Tour Down Under: "We're doing everything we can to bring Pogačar to Australia."

Rumors have already started circulating: Tadej Pogačar could open the 2027 season at the Tour Down Under , the six-day WorldTour stage race scheduled to take place in Australia starting on January 19, 2027. For the Slovenian, it would be a return to a familiar place: it was here in 2019 that he made his WorldTour debut with UAE Team Emirates, finishing 13th in the general classification.

Adding fuel to the fire was race director Stuart O'Grady , a guest on the Stanley St. Social podcast. "We're obviously doing everything we can to have riders like Tadej here. It's hard to ignore how great this guy is, and we all want to see him race again," he said.

The diplomatic work, it seems, has already begun. "His manager came to Australia: Alex Carrera was here for the last stage in January, just to check it out and get a feel for the race and our organization, with the village and hotel," O'Grady said.

Among the event's strengths, the former runner highlights the fact that teams don't have to change hotels every day. This break from the "traveling circus" is a benefit for the runners and creates a bond "with the entire community."

The potential Australian debut comes after a season that ended prematurely. Pogačar was forced to retire due to the consequences of a crash at the Vuelta a España . Now his recovery is almost complete, and attention is shifting to rebuilding his form for the new year. And it's inevitable that this has rekindled speculation about an early start Down Under.

Urška Žigart , Pogačar's partner, also had to end her season early: the AG Insurance-Soudal rider fractured her jaw again in a fall at the Faun Tour Femmes in September. She has since been recovering and training with her fiancé.

"We just hope he recovers and can get back to the level we hope, and pray, he can reach," O'Grady added. "Urska also had a bad fall, so they'll be home for a while. We just want them to get better, and if they decide to start racing sooner, we'll welcome them with open arms and do everything we can for them."

Pogačar's provisional 2027 schedule will be revealed at the team's training camp and media day in December.

In the podcast, O'Grady also discussed the challenges of the women's race, which runs parallel to the final three days of the men's race, the Australian cycling summer, and some key sections of the Tour Down Under route.