Tour Down Under stage 1 LIVE: A day for the sprinters

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2026-01-21T02:25:47.829Z

And now the road will start to go up, as the riders head towards Menglers Hill for the second time.

2026-01-21T02:23:38.615Z

200 metres to go to intermediate sprint #2 and Urianstad sits in third wheel.

And the break simply rolls through the line led by Martin, and then Paleni.

2026-01-21T02:21:50.767Z

Peloton is ramping up, as the break sees 1km to the second intermediate sprint. Their gap is now 1:48.

2026-01-21T02:17:56.048Z

Seeing the impact of the wind on the three riders in the break, and in the peloton.

So far, wind has not been strong enough to create chaos but the riders at the front are riding in a diagonal line.

2026-01-21T02:14:38.319Z

Bahrain Victorious has provided an update on Max van der Meulen who went down hard in the crash earlier on stage 1.

Best wishes to Max.

🇦🇺 #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

2026-01-21T02:12:16.245Z

Peloton flies through the finish line in Tanunda, led by a Visma rider, followed by Ineos.

Visma is working for the sprinter Matthew Brennan for the stage win. They want to have a bunch sprint finale.

2026-01-21T02:08:08.941Z

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.

2026-01-21T02:06:34.408Z

Lucas Hamilton (Ineos Grenadiers) is the man at the front of the peloton

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2026-01-21T02:04:42.637Z

Quick wheel change from his Tudor team car for Marius Mayrhofer and he quickly gets going again.

2026-01-21T02:03:51.857Z

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.

2026-01-21T02:01:08.917Z

Peloton approaching 100kmph on the descent. Nerves of steel on the sweeping turns for the riders.

2026-01-21T01:58:57.700Z

Ineos lined up at the front with one Visma riders sitting second wheel. The rest of Visma is lined up behind the Ineos team.

Break has 2:31 with 71km to go.

2026-01-21T01:57:05.725Z

Confirmation of the KOM #1 results:

1- Martin Urianstad (Uno-X Mobility)

2- Enzo Paleni (Groupama-FDJ United)

3- Guillaume Martin (Groupama-FDJ United)

2026-01-21T01:53:04.966Z

Urianstad goes to the front but no sprint for the mountain points.

So throwing the theory out of the window, Martin is not going for the KOM points.

2026-01-21T01:50:39.500Z

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?

2026-01-21T01:49:46.721Z

Ouch. Greenwood talks with his team car and sits up and will wait for the peloton to absorb him.

2026-01-21T01:48:23.091Z

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.

Trio of Martin, Paleni and Urianstad is 2:20 ahead of the peloton.

2026-01-21T01:46:22.786Z

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

2026-01-21T01:43:17.684Z

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.

2026-01-21T01:41:17.371Z

Paleni is working hard at the front of the break with his teammate Martin on his wheel, and then Urianstad.

Greenwood is around 13 seconds back and though he’s not giving up, he’s labouring in his solo chase.

2026-01-21T01:36:18.035Z
Crash

Riders from Movistar, Visma, Bahrain, EF Education down.

2026-01-21T01:34:34.965Z

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.

“I’m doing a lead out for Liam Walsh,” Eddy told Cyclingnews before the stage start, with Walsh having form at the Tour Down Under, having taken fourth on the stage to Victoria Harbour last year.

“Today’s probably the main and only pure sprint stage so it’s a big goal for us so I’ll just try and drop him off, put him in a good train in the last K or so, and then let him get to work.”

2026-01-21T01:33:20.657Z

Three riders in the break are Martin Urianstad (Uno-X) and teammates Guillaume Martin, Enzo Paleni (both Groupama-FDJ United)

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2026-01-21T01:32:35.915Z

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Cyclingnews’ reporter at the finish in Tanunda, Simone Giuliani reports: “There was plenty of support for the rider in the chase, ARA Australian Cycling Team’s Matthew Greenwood, as he rode through Tanunda, with Aussie flags waving like crazy and a roar from the crowd to help encourage him on.”

2026-01-21T01:26:47.405Z

Peloton led by Ineos crosses the line, 2:16 behind the break.

Greenwood is 22 seconds, still chasing the trio.

2026-01-21T01:25:32.040Z

Trio passes the finish line in Tanunda to start the first of 3 big circuits, led by Martin, followed by Paleni and Urianstad Bugge.

