2026 Santos Tour Down Under start list: The opening act of the WorldTour season
The 26th edition of the Santos Tour Down Under begins in Adelaide on January 20 and finishes in Stirling on January 25, where the ochre jersey will be awarded to the overall winner. Defending champion Jhonatan Narváez (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) returns to the race as part of a very strong UAE lineup. Read on for the complete start list of the 2026 Santos Tour Down Under.
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20 teams will take to the start line in Adelaide on stage 1, each fielding 7 riders, resulting in a field of 140 riders.
All 18 UCI WorldTour teams will be present, including the newly promoted NSN Cycling, Uno-X Mobility, as well as the merged team Lotto-Intermarché. Additionally, on the start list are Tudor Pro Cycling and the Australian Cycling team.
Defending champion Jhonatan Narváez (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) will return to defend the Ochre jersey and is joined by both Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) and Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates-XRG). The other members of the 2025 general classification podium, runner-up Javier Romo (Movistar), and Finn Fisher-Black (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) are also set to return. Further standout names on the start list include Sam Welsford (Ineos Grenadiers), Matthew Brennan (Visma | Lease a Bike), and Ben O'Connor (Jayco AlUla).
Also read:
Five GC contenders for the 2026 Men's Tour Down Under
Five talents to watch at the 2026 Men's Tour Down Under
Tour Down Under 2026 start list
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