2026 is close! Tour Down Under receives its first confirmation as O'Connor and Plapp lead Team Jayco AlUla
Cycling
The 2026 season at the highest level is set to start in less than a month with the Tour Down Under and the wait is no longer long. Team Jayco AlUla have announced their lineup for their home race and are kicking off the lineup announcements for the year.
“We’re returning to the Tour Down Under with a very strong team for what is a hard course next year," team DS Matthew Hayman said in a press release. "We have Ben O’Connor coming back who hasn’t raced here since 2023, Luke Plapp, who was right up there this year, and we’ve got Mauro Schmid, who won Cadel’s Great Ocean Road Race this year and he’s coming back to have a crack at Tour Down Under".
It's a strong set of leaders, perhaps the best trio the team could arrange for the opening event in the World Tour calendar. The race is fit for puncheurs and explosive climbers alike, and the victory is in mind for the team. It is with no surprise that the lineup was announced a month in advance, as probably Jayco puts more focus in this race than any other top team.
"Those guys will be supported by Luke Durbridge, a stalwart of the team. It’s always great to have his knowledge and strength as road captain and a key rider for the team. We’ve pretty much got a full Australian line-up with couple of young guys. Rudy Porter returns to the team and I’m sure he’ll be ready to impress straight away, Hamish McKenzie steps up from the development team and right in the middle there you have Kell O’Brien, who must be eyeing up that prologue around the streets of Adelaide. We have a super strong squad, and we’re excited to take this them to Tour Down Under and with a team like that we’ve got to be expecting to get some results.”
Ben O'Connor in the lead
As a headliner is Ben O'Connor, who is thrilled to be back at the Tour Down Under, for a different season start in the Australian summer. “Heading back to Perth for the summer has been an enormous pleasure. I love Australia, I miss its beaches and friendly, laid-back atmosphere. Training here is brutal and unforgiving sometimes, but it always gives big rewards. I can’t wait to get stuck in for the Aussie summer of racing and do our jersey proud".
But it's not all sun and beaches, the 30-year old is looking to add a victory to his tally right here in January. "Around the world we try to perform, showcase our talents and aim to throw the hands up in the air with a victory, but coming into Tour Down Under with Team Jayco AlUla will truly mean racing in our home race, bringing that extra dimension of significance. It’ll be great fun and honestly, it is one of the best times of the year.”
The likes of Andras Kron, Geroge Bennett, Jay Vine, Adam Yates and Santiago Buitrago (the latter in words to CyclingUpToDate) have all confirmed their presence as rivals in the battle for the overall classification in Australia.
Team Jayco AlUla for 2026 Tour Down Under
Luke Plapp
Luke Durbridge
Hamish McKenzie
Kelland O'Brien
Rudy Porter
Mauro Schmid
Ben O'Connor
Luke Durbridge
Hamish McKenzie
Kelland O'Brien
Rudy Porter
Mauro Schmid
Ben O'Connor
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Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
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Howzat! 🏏 Introducing our squad for the first test of the year - @tourdownunder! It's a big summer of Aussie sport and we can't wait to line-up in Adelaide in January 🇦🇺 Read more 🔗 bit.ly/TDU26
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