Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Thursday, January 22, 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

To write it, it took three months; to conceive it three minutes; to collect the data in it all my life. - F. Scott Fitzgerald

---

Plato's dialogue Crito is available both in audiobook and Kindle eBook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.

Current racing:

• January 17 - 25: Tour Down Under

Upcoming racing:

• 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

---

Tour Down Under stage one team reports

We posted the organizer's report with the results.

Here's the report from stage one winner and new GC leader Tobias Lund Andresen's Team Decathlon CMA CGM:

Our Danish sprinter got the team's season off to a perfect start in Australia by winning the first stage of the Tour Down Under on Tuesday. It was his first victory in our colours, and it also enabled him to take the overall leader's jersey.

The day after the prologue won by Samuel Watson (Ineos Grenadiers), this first 120-kilometre road stage around Tanunda promised to be a sprinters' race. Despite three passes over Menglers Hill, the course offered the prospect of a bunch sprint, which the team did its utmost to achieve.

An early breakaway livened up the race without really worrying the peloton, as our team managers Mark Renshaw and Luke Roberts had anticipated at the morning briefing. In the final kilometres, Oscar Chamberlain, Pierre Gautherat, Tord Gudmestad and Antoine L'Hôte took on their responsibilities at the front of the race to put Tobias in the best possible position. Tord perfectly fulfilled his role as last pilot fish, ideally positioning our sprinter as he entered the final 200 metres.

Launched with perfect timing, Tobias used all his power to resist the comebacks of Matthew Brennan (Team Visma I Lease a Bike) and Sam Welsford (Ineos - Grenadiers). An authoritative sprint that rewarded the team's hard work.

Tobias Lund Andresen wins stage one. Sirotti photo

Thanks to the ten-second bonus, Tobias also takes the ochre leader's jersey, which he will wear on tomorrow's second stage. An ideal start to the Australian campaign for DECATHLON CMA CGM Team.

Tobias Lund Andresen:
" I can't even remember the last time I felt such emotion. It's simply indescribable. The bike is so fast and my team-mates did a remarkable job. I really enjoyed that final. You might think it's a bit crazy for a sprinter to take on a final like that, but the preparation with our team managers, Mark Renshaw and Luke Roberts, was perfect. It's rare to be able to execute a race plan so precisely, but today we succeeded. Tomorrow will be a different day, but winning this first stage gives immense confidence to the whole team and particularly to Nicolas Prodhomme and Callum Scotson, who are in great form. It's an honour to wear the leader's jersey in a WorldTour race of this level, and I sincerely hope we can keep it within the team."

The information:
Double success for DECATHLON CMA CGM
Tobias Lund Andresen's victory on the first stage, consolidated by bonifications, enabled him to take the lead in the overall classification. This performance earned him the leader's jersey as well as that of best sprinter.

The figure: 8
The number of professional victories for Tobias Lund Andresen. After six successes in 2024 and one in 2025, he will win his first WorldTour title at the start of 2026 in his new colours.

Here's the report from Sam Welsford's Team INEOS Grenadiers:

Sam Welsford took third place in a tight sprint finish on the first stage of the Tour Down Under, while Sam Watson now sits second on the GC.

Welsford was well led out by Michal Kwiatkowski, Watson and Ben Swift, but the Australian rider was slightly boxed in and had to fight for the line from the outside. A lunge for the line saw Tobias Lund Andresen (Decathlon CMA CGM Team) take the win ahead of Matthew Brennan (Team Visma - Lease A Bike).
Speaking after the stage, Welsford said:

“The boys rode really well today, hats off to my team - Lucas [Hamilton] rode the front all day really.

“We kind of got a little bit swamped just on the finish here. We did a really good job taking the front round the last corner - I had the three guys in front of me with just over a k to go - but we just got a little bit swamped with the tailwind.

Sam Watson signs in. Sirotti photo.

“I got stuck in the barriers there and couldn’t really get out. I’m just kicking myself, I wish I could have found a way right and opened up the sprint because I had to stop pedalling with 20 metres to the line. It is what it is, and I’m really happy with how the boys rode today.

“I’m really, really impressed with the boys today. That’s the first time we’ve really come together and done a lead out like this in a race. For me, to see the commitment and see how much everyone went for each other and defended each other in the race was really special and I’m really looking forward to the next sprint opportunity.

“Stage three will be a little bit more tricky, and maybe a harder sprint day. We’ve showed we can be fighting up there and doing it together so more fire for stage three.”

Andresen’s victory sees him take the Ochre jersey, with yesterday’s opening prologue winner Watson now sitting second overall, having finished with the bunch.

Tomorrow will be a day for the climbers as the riders look to tackle 148km from Norwood to Uraidla, including two ascents of the category one climb, the Corkscrew.

