Date |
January 17-19, 2026 |
Distance |
394km |
Start location |
Willunga Hill |
Finish location |
Athelstone |
Category |
Women's WorldTour |
Previous edition winnner |
Noemi Rüegg (EF Education-Oatly) |
Women's Tour Down Under: Noemi Rüegg outsprints UAE Team ADQ rivals to win stage 3 and claim overall for second year in a row / As it happened
It was two wins in a row for Noemi Rüegg (EF Education-Oatly) at the 2026 Women's Tour Down Under, with the Swiss rider taking victory on the final day to also claim the overall title. After staying in contention on stages 1 and 2 with solid sprints, Rüegg found herself outnumber by three UAE Team ADQ in a small group that went away on the hillier stage 3, but she played the situation to perfection to successful defend her ochre jersey.
Mavi García and Paula Blasi (both UAE Team ADQ) finished second and third on the overall.
On stage 1, Ally Wollaston (FDJ United-Suez) sprinted to the win as the peloton narrowly caught the solo breakaway rider Alessia Vigilia (Uno-X Mobility) in sight on the line. Wollaston won again on stage 2, conquering a harder course and bringing back a strong late move to continue her stint in ochre, but the final stage was too hard for the Kiwi rider who ceded the lead to Rüegg.
Wollaston took the consolation prize of the points jersey, whilst Blasi swept up the climber's jersey. Justyna Czapla (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto) was the best young rider, finishing 14th overall.
2026 Women's Tour Down Under Information
The Women's Tour Down Under is the opening event of the Women's WorldTour, this year held from January 17-19 in Australia.
The race in and around Adelaide during the Australian summer traditionally delivers short but varied stages in sweltering conditions and has proved a popular target for the home-nation riders as they get a rare opportunity to race in front of family and friends.
Australians have dominated the winners list, with Sarah Gigante winning the overall title in 2024, Grace Brown taking the leader's ochre jersey in 2023 and Amanda Spratt claiming the win from 2017 to 2019. Ruth Edwards (née Winder), however, proved an exception in 2020 with the American taking the top step.
Swiss rider Noemi Rüegg (EF Education-Oatly) won in 2025, and again in 2026, the first back-to-back winner since Spratt's triple.
Cyclingnews is on the ground for the season-opening 2026 Tour Down Under, and a subscription gives you unlimited access to our unrivalled coverage. From breaking news and analysis to exclusive interviews and tech, we've got you covered as the new season gets underway in Australia. Find out more.
2026 Women's Tour Down Under start list
Data powered by FirstCycling
2026 Women's Tour Down Under Schedule
Date |
Stage |
Start time (ACDT) |
Finish time (ACDT) |
|---|---|---|---|
Saturday January 17, 2026 |
Stage 1 |
10:13 |
14:20 |
Sunday January 18, 2026 |
Stage 2 |
10:41 |
14:05 |
Monday January 19, 2026 |
Stage 3 |
11:04 |
14:20 |
