As it happened: Danish rider outsprints favourites to win stage 1 at Tour Down Under
Peloton take on three ascents of Menglers Hill and a flat finish after a wickedly fast descent into Tanunda
Welcome to Cyclingnews' live coverage of the Tour Down Under stage 1, starting and ending in Tanunda. The stage starts at 11:10am local time and finishes roughly three hours later.
Prologue winner Sam Watson (Ineos Grenadiers) leads the general classification with 1 second on Ethan Vernon (NSN Cycling Team) and 3 seconds on Laurence Pithie (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe).
Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) is in fourth place, 4 seconds in arrears and his teammate, defending champion Jhonatan Narvaez is 9 seconds down.
Current weather conditions are, according to CN's reporter on the ground Simone Giuliani, as follows: "a cooler start this morning – it's all relative – with the temperature expected to be in the mid 20's."
Stage 1 will pass landmarks including the new Barossa Park sporting precinct, ascend Menglers Hill and wind between vineyards before sprinters’ leadout trains begin to take shape. The 120.6km stage ends with 3 clockwise loops through Tanunda
Here’s what race director Stuart O’Grady said about stage 1: “The Barossa has been an integral part of the Santos Tour Down Under since its inception, so we are naturally delighted to be going back there again. There is a real European feel to the race whenever we are in the region, with people having a picnic on the side of the road with a baguette and bottle of wine, and really enjoying the atmosphere.”
Stage 1 is underway, starting with a 4.6km neutral section. Today’s course is predicted to favour the sprinters,
The standout favourite today has to be Sam Welsford (Ineos Grenadiers) who won twice in Tanunda the past two years and is already a six times stage winner on home soil.
“In last year's stage here, Welsford survived a late crash to win the bunch sprint when the circuit was run in the opposite direction. This year, the climb is gentler but the descent will have some white knuckles for the run-in to the final 13km.”
The Australian sprinter shared his thoughts with the media prior to the start of the Santos Tour Down Under.
The 140 riders are sticking close to the race director's car, with Sam Watson, in the ochre jersey, at the front.
The peloton are eager to start, swarming the car, waiting while Stuart O'Grady is waving his hands to try and slow them down.
Flag drop from race director Stuar O’Grady - winner of the first Tour Down Under in 1999 - and we are racing!
And we have our first attack coming from Uno-X Mobility, 50 metres after the start.
Quick reaction by FDJ rider.
The 2 riders trying to escape are Guillaume Martin (Groupama-FDJ United) and Martin Urianstad (Uno-X)
And now Tudor sends a man up to try and bridge up to the duo.
Marco Brenner is the Tudor rider.
Peloton seems happy to let them go, as Brenner has joined Martin and Urianstad in the break. Gap has grown out to 21 seconds.
Pace is picking up in the peloton with UAE taking control.
Peloton is definitely chasing with the first intermediate sprint, and the all important time bonus seconds, coming in about 7km
Gap is tumbling down, It is now at 5 seconds.
And the 3 escapees have been reeled in by the UAE-led peloton with Ineos sitting right behind them.
Ethan Vernon is only 1 second down in GC so maybe will try to get that back in the intermediate sprint.
More teams massing at the front, jostling for position for the sprint coming up, in 3 kilometres.
The battle for position is heating up, 1.4km to the sprint.
Pithie being guided by his Red Bull team, he sits 3 seconds down
Defending champion Jhonatan Narvaez has a great leadout, and easily gets the 3 second time bonus.
And another attack by Urianstad with 108km to go.
No interest so far to join Urianstad in break. He has 28 seconds.
Oh wait. Once again Groupama's Martin makes a move and this time he sits on a teammate's wheel to go across to Urianstad.
Another rider tried his luck to bridge up. Matthew Greenwood of the ARA Australian team.
Greenwood is sitting in no man's land. 41 seconds from the break of 3, while the peloton is at 1:53
In the break, Paleni is the highest placed on GC, 24 seconds down. Urianstad is 27 seconds and Martin is 28 seconds.
Visma puts a rider at the front of the peloton to set the pace. Behind him is the team of race leader Watson, Ineos, all lined up.
Greenwood can see the trio ahead, as he is slowly nibbling down the gap.
Trio passes the finish line in Tanunda to start the first of 3 big circuits, led by Martin, followed by Paleni and Urianstad Bugge.
