Race report

Ethan Vernon powers to win in Willunga uphill sprint as UAE lose Narváez to crash

Ethan Vernon won stage 4 of the Santos Tour Down Under, sprinting to victory in Willunga and delivering NSN Cycling Team their first win since the team was created. Tobias Lund Andresen (Decathlon CMA CGM) finished second, Laurence Pithie (Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe) third, while Jhonatan Narváez (UAE Team Emorates-XRG) abandoned the race following a crash.

January 24 2026 - 6:41 AM

Cor Vos

Stage 4 was meant to finish on Willunga Hill, but organisers altered the finale due to bushfire risk. After starting in Brighton, the stage finished on High Street in Willunga, the same stretch used for the women’s opening day, with the final 600 metres rising at roughly 3.5 percent.

In the searing heat, a three rider breakaway formed with Matthew Greenwood (Australia), Luke Plapp (Jayco AlUla) and Rémi Cavagna (Groupama-FDJ United), and at one point they built an advantage of close to three and a half minutes.

Behind them, the day took a sharp turn when Danny van Poppel hit the deck, and soon after Jhonatan Narváez also crashed. The UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider was second overall and was forced to abandon, with a suspected concussion.

With the break reeled in at about 23 kilometres to go, the stage headed toward the sprint the revised route had always suggested. Decathlon set up for Tobias Lund Andresen and INEOS Grenadiers moved forward for Sam Welsford, but neither could convert their positioning into a winning effort on the uphill tilt. Vernon timed his kick best, accelerating through the final metres to take a clear win.

Lund Andresen held on for second, Laurence Pithie (Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe) completed the podium. Matthew Brennan, Team Visma | Lease a Bike’s sprinter and a natural favourite for a finish like this, was again unable to feature in the fight for the podium and came home in sixteenth.

Vine keeps the leader’s jersey as the race heads into its finale, with the general classification shifting after Narváez’s exit. Mauro Schmid (Jayco-AlUla)) and Harry Sweeny (EF Education-EasyPost) currently sit alongside the Australian on the overall podium.

The Tour Down Under concludes tomorrow with a circuit stage in Stirling. Riders face eight laps and repeated climbs on Mount Barker Road, with almost no let up as the road constantly rises and falls. Expect a hard, selective day in the Adelaide Hills, with late moves likely before the overall winner is decided.