Luke Plapp
Luke Plapp, born 25 December 2000 in Melbourne, is an Australian time triallist and all-rounder who rides for the WorldTeam Jayco AlUla. A multiple Australian national time trial champion, he broke through at the very top level with a maiden Grand Tour stage win at the 2025 Giro d'Italia, claimed with a long solo breakaway. A powerful engine against the clock and a strong rouleur who is developing his climbing for general classification, Plapp also added a team time trial world title in Rwanda and made his Tour de France debut in 2025. Aggressive and ambitious, he is one of Australia's most promising stage racers. Find Luke Plapp's latest results, stats and race calendar on this page.
Biography of pro cyclist Luke Plapp
Luke Plapp is a powerhouse Australian rider who has built his reputation on raw strength against the clock and a fearless, attacking approach to racing. A national time trial champion several times over, he has turned that engine into success on the road, including at Grand Tour level.
For Jayco AlUla he represents both a present-day winner and a long-term general classification project, with the team backing his ambition to grow into a three-week contender.
Early life and rise in Australian cycling
Plapp was born on Christmas Day 2000 in Melbourne and came up through Australia's strong track and road development pathways. His background on the track helped forge the time trialling power that would become his trademark, and he quickly established himself as one of the country's leading young riders.
He committed his future to Jayco AlUla on a long-term deal at the end of 2023, joining the Australian WorldTeam as a cornerstone of its stage-racing plans.
Maiden Giro stage win and 2025 breakthrough
Plapp's biggest year so far was 2025. The highlight was his first Grand Tour stage victory, won with a committed solo breakaway over roughly 42 kilometres on stage 8 of the Giro d'Italia, the kind of long-range, strength-based win that defines his racing. He paid tribute afterwards to the team environment that had helped him reach that level.
The season had plenty more besides. He took his first European road victory in Greece, made his Tour de France debut and was part of the Australian squad that won the team time trial world title at the World Championships in Rwanda. He also continued his run of dominance at home, taking the Australian national time trial championship.
Rider profile: strengths, style, and characteristics
Plapp's core strength is his time trialling: he is one of the most powerful riders against the clock in the bunch, which underpins both his stage-race ambitions and his ability to win from breakaways. He is a strong rouleur who races aggressively and is steadily improving his climbing in pursuit of general classification results. That combination of power, durability and attacking instinct makes him a constant threat on hard, rolling parcours.
Personal life
A proud Melburnian, Plapp came through Australia's celebrated cycling system and remains closely connected to the national team set-up, as his world team time trial title underlines. Off the bike he keeps his focus on the steady, methodical work behind his time trial strength.
Records and milestones
- Giro d'Italia stage winner (2025), from a long solo break
- Team time trial world champion (2025, Rwanda)
- Multiple-time Australian national time trial champion (including 2024 and 2025)
- Tour de France debut (2025)
- First European road victory (2025, Greece)
What's next for Luke Plapp?
Plapp's programme points towards bigger goals: a return to the Tour Down Under, a second Tour de France targeting stage wins, and a possible tilt at the general classification of the Vuelta a España. With his time trialling already elite and his climbing on the rise, the ambition is a true breakout year and, in time, Grand Tour GC contention for Jayco AlUla.
