The 2026 Tour Down Under promises to be one of the most competitive and comprehensive editions ever.

Starting on January 20th in South Australia and concluding on January 25th.

The race will kick off with a 3.6km individual time trial in Adelaide , an unusual opening stage that, while not long, could already create the first gaps between the main favorites in the general classification. Five stages follow, totaling approximately 758.9km of racing: the first starts and finishes in Tanunda via gentle climbs; the second heads towards Uraidla with the double ascent of the feared Corkscrew Road ; the third features a high-altitude finish after tough but not extreme climbs; the fourth heads towards Willunga Hill with repeated climbs; and a fifth, challenging stage on the Stirling circuit with constant ups and downs.

The elevation profile is designed to favor well-rounded riders: sprinters with endurance on short climbs, punchers capable of explosive attacks, and climbers capable of defending or gaining seconds on the most challenging climbs. This mix also makes the race particularly intriguing for strategies in Fantacycling and Pick and Play , where the selection of athletes who collect points in both intermediate and general classifications can make the difference.

Heading into the race, defending champion Jhonatan Narváez leads the pack as the leading candidate for the overall victory and the ochre jersey. Also among the favorites is Jay Vine , his teammate at UAE Team Emirates-XRG, who excels on steep gradients and in aggressive racing conditions. Possible outsiders include names like Finn Fisher-Black , a well-rounded talent with a strong presence on short climbs, and Adam Yates , a top-level veteran who can lead a tactical team that's perfect for controlling the race. Rising youngsters like Matthew Brennan and exuberant punchers, ready to take advantage of more tense stages, also complicate the plans. Other interesting names include Santiago Buitrago, Ben O'Connor, Javier Romo, and Lennert Van Eetvelt. But it's the start of the season, so predictions are truly difficult!

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