happened: Challenging and chaotic stage 5 delivers repeat overall winner at Tour Down Under

Welcome to Cyclingnews' live coverage of stage 5, starting and ending in Stirling, of the Tour Down Under. The stage starts at 11:10 am local time and finishes roughly four hours later.

Stage 2 winner Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) leads the general classification with 1:03 on Mauro Schmid (Jayco AlUla), and Harry Sweeny (EF Education-Eastypost) in third, at 1:12. Though Vine looks fairly secure, the battle for second and third on GC should be heated with only 10 seconds separating third and seventh place.

Stage 1 winner Tobias Lund Andresen (Decathlon CMA CGM) leads the points classification. Andrea Raccagni (Soudal-Quickstep) tops the best young rider classification, and after spending three days in the break, Martin Urianstad (Uno-X Mobility) tops the mountain classification.

At 169.8 kilometres, this is among the longest closing stages in Santos Tour Down Under history. The peloton will tackle eight laps of an undulating circuit that heads south from Stirling, with intermediate sprints at Longwood before it loops back, for a total of 3,436 m of elevation gain.

“The last day around Stirling adds even more up and down, with a saw blade profile and four classified climbs before the finishing ascent on Mount Barker Road. The climb is 2km long and rises only 78 metres, averaging 4%. But the average is deceptive as some pitches of 11% will weigh heavily on tired legs.”

Here’s what race director Stuart O’Grady said about stage 5: “This is going to be the best final stage we’ve ever had. In previous editions of the race the script has typically been decided by Willunga Hill, but a Stirling circuit on the final day is a whole new ball game. It’s almost like a world championship or national championship-style circuit where there will be so many opportunities to attack."

"Even if you’re within a minute of the lead, if the racing is hard and smart enough, you have the potential to destroy the ochre jersey because it’s going to be very hard for a team to control the peloton for eight laps around Stirling. Stirling provides a perfect viewing platform with great food and drink options and lots of shade, so it should be a cracking day.”

Current conditions at the start in Henley Beach, according to CN's reporter on the ground, Simone Giuliani, are:

"A far kinder temperature awaits the riders as they get set for the start of the final stage, with temperatures sitting at a civilised 25 degrees as the team cars roll up to the start line. What's more, the forecast maximum at the start/finish line in the hills is forecast to hit just 32°C ... not exactly a cool change but far kinder than yesterday, where another 10°C was added on top of that.

The heat and crashes took a toll yesterday, as 10 riders did not finish stage 4. The peloton, down to 126 riders, is off for the short 0.5km neutral zone.

And we're off and racing!

First attack by Pascal Eenkhoorn with a quick reaction.

More riders jump on Eenkhoorn's move. Lots of teams want to be in the break.

Soudal, Red Bull, Ineos, XDS Astana and more are trying to escape.

Baptiste Veistroffer is another rider trying to escape. He was in the break on stage 3.

After being caught, Veistroffer counters and is shutdown. And more attacks, this time by Soudal Quickstep and NSN reacts.

Team directors told their riders today 'do not miss the break'. Hence onslaught of attacks.

Shuffling and re-shuffling at the front with riders to form the break. Now it's Patrick Konrad who tries to go, and Robert Stannard comes across and past him.

A few riders have a small gap with no breathing space.

Meanwhile at the back Lewis Boyer has a mechanical, his chain looks to be jammed. Gets a bike change from his team car.

Stannard is solo with five riders chasing together and ones and twos also jumping. Jayco is at the front of the peloton, looking to shut it down.

Counter attack by Kell OBrien trying to escape the peloton. A few riders in between O'Brien and Stannard.

Baptiste Veistroffer and Fabio van den Bossche make it across to Stannard, and they have 23 seconds with 159km togo.

The three riders in the break are Baptiste Veistroffer (Lotto-Intermarché), Fabio van den Bossche (Soudal-Quickstep) and Robert Stannard (Bahrain Victorious).

