Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Thursday, January 15, 2026
Back to news and opinion index page for links to archived stories | Commentary | Our YouTube page
2025 Tour de France | 2025 Giro d'Italia
Democracy is a device that ensures we shall be governed no better than we deserve. - George Bernard Shaw
Bill & Carol McGann's book The Story of the Tour de France, 2021: The Little Cannibal Dominates is available in both Kindle eBook & audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.
Upcoming racing:
- January 17 - 25: Tour Down Under
- January 25: Classica Comunitat Valenciana 1969-GP Valencia
- January 28 - February 1: Challenge Ciclista Mallorca
- January 29: Surf Coast Classic
- February 1: Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race
Latest completed racing:
- January 1: GP Sven Nys
- December 30: Superprestige Diegem
- December 29: Trofee Loenhout-Azencross
- December 26: World Cup Gavere
- December 23: Superprestige Heusden-Zolder
- December 14: World Cup Namur
- November 16: Trofee Hamme-Flandriencross
- November 1: Trofee Oudenaarde-Koppenbergcross
- October 26: Superprestige Overijse-Vlaamse Druivencross
- October 14 - 19: Tour of Guangxi
- October 14 - 19: Tour of Holland
Content continues below the ads
Here’s the team’s news:
Bahrain Victorious will open its 2026 WorldTour season at the Santos Tour Down Under, returning to Australia for the first race of the year.
Held in and around Adelaide, the Tour Down Under features a mix of sprint stages, rolling terrain and selective climbs. First staged in 1999, the race has grown into the largest cycling event in the Southern Hemisphere and traditionally opens the WorldTour calendar each January in South Australia. Valuable early-season UCI points are on offer, with the overall leader wearing the distinctive ochre leader’s jersey.
The 2026 men’s edition will cover 758.9 kilometres, including a short opening time trial (prologue), several selective stages across the week, and a new final stage finishing in Stirling, with the general classification expected to take shape on the more demanding terrain.
The Tour Down Under will also mark Bahrain Victorious’ first WorldTour appearance under its new technical partnership with Bianchi, following the agreement between the team and the Italian bicycle manufacturer for the 2026 season.
Sports Director Aart Vierhouten said:
“Coming from Europe, the heat is always a factor in Australia, but the riders have completed dedicated heat-adaptation training and we will use the days before the race for final preparation. The Tour Down Under is more demanding this year, with a short prologue and a tougher final stage that shifts the focus more toward the general classification rather than a pure sprint finish. We expect a more challenging race overall and see it as a good test for the team at the start of the season.”
Team leader Santiago Buitrago said:
“I’m looking forward to starting my 2026 season in Australia. The Tour Down Under is a race I know well and enjoy, and it offers a demanding course to begin the year. We’re coming with a motivated group, and the aim is to approach the race in a good way and set a positive tone for the season.”
Santiago Buitrago racing in stage 16 of the 2025 Tour de France. Sirotti photo
The team will be supported by a well-balanced lineup around Buitrago, with Edoardo Zambanini providing additional options while contributing in support, Max van der Meulen contributing on the more selective terrain, Žak Eržen providing a sprint option for opportunities that may arise after the prologue, Fran Miholjević contributing across the flatter and transitional stages, Robert Stannard adding experience and local knowledge, and Oliver Stockwell contributing in a support and positioning role.
Santiago already has a positive connection with the Tour Down Under, having finished as the second best young rider in his WorldTour debut at the race in 2020. Since then, he has continued to develop steadily as a stage-race rider, gaining experience and confidence at the highest level. His ability to perform on selective terrain has brought him important results in recent seasons and makes the Australian opener a natural place to begin the new year.
After the Tour Down Under, Bahrain Victorious will continue its Australian campaign in Victoria, racing the Surf Coast Classic on the 29th of January and the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race on the 1st of February, before returning to Europe and the Middle East for the next phase of the season.
The Santos Tour Down Under takes place from the 20th until the 26th of January 2026, officially marking the start of Bahrain Victorious’ 2026 WorldTour campaign.
Content continues below the ads
Here’s the team’s news:
Grand Tour stage winner Alberto Dainese makes his debut for the Wolfpack in Australia, where our team starts its 24th season.
For just the second time in the event’s history, the Tour Down Under will kick off with a prologue held over a distance of 3.6 kilometers, favouring not the specialists but those capable of a maxed-out effort. Just like last year, Tanunda returns with a course that despite being hilly, should see the sprinters in contention at the finish.
Alberto Dainese winning stage 19 of the 2023 Vuelta a España. Sirotti photo
One of the hardest climbs of the Tour Down Under, Corkscrew Road – whose average gradient reaches almost 10% – is guaranteed to make a selection on Thursday, as the peloton heads to Uraidla. The next day, the breakaway could get a big opportunity in Nairne, but the stage that will once again have a major impact on the overall standings will be the one finishing atop Willunga Hill, the emblematic climb averaging 7.5% over just three kilometers. Sterling makes another appearance on the route, but unlike last year – when the fast men were in the spotlight – the day should belong to the GC riders, as the circuit in the Adelaide Hills comes with plenty of challenges.
Content continues below the ads
Our team has won numerous times in Australia and will be motivated to once again leave its mark on the World Tour race. Alberto Dainese – a stage winner at both Il Giro and La Vuelta – will be one of the three riders making their Soudal Quick-Step debut at the Tour Down Under, alongside Fabio Van Den Bossche and former Italian Champion Filippo Zana. Joining them on the seven-man roster for the six-day race will be Pascal Eenkhoorn, Casper Pedersen, Andrea Raccagni, and Pepijn Reinderink.
“The race gets underway with a short prologue on road bikes, so anything is possible there. The sprinters will have their opportunities, but there are chances also for the puncheurs and the climbers. Normally, the GC will be decided on Willunga Hill, but it remains to be seen what happens on the circuit of the last day. Alberto will be our man for the sprint finishes and can count on a strong and experienced team, while for the overall standings, we hope we will get a good result with Filippo and Andrea. It’s a balanced team that makes us look with confidence to the start of this race”, said sports director Geert Van Bondt.
Back to news and opinion index page for links to archived stories | Commentary