The Start of the 2026 WorldTour Season

For just over two decades, the Tour Down Under has marked the beginning of the WorldTour season, making it the first race of the year for many pros. The Australians themselves are an exception: in the preceding week they contest their national championships, fighting for the right to wear the Australian champion’s jersey at their home stage race.

For teams, the race is a chance to test new tactics in real conditions—ideas that were planned and studied during the off-season—and to integrate new riders into the team structure. After the long winter break, riders also use the event to build form and regain race sharpness.

In the past, it has often been clear that many Europeans treat the race mainly as preparation and a training opportunity, while Australians target it specifically and already hit an early-season performance peak.

For fans—and for us at Bobshop—the most exciting aspect is surely the opportunity to see the new jerseys and technology in action for the first time! In the Australian sunshine, the kits look their best, and attentive fans can sometimes even spot prototype equipment being tested in the race.

News from Australia and the World of Cycling

• The Tour Down Under
• The stages
• The teams
• Changes in the WorldTour
• The new teams
• The most important transfers for 2026

The Tour Down Under

The Stages

This year’s Tour Down Under takes place from January 20, 2026 to January 25, 2026 and features four road stages plus an additional short prologue.

The prologue is just 3.6 km long and completely flat. It opens the race and determines who will wear the overall leader’s jersey on the first full stage. Despite being ridden in “time-trial mode,” this kind of prologue is contested on road bikes and could be won by both classic time trialists and powerful, high-tempo sprinters. One thing is certain: because it is so short, the prologue always delivers huge excitement—and every favorite will be eager to grab the first leader’s jersey.

The first stage the next day covers a 40 km circuit around Tanunda, completed three times. The key obstacle is Mengler Hill, also climbed three times. At 2.1 km and 3.5%, it is not hard enough to significantly affect the overall classification, but it will definitely put the sprinters to the test. Combined with a slightly rising finishing straight, the stage is tailor-made for a selective sprint among the toughest, most resilient sprinters. One such rider could be the 19-year-old shooting star Matthew Brennan, who already notched 12 wins in his debut season last year.

Stage 2 covers just under 150 km from Nordwood to Uraidla and, with almost 3,000 meters of climbing, could influence the overall standings for the first time. The almost annual Corkscrew climb will be particularly exciting. At 3.6 km with an average of 6.7%, it will likely decide whether the day goes to a breakaway, a puncheur, or sprinters who can grind their way over the hill.

Like the prologue, Stage 3 starts in Adelaide and, after a total of 140 km, should end in a sprint. New lead-out trains can be tested here, and fans can look forward to a thrilling finale. The race features an exceptionally strong sprint field, and both local heroes like Sam Welsford and German hopes like Tim Torn Teutenberg will be aiming to take the win.

Stage 4 could already prove decisive. While the stage has “only” around 2,000 meters of climbing, the legendary Willunga Hill must be tackled three times and has often delivered the key selection in the past. This 7.5% climb also serves as the finish. Jonathan Narváez of UAE Team Emirates will try to defend his title here, but other team leaders—such as Lennert Van Eetvelt, Ben O’Connor, and Corbin Strong—will do everything they can to secure victory.

On the final stage, the goal is to defend the leader’s jersey. Easier said than done: with exactly 3,000 meters of climbing, the stage is clearly demanding. However, because the route follows a “sawtooth” profile without any major climbs, little GC action is expected. The stage will likely be decided either by a breakaway or in a bunch sprint.

The Teams

UAE Team Emirates – XRG

The team from the Emirates has big ambitions for this race. With Jonathan Narváez, they line up the defending champion, who naturally wants to repeat his success. Local hero Jay Vine is traditionally strong at the TDU as well and is also a contender for the overall win.

Alpecin-Premier Tech

With a new sponsor in the team name and a return to blue in the kit, the team brings a sprint-oriented selection. They will aim to win the flatter stages with Jensen Plowright. The Australian is determined to raise his arms on home soil!

Bahrain Victorious

The Bahrain team starts with a lineup that leaves questions about its exact objectives. However, with Santiago Buitrago they have a rider who can play a role both on hilly stages and in the overall classification.