Perfect combination for race leader Jay Vine as Veistroffer is the highest placed on GC at 5:38 down.

More attacks in the peloton. Luke Plapp makes a move followed by Vine's teammate Oliveira.

A bigger group trying to escape the peloton, as the trio up the road has about a one-minute lead.

The road has started to go up, as they head to the top of KOM #1, at the finish line, and the start of lap 2/=.

The cat. 2 Stirling climb is 2km long with max pitches of 11.1% and an average gradient of 3.7%

Gap is tumbling, down to 14 seconds as Veistroffer is looking over his shoulder.

White jersey Andrea Raccagni (Soudal-Quickstep) has a mechanical at the back.

Two riders are coming across the gap, but the peloton is closing too.

Plapp attacks again, and is covered by EF rider.

Cepeda, along with Pepijn Reinderink, joins up with Plapp.

Once again, swift reaction from the field, and it's back together.

Start of lap #2

Reinderink goes through the line first, and takes maximum KOM points.

Jayco-AlUla sports director Matthew Hayman shared his thoughts with Cyclingnews at the start in Stirling this morning. Their GC leader Mauro Schmid sits second overall, 1:30 down and nine seconds ahead of Harry Sweeny (EF Education-Easypost).

"There's the fatigue from yesterday. We obviously want a hard race, and we want to see if we can expose UAE at any stage but you can't do that by yourself ... so there's elements of when the bunch just doesn't want to race, I'm not going to send my guys attacking like idiots, so we need to encourage that [the attacks] and get the right combinations going."

White jersey Andrea Raccagni is still chasing in the team cars with assistance his Alberto Dainese, the sprinter on their team.

Eenkhoorn attacked again and was quickly joined by Plapp. The pair is discussing strategy, but they only have 12 seconds on the field.

Stannard has made it across again but the trio have a very slim lead of 8 seconds.

The new break of Robert Stannard (Bahrain Victorious, Luke Plapp (Jayco AlUla) and Pascal Eenkhoorn (Soudal-Quickstep) only have 25 seconds.

Riders continue to attack at the front.

The highest-placed rider in the break is Eenkhoorn at 2:15, and Plapp is at 2:55

The peloton has calmed down, momentarily as domestiques bring up ice socks and bottles for their teammates.

Break, with Stannard, Plapp and Eenkhoorn have 1:10 with 134.5km and are the lower slopes Stirling climb which is not a KOM on this lap.

Lots of chatter in the trio, mostly by Plapp.

Lots of activity in the convoy, with riders going back to their cars to get supplies for their teammates.

Rear wheel puncture for Plapp, and it's a slow change. Chain off as well.

The break has 2:45, so Plapp is somewhere in the middle after a slow wheel change.

Juan Sebastian Molano, the UAE sprinter, is at the front of the peloton followed by his teammates including Vine. Behind them en masse is Visma.

Bahrain sends a rider up to chat with Yates, probably asking UAE not to chase.

Plapp catches Eenkhoorn, who seemed to have waited while Stannard is just up the road.

In his chase, Plapp seemed to take a bottle from the neutral car, got a small help but didn't actually take the bottle.

Start of lap 3 of 8 - 127.8km to go

Stannard, Eenkhoorn and Plapp are together with a gap of 2:38, making Eenkhoorn the virtual leader on the road.

UAE, with Visma lined up behind them, cross the line 2:14 down.

Trio now has 1km to the first intermediate sprint in Heathfield.

Plapp at the front setting a hard tempo.

Eenkhoorn rolls through first at the intermediate sprint, followed by Stannard and Plapp.

Let’s hear what Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) said at the start in Stirling this morning.

“We've still got really strong guys. Everyone's still super motivated, but the stage is really difficult. 170 Ks, and this is a really demanding circuit. So we're gonna have to be attentive from start to finish. And like I said three days ago when I took the ochre [leader’s jersey] , it's never over till it's over. So yeah, got to stay focused and concentrated right to the last last metre.”