Peloton led by Ineos crosses the line, 2:16 behind the break.
Three riders in the break are Martin Urianstad (Uno-X) and teammates Guillaume Martin, Enzo Paleni (both Groupama-FDJ United)
Patrick Eddy lined up in Tanunda as the national champion today, though he was always going to be wearing green and gold at the race given he part of the national squad, the ARA Australian Cycling Team. He is likely to be up near the front in the final kilometres of the race once again on Wednesday, but not chasing his own result this time as he is switching back to a role he has had plenty of practice in over the past two years in the WorldTour.
Paleni is working hard at the front of the break with his teammate Martin on his wheel, and then Urianstad.
The trio has not eased off at the first as Urianstad goes to the front. One wonders if they know that Greenwood is chasing, and only 16 seconds back with 82km to go.
Break is about 4km to the first KOM of the day, the return of Menglers Hill.
We’ll see three ascents of its more modest northern side: a 2.1-kilometre, cat. 3 push that offers 79 metres of vertical and an average gradient of 3.9 per cent
Greenwood gets on the radio as the gap to the break is going back up, now at 37 seconds as the road starts going up.
Ouch. Greenwood talks with his team car and sits up and will wait for the peloton to absorb him.
Paleni is at the front with Martin on his wheel. Obviously, they want the KOM points but will Urianstad who is sitting third wheel, be a joker?
Urianstad goes to the front but no sprint for the mountain points.
Confirmation of the KOM #1 results:
Ineos lined up at the front with one Visma riders sitting second wheel. The rest of Visma is lined up behind the Ineos team.
Peloton approaching 100kmph on the descent. Nerves of steel on the sweeping turns for the riders.
Threat of cross winds as more teams mass at the front. Jayco, Red Bull join Ineos and Visma at the front as the field is spread across the road.
Quick wheel change from his Tudor team car for Marius Mayrhofer and he quickly gets going again.
Lucas Hamilton (Ineos Grenadiers) is the man at the front of the peloton
The 3-rider break crosses the finish line to start lap 2, and they have 2:18 on the peloton with 63.1km to go.
Peloton flies through the finish line in Tanunda, led by a Visma rider, followed by Ineos.
Bahrain Victorious has provided an update on Max van der Meulen who went down hard in the crash earlier on stage 1.
🇦🇺 #TourDownUnder | ST 1🏥Max van der Meulen was transported by ambulance to hospital following a crash on stage 1. The team confirmed that he was conscious and communicating on the way. We wish him a speedy recovery and will share further updates when available.#RideAsOne pic.twitter.com/A64fjyYRoiJanuary 21, 2026
Seeing the impact of the wind on the three riders in the break, and in the peloton.
Peloton is ramping up, as the break sees 1km to the second intermediate sprint. Their gap is now 1:48.
200 metres to go to intermediate sprint #2 and Urianstad sits in third wheel.
And now the road will start to go up, as the riders head towards Menglers Hill for the second time.
Former world champion Michal Kwiatkowski is chatting his Ineos teammate, both are lined up behind the whole team.
Visma and Ineos are controlling the gap to the break, both teams betting on their respective fastman Matthew Brennan and Sam Welsford in the expected bunch sprint.
Break sees 1km to the top of Menglers Hill, and Urianstad is at the front.
Just like the first up the KOM, Urianstad crosses first to take the 5 points, but this time around Martin was second and Paleni was third.
That fall ignited the peloton. The speed is ramping up at the front with 40 km to go.
For the first time today, a Jayco rider comes to the front as the field speeds down the descent before a left turn.
After the descent, the peloton regroups and uses the whole road. Ines, Visma,Jayco, Bahrain are all massing at the front.
While Welsford and Brennan are the sprinters to watch, other fastmen in the field include Danny Van Poppel (Red Bull) who was Welsford's leadout man last year, Luke Lamperti (EF Education), and Australian criterium champion Jensen Plowright (Alpecin).
Peloton scream into Tanunda, and the gap has tumbled down to 1:09.
Mark Renshaw is starting his time as sports director at new team Decathlon CMA CGM in familiar territory, having raced 16 editions of the Tour Down Under before retiring at the end of 2019.
Peloton has still a slight pause in the chase led by Visma's Tim Rex.
Sprinters' teams do not want to catch the break too early, because it would lead to chaos and more attacks from the teams that do not have a top sprinter.