2026-01-21T01:21:30.041Z

Greenwood can see the trio ahead, as he is slowly nibbling down the gap.

2026-01-21T01:21:03.951Z

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.

2026-01-21T01:19:20.305Z

In the break, Paleni is the highest placed on GC, 24 seconds down. Urianstad is 27 seconds and Martin is 28 seconds.

The gap is now 2:10 making Paleni the virtual leader on the road.

2026-01-21T01:15:28.831Z

Greenwood is sitting in no man’s land. 41 seconds from the break of 3, while the peloton is at 1:53

2026-01-21T01:14:10.833Z
Break

Groupama duo of Enzo Paleni and Guillaume Martin catch Martin Urianstad (Uno-X Mobility) with 102km to go.

The trio have a lead of 1:33

2026-01-21T01:10:53.740Z

Another rider tried his luck to bridge up. Matthew Greenwood of the ARA Australian team.

2026-01-21T01:09:55.152Z

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.

2026-01-21T01:09:21.329Z

No interest so far to join Urianstad in break. He has 28 seconds.

2026-01-21T01:06:32.089Z

And another attack by Urianstad with 108km to go.

2026-01-21T01:04:35.177Z

Defending champion Jhonatan Narvaez has a great leadout, and easily gets the 3 second time bonus.

All the sprinters stayed out of it.

2026-01-21T01:03:48.581Z

Pithie being guided by his Red Bull team, he sits 3 seconds down

2026-01-21T01:03:16.358Z

The battle for position is heating up, 1.4km to the sprint.

2026-01-21T01:02:16.535Z

More teams massing at the front, jostling for position for the sprint coming up, in 3 kilometres.

2026-01-21T00:59:40.229Z

Ethan Vernon is only 1 second down in GC so maybe will try to get that back in the intermediate sprint.

The overall win at the Tour Down Under often comes down to mere seconds.

2026-01-21T00:58:36.168Z

And the 3 escapees have been reeled in by the UAE-led peloton with Ineos sitting right behind them.

2026-01-21T00:58:05.206Z

Gap is tumbling down, It is now at 5 seconds.

2026-01-21T00:57:23.084Z

Peloton is definitely chasing with the first intermediate sprint, and the all important time bonus seconds, coming in about 7km

2026-01-21T00:55:40.640Z

Pace is picking up in the peloton with UAE taking control.

Martin the break is an interesting move. He’s a climber and finished top10 twice in his career.

2026-01-21T00:54:35.868Z

Peloton seems happy to let them go, as Brenner has joined Martin and Urianstad in the break. Gap has grown out to 21 seconds.

2026-01-21T00:53:01.915Z

Marco Brenner is the Tudor rider.

2026-01-21T00:52:38.287Z

And now Tudor sends a man up to try and bridge up to the duo.

2026-01-21T00:52:14.975Z

The 2 riders trying to escape are Guillaume Martin (Groupama-FDJ United) and Martin Urianstad (Uno-X)

2026-01-21T00:51:06.496Z

Quick reaction by FDJ rider.

2026-01-21T00:50:53.488Z

And we have our first attack coming from Uno-X Mobility, 50 metres after the start.

2026-01-21T00:50:22.162Z

Flag drop from race director Stuar O’Grady – winner of the first Tour Down Under in 1999 – and we are racing!

2026-01-21T00:49:31.391Z

The peloton are eager to start, swarming the car, waiting while Stuart O’Grady is waving his hands to try and slow them down.

2026-01-21T00:45:49.471Z

The 140 riders are sticking close to the race director’s car, with Sam Watson, in the ochre jersey, at the front.

2026-01-21T00:43:47.167Z

The Australian sprinter shared his thoughts with the media prior to the start of the Santos Tour Down Under.

‘Prove to myself that I can get back on the top step’ – Sam Welsford aiming to kickstart Ineos Grenadiers sprint momentum at Tour Down Under

2026-01-21T00:41:48.742Z

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.”

2026-01-21T00:40:39.907Z

Stage 1 is underway, starting with a 4.6km neutral section. Today’s course is predicted to favour the sprinters,

2026-01-21T00:34:54.734Z

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.”

2026-01-21T00:32:36.885Z

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.”

2026-01-21T00:30:09.860Z

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.

2026-01-14T21:37:14.811Z

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.

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