“Honestly, I can’t believe it” – Noemi Ruegg beats the odds to defend Women’s Tour Down Under title in dramatic Campbelltown finale
Cycling
Noemi Ruegg completed a remarkable title defence at the Women’s Tour Down Under, winning the final stage in Campbelltown after surviving a three-on-one battle against UAE Team ADQ on the brutal double ascent of the Corkscrew.
The EF Education-Oatly rider looked under real pressure after the first ascent of the Corkscrew, when a lead group formed featuring Mavi Garcia and Dominika Wlodarczyk for UAE, along with Sarah Van Dam. Ruegg was initially distanced and later admitted she did not think the race was still winnable at that point.
“Honestly, I can’t believe it. I’m totally overwhelmed. We wanted to defend the title but it is always harder to defend. My team was amazing, they believed in me more than I did.”
She eventually fought her way back into contention and bridged across to Wlodarczyk on the second ascent, joined by Paula Blasi and Garcia. That left Ruegg isolated against three riders from the same team with the title on the line.
Outnumbered on the Corkscrew
Despite the numerical disadvantage, Ruegg refused to panic as UAE Team ADQ attacked her repeatedly on the climb and the descent towards Campbelltown.
“Magdeleine was amazing, and I didn’t believe it was possible after the first climb. I played the game and yeah, I’m super stoked.”
Ruegg could call upon the world champion Magdeleine Vallieres as superstar support
Ruegg followed every move, knowing her chance would come in a sprint.“I knew they would attack me; it was the only chance they had. I just had to follow immediately; I knew I had a good sprint.”
When the four riders reached Campbelltown together, the situation finally swung in her favour. “They kind of did the leadout for me which was good.”
Ruegg launched late and clearly, beating all three UAE riders to the line to take both the stage and the overall title.
After three days of heat, climbing and constant pressure, Ruegg left Australia with the ochre jersey again on her shoulders, proving she can win not just with strength, but with patience, nerve and perfect timing in the biggest moments.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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- It would likely be a very steep section of 4.1 km, not changing the average gradient considerably, with the climb remaining 10.1 km at 11.8%. It would reach 20% on the gravel. It would start 1.6 km in, and finish with 4.2 km left to climb (before the short final descent)
Rafionain-Glas02-11-2026
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👏 Strength in numbers? Not today, as Noemi Rüegg defeats all three riders from UAE Team ADQ in a bizarre finish in Campbelltown! 📺 Stream the race now on 7plus: 7plus.com.au/cycling @hyundaiaus | @santosltd #TourDownUnder | #couchpeloton
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