ARA Australian team is moving up to get Liam Walsh into a good position before the climb up Menglers Hill for the third and final time.
Break sees 2km to go to the intermediate sprint #3. Last time, Martin crossed first to get 3 bonus seconds.
Martin leads the trio across the line and gets a total of 6 bonus seconds on the stage. Urianstad was second across followed by Paleni.
Gap is now down to 55 seconds. Tudor has moved up to the front for their sprinter Maikel Zijlaard to get into the best position for the climb coming up.
And Ineos is back at the front, along with Visma.
Riders are taking risks, using the gravel sections at the side of the road to try and move up or stay into position.
Urianstad and Paleni are still pushing with 1.8k to the top of Menglers Hill. They have 21 seconds on the peloton.
Urianstad looks behind him before taking over the pacemaking as the get close to the top.
Urianstad gets maximum points again and Paleni is second across the line.
And now Paleni continues solo inside of 13km to go. His gap is 12 seconds.
Paleni has 18 seconds with 10km to go.
Enzo Paleni (Groupama- FDJ United) is the last rider to survive from the breakaway
Peloton speeding down, going 100.1 kmph on the descent.
Paleni is caught with 7km to go.
Ineos lost positions when Paleni was caught as Soudal-Quickstep moves up, they are working for Alberto Dainese.
Alpecin coming forwards on the right side of the road. Wind coming from the left hand side. Soudal has the good side of the road, as EF also move up.
Last minute dash to get to the front on the wide road. Ineos moves up but they look behind them for Welsford.
Welsford is sitting on his teammate's wheel, the ochre jersey Watson.
Tim Tom Teutenberg is on his Lidl team, getting into position.
Battle for position for the sprinters' teams with 3km to go!
Red Bull on left hand side of the road, as they race towards the finish line. Ineos on the right side
Welsford sitting on a 3-rider train with 1.5km to go.
Squeeze on the right, Brennan was held up momentarily. Another change at the front.
Decathlon have taken over and the Danish sprinter Tobias Lund Andresen takes the win!
In the final sprint, NSN come to the front but Decathlon was on their wheel and took over and were able to time their sprint perfectly.
Matthew Brennan took second and Sam Welsford was third in Tanunda
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Let’s hear from stage 1 winner and new race leader Tobias Lund Andresen (Decathlon CMA CGM)
“This feels amazing. I don't remember the last time I felt like this. This is unbelievable. And the new team, the bike is so fast. My teammates doing an incredible job, and it was all the belief on management. We got some some emails before this race reminding us [of] the ambition we offer this year and how important it is to work together. And I think we showed that today.”
About the last 10 kilometres: “I enjoyed, I really enjoyed this. I think you need to be a little bit stupid to be a sprinter and enjoy this kind of finish. But I think our plan was, was so good from [directeurs sportifs] Mark [Renshaw] and Luke [Roberts], the preparation we had and we did exactly what we wanted to do. So it's it's not often you can do what you plan, but today, we managed to pull it off.”
About stage 2: “I think it will be tough to follow up tomorrow on Corkscrew. I'll probably try and take it a bit easier. But, hope this gives some some belief to the team and Nico and Callum also in really good shape. So I hope we can continue like this tomorrow.
About wearing the ochre jersey: “It's not often you get to wear the leader’s jersey. So enjoy every time I have the opportunity, and also, in a WorldTour race like this is amazing.”
Our race report, results, and photos can all be found here: Tobias Lund Andresen edges Matthew Brennan to win stage 1
Second on the stage, and sitting sixth overall, at 5 seconds down, Matthew Brennan (Visma-Lease a Bike) leads the best young rider classification.
After taking the maximum KOM points on stage 1, Martin Urianstad (Uno-X Mobility) ho leads the mountains classification with 15 points. He was also awarded the most competitive rider prize.
And not surprisingly, Lund Andresen leads the points classification with 30 points, five points ahead of Brennan. Welsford is in third spot with 22 points.
And tomorrow's stage?
Stage 2 promises 148.1 kilometres of all-out effort as cyclists race from Norwood to Uraidla in the Adelaide Hills. Three huge climbs are on the agenda, with a grind up Norton Summit followed by a visit to Mt Lofty and the men’s first dual ascent of notorious Corkscrew Road.
That wraps it up for the main section of the live coverage today. We'll be back again tomorrow with more live coverage and all the way through the week to the final stage in Stirling.
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