Decathlon CMA CGM Team

A new sponsor and a massively increased budget—that was the talk around the team in the off-season. For the TDU, they are sending a roster capable of influencing the action on almost every stage profile, without necessarily being the outright favorites.

EF Education – EasyPost

All eyes will be on their new kit! Together with Rapha and the striking pink jerseys, EF became a fashion icon in the peloton. That perfectly matched the team’s relaxed, cool American identity and their polished media presence. This year, the team switches to Assos as its clothing supplier. For many, the Swiss brand is the benchmark for technical innovation and quality, and its chamois is often considered among the best on the market. The most stylish team with the most advanced supplier? That sounds like a perfect match—and it has already created huge anticipation among fans of both the brand and the team.

Groupama – FDJ United

After years of very traditional designs, this season the jerseys will not only be produced by a new manufacturer in Bioracer, but will also feature more red accents, making them easier to spot in the peloton. For the TDU, the team is built around GC rider Guillaume Martin, who will try to place as high as possible overall.

Ineos Grenadiers

No kit received as much attention ahead of the season as this one. The team says goodbye to the black and red colors that dominated recent years and instead goes for orange and white. What will really draw attention, however, are the light grey bib shorts, which have divided opinions and sparked lively discussion. The kit is clearly designed with summer in mind and should look its best in Australia. On the sporting side, the team signed Sam Welsford in the off-season. The Australian won three stages last year, calls the TDU his favorite race, and will try to build on those results again.

Lidl-Trek

While jersey sponsors and clothing supplier remain the same, the team is changing the origin of its WorldTour license from the USA to Germany. The kit colors stay largely the same but are slightly more subdued overall, with more blue on the upper body. One of the team’s goals could be to position Cologne sprinter Tim Torn Teutenberg as well as possible and secure a stage win.

Lotto-Intermarché

The Belgian team merged in the off-season from the two teams Lotto and Intermarché–Wanty–Gobert. The merger triggered numerous rumors, speculation, and above all a lot of chaos. Now everything has been settled, and both the kit colors and the clothing supplier from Lotto are being adopted. The red in the kit becomes a bit darker, creating a very clean look. Team captain will be Lennert Van Eetvelt, but fans should also keep an eye out for German champion Georg Zimmermann’s jersey.

Movistar Team

Although last season was rather disappointing on the sporting side, the new kit still builds excitement for the new year. Gobik integrates neon elements and subtle patterns into the design, complementing the white and blue base colors and creating an eye-catching look. Even though the Spanish champion’s jersey will not yet be on display, the team still wants to deliver a strong season start, for example with Jefferson Cepeda.

NSN Cycling Team

After the chaos at the Vuelta a España, both the team owner and Israel as the name-giving sponsor unfortunately had to withdraw. The team, now based in Switzerland, was left in limbo for a long time, but with NSN as a new backer its future is secured. For the TDU, they are sending four Oceanians, aiming for success on home soil.

Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe

With a new white-and-blue jersey that partially recalls last year’s Tour de France special edition, the German team wants to build on its last TDU, where it won three stages. Dutch champion Danny van Poppel and the two punchy Australians Finn Fisher-Black and Laurence Pithie are expected to deliver results. Fisher-Black in particular is dreaming not only of stage wins, but even of the overall victory.

Soudal Quick-Step

The Wolfpack will again be supplied by Castelli and sticks with its signature blue as the main color. New are the dark green accents, creating a pattern across the upper body that should stand out. The team sees the TDU as an opportunity both to test the sprint train around new signing Alberto Dainese, and to prepare the significantly strengthened Classics squad for a tough spring.

Team Jayco AlUla

For the Australian team, no race is more important. With the exception of Swiss champion Mauro Schmidt, they are sending only Australians, and Luke Plapp has repeatedly shown top form in recent years to target both stages and the overall. The MAAP kit won many fan polls last year as the best of the season, so it will be exciting to see the new version on home roads.

