World champion will begin 2026 season at Tour Down Under

Magdeleine Vallieres has revealed that she will open her 2026 season in Australia, racing the Santos Women’s Tour Down Under in what will be the 10th anniversary of the race.

Speaking as a guest on the Domestique Hotseat podcast (subscribe to our YouTube channel to get notified) which will be released this week, the World Champion confirmed that she will head down under for the first UCI Women’s WorldTour stage race of the season.

“I just started the first training block, getting ready for the season. I'm actually starting in Australia this season, so coming to Australia soon. It's time to get ready for the season,” Vallieres said.

The Canadian’s participation will set a precedent, as Vallieres will become the first reigning world champion to ride the Santos Women’s Tour Down Under. 

Vallieres produced a spectacular performance in Kigali, Rwanda, in September to cause an upset by becoming the first elite women’s road race world champion from Canada. 

The world champion revealed her excitement about heading to Australia, explaining how she had only spent a brief period of time in the country when a previous edition of the World Championships was held in Wollongong in 2022.

“I came to the Worlds when it was in Australia, but only for like a few days. So I’m excited to see it a little bit more,” said Vallieres, who has already been preparing for the hot weather conditions. "We already started a bit of heat training, so yeah, it's gonna be fun.

As part of the EF Education-Oatly team, Vallieres will be part of a squad in Australia that will have the objective of defending the Ochre Jersey, after Noemi Rüegg won the general classification in 2025. The World Champion admitted that she hasn’t placed pressure on herself and expects to be in a free role, with her own key objectives coming later on in the season.

“We’ll have last year's champion, Noemi [Ruegg], so I don't know what's going to be the plan, but for sure we will try to defend it. I think we'll have a few cards to play. It depends on where the shape is at that time. For sure, I'm not peaking for it. My goals are later in the season, it's a long season, so it's a bit early to be in top shape.”

The 2026 Santos Women's Tour Down Under will take place over three stages, beginning in Willunga on January 17 and finishing in Athelstone on January 19.

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