Here's the stage one report from Ethan Vernon's NSN Cycling Team:

After a race against the clock yesterday, it was time for the sprinters to shine on Tour Down Under stage 1 and although the stage didn’t play out how the team hoped, Ethan Vernon managed to hold on for fifth place in the bunch sprint in Tanunda following his second place in the prologue.

The nerves were high in the peloton on the first lap of the course through the Barossa Valley and Corbin Strong found himself caught up in an early crash that left the Kiwi banged up but able to finish the stage.

In the first sprint of the season, Vernon, who was looking after the sprinter’s blue jersey today, found himself coming from a distance and in the final stages of the sprint, the Brit was boxed in.

The peloton races across South Australia. Sirotti photo

“We were being patient for it to open up like it has in previous years and it didn’t really so we were a bit boxed in at the end,” explains Vernon. “So we had to do a last minute effort which kind of killed the sprint. In the end, we salvaged fifth place. Not the win, not a horrendous start either, but a good starting point.

“The sensations were good. You could tell there were a lot of nerves in the peloton today with it being most guys’ first real race of the season after a few months of people not being in the peloton. There were a few crashes and unfortunately Corbin went down, but hopefully tomorrow is a bit calmer. We’ll keep fighting for another win.”.

Sports Director Sam Bewley reiterated Vernon’s account of the stage saying “It didn’t go in an ideal way for us.

“Corbin crashed pretty hard in the first 30 kilometers and he’s a bit banged up. Then, we didn’t get it right in the sprint. We didn’t get the side of the road or the side of the bunch we wanted which made things a bit harder and more hectic for the guys and Ethan had to come from quite far back. We didn’t get the win but Ethan is clearly in good shape so we’ll look at the video and see what we could have done better ahead of his next opportunities.”.

Stage 2 sees the peloton tackle the infamous Corkscrew climb twice before finishing in Uraidla.

And here’s the Down Under Report from Team Groupama FDJ United:

Every opportunity is worth taking. Although the first road stage of the Tour Down Under did not appear to be the most suitable to start moving up on the general classification, Guillaume Martin-Guyonnet still made the most of it on Wednesday, picking up six seconds. The rider from Normandy was part of the breakaway alongside Enzo Paleni and claimed two of the day’s three intermediate sprints. He now sits 23 seconds behind leader Tobias Lund Andresen.

The break with Guillaume Martin, Enzo Paleni, & Martin Urianstad Bugge. Sirotti photo

The day after the opening prologue in the streets of Adelaide, the Tour Down Under peloton tackled the shortest stage of the week on Wednesday around Tanunda. Just 120 kilometres were on the menu, with no significant climbs to overcome. Yet, Guillaume Martin-Guyonnet quickly made his intentions clear by joining the very first breakaway attempt. “We knew the stage and its potential dangers,” explained Jussi Veikkanen. “We also knew that some riders had managed to move up in the general classification thanks to bonus seconds in the past. Despite yesterday’s setback, we didn’t give up. This morning, the message was to keep fighting. The first intermediate sprint was located after ten kilometres; Guillaume tried with a rider from Uno-X, but the peloton didn’t let it go. After the first sprint, the same Uno-X rider attacked again, then Enzo and Guillaume went across to him. The goal, by sending two riders up the road, was to make sure Guillaume didn’t waste too much energy, as we have a big day coming tomorrow.”
After twenty kilometres of racing, a trio formed featuring the Groupama-FDJ United leader, his young teammate Enzo Paleni, and Norwegian rider Martin Urianstad Bugge. “The gap never went beyond the three-minute mark, but the positive point is that Guillaume won the next two intermediate sprints and collected six bonus seconds,” Jussi added. “There was good cooperation in the break.” With twenty kilometres to go, just after the final intermediate sprint, Guillaume Martin-Guyonnet eventually sat up and returned to the peloton.

Enzo Paleni initially continued the effort with the Scandinavian rider, then rode solo from twelve to seven kilometres to go. The expected bunch sprint then took place in Tanunda, where Tobias Lund Andresen took the victory. “We don’t have a real lead-out train here,” Jussi pointed out. “We try to do the best we can, but this was a finish for the pure sprinters”. Lewis Bower (18th) and Tom Donnenwirth (20th) therefore finished a bit further back, away from the fight for the win.

In the general classification, Guillaume Martin-Guyonnet moved up 28 places on Wednesday and is now 23 seconds behind new leader Andresen. “We’ll see tomorrow whether today’s strategy paid off, but above all it shows that the week isn’t over despite yesterday’s underperformance,” Jussi concluded. “We’ll have a clearer picture tomorrow with the double ascent of Corkscrew. We did a recon of the course and know what’s coming.”

Back to news and opinion index page for links to archived stories | Commentary