Women’s Tour Down Under stage 1 LIVE: Sprinters to make their mark on opening day in Willunga

Gap is tumbling down for Alessia Vigilia, who now has 1:25 with 20km to go.

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Baril gets a team leadout to take second in the intermediate sprint and takes 2-second time bonus for a total of 5 seconds gained in the intermediate sprints.

Loes Adegeest takes third and a 1-second time bonus.

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Movistar is organising at the front along with Visma and UAE.

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Vigilia takes 3 points and a 3-second time bonus at the second intermediate sprint in Aldinga Beach. Her gap is 1:53 with 23km to go.

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4km to the second intermediate sprint. Vigilia still have a 2:23 lead so she should get the points and the three-second time bonus.

Will the peloton sprint for the two- and one-second time bonus left? Olivia Baril did sprint and even do a bike throw to get the three seconds on the first intermediate sprint. But we are getting closer to the finish line.

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The youngest rider in the race, 20-year-old Stina Kavegi (EF), Kopecky and Kraak are rotating at the front with the gap now at 2:38

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But Kraak is back at the front. More teams are moving riders up but they’re happy to let Kraak set the pace for now with 35km to go.

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And now SD Worx-Protime’s Julia Kopecky goes to the front to reel Vigilia back.

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Kraak is back at the front setting the pace, followed by her teammate Léa Curinier.

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Gap has been revised to 2:58 for Vigilia with 38km to go.

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Jostling in the peloton to take the remaining QOM points with Lidl-Trek setting the pace for Gaia Realini. They’ve definitely made it clear that they want the final QOM jersey.

But UAE Team ADQ make their move and Paula Blasi takes second ahead of her teammate.

Alessia Vigilia claims the second QOM, and she crossed the finish line to start the second finishing lap with a lead of 2:29.

Fatigue is starting to show, as her gap has started to decrease.

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The peloton will see the finish line for the second time as they climb QOM #2 and can plan their final sprint.

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3km to go to the second and last QOM of the day for Vigilia, who has a gap of 3:05. She should be able to hold on and get the QOM jersey at the end of the say.

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Kraak has nibbled a few seconds off of Vigilia’s lead, down to 3:07 and she now has four Uno-X riders on her wheel. Behind them are Liv AlUla Jayco.

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Uno-X now has 3 riders disrupting the chase, and they are sitting behind Kraak. The FDJ team is lined up behind the Uno-X trio but are not willing – yet – to put more firepower in the chase.

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Kraak has been working hard at the front, stringing out the peloton, but Vigilia is still holding at 3:17, even if her shoulders have started to rock slightly on the long uphill drag.

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Peloton led by FDJ United-Suez race by Aldinga Beach (Image credit: Getty Images)

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Vigilia is starting to show some discomfort as she sees 57km to go, holding her gap at 3:26.

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Amber Kraak (FDJ United-Suez) continues to set the pace at the front while Vigilia’s Uno-X teammates move up behind her to disrupt any organized chase.

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Last year, Daniek Hengeveld caused a major surprise on stage 1, taking the win in a long-range solo attack.

The route is different, and the peloton is stronger this year, but alarms are starting to ring in the field. Pace is picking up.

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Gap continues to grow to 3:24 with 61k to go with a single FDJ United-Suez rider now at the front, followed by Fenix-Premier Tech and Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto.

Meanwhile another FDJ United-Suez rider was talking to other teams, asking for assistance in controlling the gap.

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Vigilia knows how to manage her effort. She finished second, by one slim second , to Ellen van Dijk at the Chrono des Nations last year.

The Italian switched teams this year, joining Uno-X Mobility after two years with FDJ-Suez.

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AG Insurance-Soudal takes over the pace-making in the field, followed by Fenix-Premier Tech who are staying close to the front.

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Peloton is perfectly happy to let Vigilia suffer solo off the front, gap now at 3:06 with 66km to go as they speed by Aldinga Beach.

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Vigilia gets some bottles from the Shimano Neutral service cat inside of 70km to go. Her gap is now at 2:51.

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Let’s hear what Ally Wollaston (FDJ United-Suez) had to say to the race commentator this morning:

“I think out of three stages is probably my best chance. So fingers crossed. It’ll end up in a sprint today. But yeah, after arriving here today, the finish is actually a little bit harder than I remember – the bottom. So yeah, it should be a really, really tough sprint, but we’re looking forward to it.”

“Hopefully the training I’ve done can prepare me for today. And I feel like I’ve had a really good block the last two months I’ve been at home on this side of the world. So it’s been a good preparation. I’m not sure I could have done anything else to turn up here better.”