“I think everyone from the top 10 will want to try and shuffle around a little bit. And there's, you know, seconds between second [on GC] all the way through to, I think, like 13th or something. So there are bonus seconds out on the line. This course has a lot to offer in terms of making it hard or attritional. So I think we can see a lot of teams trying to, trying to do something, even if it's just to improve their place by two or three spots.”

Break has 2:10 on the peloton. Plapp's puncture and slow wheel change cost them about 30 seconds as Eenkhoorn and Stannard waited for the Australian.

One lone UAE rider at the front of the field now with Molana. VIsma is massed behind him, and then Jayco.

From a bit earlier in the stage, Sebastian Molano and his UAE teammates at the front of the peloton. Now Molano, is solo at setting the pace.

Molano is keeping the break at around the 2-minute mark. Visma is lined up behind them, then Jayco, UAE, EF Education and Tudor. Except for Visma, it reflects the position on GC for race leader Jay Vine (UAE), Mauro Schmid (Jayco), Harry Sweeny (EF) and Marco Brenner (Tudor).

Break jumps the roundabout as they race through Aldgate. Shortest line is fastest line.

Their gap is now 1:30 inside of 2km to the upcoming KOM #2 up Stirling and start of lap 4

Lap #4- 106.4km to go

Each lap ends with the Stirling climb, with KOM points on offer on every other lap.

Plapp leads the break across the KOM line, followed by Stannard and Eenkhoorn. They have 1:23 on the field.

Marian Urianstad (Uno-X) takes the final KOM point on offer and waves to the crowd.

And with that, he wraps up the mountain classification. All he needs to do now is finish the stage.

The three riders in the break are riding tempo, not going all in, and neither is the peloton really. The gap is now 1:33.

So far, so good for race leader Vine.

Surprise. Movistar's Pavel Novák launches from the peloton. Let's see if anyone responds.

And no reaction to Novák's solo flyer, and he's gone clear.

Novák is now only 26 seconds from the break.

Still Molano and then Visma at the front of the peloton. Looks like Visma is going to try once again for a stage win with Brennan.

Crash

Kangaroo ran into the road, causing a big crash. Race leader Vine went down and is quickly back up but one of his teammates seems to be down.

Novák has caught Plapp, Stannard and Eenkhorn with 95km to go.

Vine has a bike problem, and gets his teammate Oliveira's bike.

Another bike change for Vine, gets back on his own bike. Seems that Oliveira fixed the issue.

Yates is going back to help Vine and Oliveira.

Other riders in the peloton are checking in with Vine as he makes it back to the peloton inside of 92km to go.

The jersey of XDS-Astana's Florian Kajamini is all torn up. He stops by his team car to get a new helmet.

Meanwhile, the four off the front - Stannard, Plapp, Eenkhoorn and Novák - now have 2:58.

Lap 5 - 85.2km to go

No KOM this time around as Stannard leads the quartet across the line, followed by Plapp, Eenkhoorn and Novák.

They have a 3:50 lead.

Seeing some change at the front of the peloton. EF puts a rider - Max Walker - at the front, followed by Molano and Visma.

EF is working to protect Sweeny's third place on GC.

Oh, EF may also be trying to get the best young rider jersey back, as Novák was third in the classification, 1:46 behind their rider Michael Leonard.

Currently leader in the best young rider competition is Andrea Raccagni (Soudal-Quickstep), only 3 seconds back. But Raccagni has a teammate in the break so won't chase.

Even though Leonard did say that overall GC is more important.

Visma takes over the pacemaking in the peloton, they need to bring the break, now at 3:41, to be able to go for the stage win.

EF and Visma are rotating at the front, riding to close that gap down.

Menno Huising, Lucas Stevenson and Alberto Dainese all went down in the earlier crash and were forced to abandon the race.

Now three teams doing the chasing with Decathlon adding a rider to the rotation with EF and Visma. Gao is 3:18 with 72km to go.