Team Picnic PostNL

The Dutch team will try to win stages and is built around sprinter Casper van Uden.

Team Visma | Lease a Bike

The only team that designs its clothing in-house and sells it under the YellowB label has made only small changes to the kit for the new year. The main colors remain yellow and black; only the pattern changes. The clear one-to-watch at the TDU is Matthew Brennan. The young Brit was the revelation of last season and can win both flat and hilly stages—a big name for the future.

Uno-X Mobility

The team is newly promoted to the WorldTour this year and will try to prove itself immediately in its first race at the top level. All riders are based in Scandinavia, giving the team a unique identity.

XDS Astana Team

After a fantastic season that secured Astana’s place in the WorldTour, the formerly quiet team wants to start the new year strongly as well. They are sending a versatile lineup that can handle all terrains and includes Australian sprinter Aaron Gate.

Tudor Pro Cycling

While the jersey design does not change much, the clothing supplier does. Last year, the Swiss team was outfitted by Swiss brand Assos; this season, it will be Italian manufacturer Sportful. Sprinter Marius Mayrhofer will be racing—a rider who celebrated his biggest success so far on Australian soil and is highly motivated again this year.

Changes in the WorldTour

The New Teams

With the newly introduced points system, promotions and relegations in the WorldTour have been possible for several years. In addition, due to financial difficulties, some teams were forced to close their doors for good this year. One of them is Arkéa B&B, which could no longer raise the necessary budget and is therefore withdrawing from cycling. Lotto and Intermarché, both facing financial problems, decided to pool their resources and merge into Team Lotto-Intermarché. Cofidis, one of the most traditional teams, failed to score enough points and is relegated to ProTeam level, while Norwegian squad Uno-X is now part of the top tier.

Other continuing teams also underwent name—and therefore sponsor—changes. AG2R is leaving cycling after many years, and the team will now be known as Decathlon CMA CGM. Total chaos also unfolded during last season around Israel Premier Tech. Palestinian demonstrators disrupted races in protest against Israel, and race organizers refused to let the team start. As a result, Israeli billionaire Adams stepped down as team owner and NSN joined as the new main sponsor. The team will now be based in Switzerland.

The Most Important Transfers for 2026

The teams were busy on the transfer market, and there are exciting developments! One notable trend is that—similar to football—transfer fees are now being paid for riders. In this form, that did not exist in the past.

For most, the transfer of the year is Remco Evenepoel. The Belgian leaves Soudal Quick-Step, the team he has ridden for since his youth, and joins Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe. Despite being only 25, Evenepoel has already won two Olympic gold medals, four world titles, Liège–Bastogne–Liège twice, and the overall victory at the Vuelta a España, and is already regarded by many as the greatest time trialist of all time.

In his new team, he hopes for even more support in stage races and is even dreaming of winning the Tour de France.

Lidl-Trek is bringing in two big-name GC riders! A financial boost from Lidl not only increases the budget, but also moves the team’s WorldTour license to Germany. Alongside Spaniard Juan Ayuso, Canadian champion Derek Gee joins the team. Together with the already extremely strong Classics and sprint core, they will start many races as co-favorites—and it will be exciting to see which star is sent to which event.

Oscar Onley caused a stir last year in an exciting duel with Florian Lipowitz for the Tour de France white jersey. The young Brit wants to further develop his GC qualities and sees the best opportunities at Ineos Grenadiers. Ineos urgently needed a rider who can target overall standings, which is why this transfer was reportedly worth a huge sum—rumored to be €7 million.

Many riders are leaving the teams Lotto and Intermarché Wanty. Due to the merger, there were suddenly far fewer spots than riders, forcing many to look for new teams—or even end their careers. The most significant departure is Biniam Girmay, winner of the 2024 green jersey and Eritrean national hero. He moves to Team NSN, where he will serve as team leader in Classics and bunch sprints.

Decathlon CMA CGM also received a major financial boost and immediately used it on the market, signing Olav Kooij, one of the best sprint talents in the world. The Dutchman did not receive enough support at Visma | Lease a Bike and now hopes for a clear leadership role in his new team.