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The whole FDJ United-Suez squad takes control of the field, working for their sprinter Ally Wollaston. Behind them are riders from EF Education-Oatly and Fenix-Premier Tech./

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Defending champion Noemi Rüegg (EF Education-Oatly) has a clear plan for the Women’s Tour Down Under:

“The first two days, everything can happen as well. So yeah, we have to stay safe in the first two days and then try to give it all out on the corkscrew.”

Vigilia easily takes top QOM points as she crosses the start/finish line and starts the first of three finishing laps.

The 26-year-old has a 2:30 lead with 83.8km to go.

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1.5km to the first QOM of the day on Lower Willunga Hill.

The 475m cat. 3 ascent has a maximum gradient of 5.6% and average of 4.2%

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Fenix-Premier Tech and FDJ United-Suez are monitoring the action at the front of the peloton with the gap to Vigilia at 1:48.

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Vigilia has 1:42 with 90km to go, as she races towards to first QOM of the day which comes at 83.4 km to go.

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Alessia Vigilia (Uno-X Mobility) in solo break on stage 1 (Image credit: Getty Images)

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One contender for the stage victory today is Chloé Dygert (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto) who claimed her first UCI road win here two years ago.

“You let things go when you get older,” Dygert told media at a pre-press conference. “You grow up a little bit, you take probably a little less risk – no more guardrails – but yeah, the hunger still remains.”

First attack of the stage by Uno-X rider with 102km to go. Quick reaction by the peloton.

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Peloton all together on the wide roads of stage 1 (Image credit: Getty Images)

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Matthew Winston, Picnic Post NL directeur sportif, shared his thoughts with Cyclingnews before the start this morning.

“Obviously, first race of the season, always nice, and we want to hit the ground running. We bring Josie [Nelson] as our team leader this year. She’s a young rider that’s been developing really well over the last couple of years, making some nice steps, and we want to give her the opportunity.”

The opportunities for the 23-year-old British rider start from the very first stage. “Slight uphill sprint. She’s got a little bit of a punch, and we’ll see how we go”.

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Team snagging bottles in the first feedzone of the day with 104km to go in McLaren Vale.

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SD Worx-Protime during the team presentation (Image credit: Getty Images)

It may be Mikayla Harvey’s fourth Tour Down Under, but it is her SD Worx-Protime team’s first, with the rider from New Zealand one of two members of the team, alongside Barbara Guarischi, who have taken on the event before:

“We’ve come into here with some high hopes. The courses really suit our team so yeah, I’m excited for the next few days. I think we have a super strong team. I’m feeling good. We’ve had a good winter of preparation, and we’ve done all we can these past few months and I think we can go in confident and happy to do some racing.”

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The combination of wide roads, no wind and many teams working for the expected sprint finish have discouraged attacks – so far.

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Uno-X Mobility squad are massing at the front of the peloton who is still together on the longest stage of the race.

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Peloton still together. Teammates are chatting at the front and looking at the other teams. Who will attack first?

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Amanda Spratt (Lidl-Trek) at the start in Willunga (Image credit: Getty Images)

Three-time Santos Tour Down Under overall winner Amanda Spratt (Lidl-Trek) is lining up for her last Santos Womens’ Tour Down Under after announcing that this will be her last season.

She shared her thoughts with Cyclingnews before the start of stage 1:

When asked how it feels to be lining up for her last TDU:

“Exciting, I think, mostly exciting, It’s really nice that I already announced that, and know it’s going to be, my last season. II feel a sense of calm around that and I’m still really motivated for the season ahead to race really well and training really well. I still love the sport, so I think I’m in a nice place.”

Asked about what she’d like from the race:

“I’d love to have a great and strong GC result but just with our team, I think, we have four really good climbers here, so we really want to get one of us up there on the podium.”

Peloton all together after the first intermediate sprint taken by Olivia Baril (Movistar) ahead of Marta Lach (SD Worx-Protime) and Margaux Vigie (Visma-Lease a Bike)

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Riders are going early. Movistar tries to control the pace and crosses first.

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Pace is picking up significantly with SD Worx accelerating at the front inside of 2km to the first intermediate sprint. And now Movistar takes over the front.

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5 kilometres to the first sprint, set to take place through the Esplanade at Snapper Point in Aldinga Beach. It’s the same smooth stretch of tarmac where Daniek Hengeveld soloed to victory on stage 1 in 2025.

Teams lining up at the front for the points and time bonus seconds on offer.

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Different teams, including Visma-Lease a Bike, Liv AlUla Jayco , EF Education-Oatly and AG Insurance-Soudal are all massing at the front.

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Amber Pate was not able to start today, leaving Liv AlUla Jayco down to 5 riders in their home race.