Jay Vine is now left with two teammates, Ivo Oliveira and Adam Yates with 70km to go.

The extra firepower at the front has reduced the gap to 2:46 with 67km to go.

Lap #6 (of 8) - 63.9km to go

KOM points were on offer this time around up Stirling Climb.

Plapp leads the quartet across the line, followed by Eenkhoorn, Stannard and Novák.

The gap continues to tumble, 2:02 with 57km to go.

The four riders in the break are Pavel Novák (Movistar), Luke Plapp (Jayco AlUla), Pascal Eenkhoorn (Soudal-Quickstep), and Robert Stannard (Bahrain Victorious)

Gap down to 1:31, with 48km to go. Still EF, and Decathlon rotating at the front to bring the quartet back.

Decathlon's Callum Scotson, native of Adelaide, is back setting the pace at the front. He knows these roads quite well. Behind him, is still EF's Max Walker. The two have been rotating well.

Visma is still all lined up behind them.

Lap #7 - 42.6km to go

The break is still together as Plapp leads them across the finish line.

Scotson leads the peloton across the line, 1:32 behind the quartet.

Break is heading towards the second intermediate sprint where they should simply across the line.

And once again, Eenkhoorn leads them across the line, followed by Novak, Stannard and Plapp, as he did for the first intermediate sprint.

Eenkhoorn is the highest place rider on GC in the break, at 2:15 before the stage started. So he has now grabbed 6 seconds in time bonus.

Tempo is picking up in the field. The entire team of EF is behind Scotson with Sweeny sitting behind two teammates, in the middle of the line.

The gap is now under the one-minute mark, as tension increases in the field.

Cars taken out from behind the break of 4, gap at 42 seconds.

Plapp sits up from the break. He collects water bottles for his teammate in the feedzone.

And now Pavel Novák is gapped as they go through the feedzone. Eenkhoorn and Stannard continue on, with a 42-second lead with 31km to go.

Attack start from the peloton. XDS Astana's Darren van Bekkum is flying up the road.

Van Bekkum. catches and passed Plapp who is jumping on his wheel, while carrying all the extra weight of all the water bottles.

Visma takes over the front of the field, all in for Brennan.

Loaded with bottles. Plapp is sticking to Van Bekkum's wheel as they catch and pass Novák.

And Novák jumps on the train.

Eenkhoorn and Stannard are still together, onto the drag to the finish line to start the 8th and final lap.

They have 30 seconds.

Peloton is closing in on the Van Bekkum, Plapp and Novák.

Attack from the peloton. Chris Harper powers away and shoots ahead.

With 23km to go, Eenkhoorn and Stannard have 29 seconds to the field, with Harper closing in onto the duo.

Harper is racing for the Australian National team, races for Pinarello-Q36.5 Pro Cycling ordinarily.

Bahrain is doing the chasing - they know that break with Stannard, is doomed.

Lap 8 of 8 - 21.3km to go

More attacks. Buitrago goes on the move and reaches his teammate Stannard. Scramble across the line.

Buitrago and Stannard are together as Movistar's Cepeda jumps across. Two more chasers.

Gal Glivar and Romo join up with Buitrago, Stannard and Cepeda.

Stannard is fighting to stay on the wheels with 18.5km to go.

The move includes two Movistar in Romo and Cepeda, Glivar from Alpecin and Buitrago of Bahrain. They have 18 seconds with 17km to go.

All four riders are strong climbers.

The entire team of UAE - 3 riders - are taking up the chase. Oliveira, then Yates and race leader Vine.

Tudor - for Brenner - move up to the front. Brenner is only 2 seconds from third place on the final GC podium.

Cepeda, then Romo are driving at the front of the break. The quarter has 30 seconds with 14km to go.

Romo was 1:28 down on GC, and is now threatening Sweeny's third place on GC.

Now it's Tudor and Jayco taking the reins at the front of the peloton. Romo is also threatening Schmid's second on GC.

Before the start of the stage, Romo was 25 seconds behind Schmid and 16 seconds behind Sweeny.

There are also 10 seconds on offer to the stage winner.

With 10km to go, the quartet has 32 seconds on the peloton.

Yates goes to the front to control and keep Vine - on his wheel - safe in the final chaotic finale.

Romo, Cepedar, Glivar and Buitrago have 30 seconds with 8 km to go as the road starts going up.

And NSN's Simon Clarke does a big turn at the front in the second-to-last race of his career.

Breakaway is still working cohesively. Gap holding at 33 seconds with 7km to go.

Riders peeling off at the front of the peloton.

Cepeda is driving the break with Buitrago and Glivar as Romo loses contact inside of 6km to go.

Romo is back in the peloton.

Tudor, and Red Bull at the front. Vine shadowed by teammate Yates is sticking close to the front.

NSN is lifting the pace at the front, and gap is now 19 seconds with 4.5k to go

Uno-X takes over the front of the peloton, as Buitrago pushes the pace in the break.

Yates pushes forward ahead of Vine. Yates is at the front, and Fisher-Black and Pithie are close to the front followed by Visma.

Yates is down and Vine is on his own inside of 3km to go.

Lidl goes to the front with an isolated Vine staying close to the front.

Trio of Cepeda, Buitrago and Glivar have 10 seconds with 2km to go.

It is now Visma leading with Brennan in 3rd wheel at 1.5km to go. Gap to trio is 5 seconds.

Decathlon is also jostling for position at the front.

Peloton catches the trio inside of 1km to go. Visma train at the front.

Kwiako leads out with 300 metres to go.

Gilmore attacks but Brennan goes over the top and takes the stage win.

Jay Vine, for the second time in his career, is the overall winner of the Santos Tour Down Under.

Finn Fisher-Black was second on the stage and Tobias Lund Andresen was third.

Matthew Brennan (Visma-Lease a Bike) finally got his timing right, and takes the stage win

Let’s hear from stage winner Matthew Brennan (Visma-Lease a Bike)

“I think we're a little bit disappointed all week with maybe the results we did, but we still were giving it 100% every day. And yeah, to finish it off today, very happy. I think we picked up on everything we made mistakes on earlier in the week, and with a finish like that, I think it was really important to time it well, I think that's what we did.”

About the final kilometres: “It wasn't ideal. We had Menno, who usually kind of coordinates a lot of it. He got smacked off by a kangaroo, so that wasn't great. But in the end, it was kind of like we didn't have many guys to kind of be there each time. So we almost did it one at a time, and that was good in the chaos of it all. But I think we stayed in a position where we needed to save energy, and the boys did a great job finish it off.”

Results powered by FirstCycling

Let’s hear from overall winner Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates-XRG).

“I guess it [winning in 2026 compared to 2023] was probably more challenging time-wise, three years ago. But this year, we started off really positive, and we just had more and more bad luck as the race went on. And today was never going to be easy. And I've been saying all week that it's not over till it's over. But geez, it's definitely proven to be it's never over till it's over in this race for us."

“Everyone asks me, what's the most dangerous thing in Australia? And I always tell them, It's kangaroos, because they just they wait and they hide in the bushes until you can't stop, and they jump out in front of you and point proven today. Just two of them blasted through the peloton, as we were doing, probably 50k an hour, and one of them stopped, went left, right, left, right, left, right, and then I ended up hitting its backside as it was flying around on the ground. So I mean, it's one of those things, bad luck. But luckily, I'm okay and happy to be able to hold on to the jersey. Unfortunately, we lost another guy. So thoughts are with him, praying for him as well, but there's only so much you can do. And luckily enough, we were able to take the overall.”

Our race report, results, and photos can all be found here: Jay Vine overcomes crash to claim overall win as Matthew Brennan sprints to stage victory