“It means the world” - Ally Wollaston opens up on anxious day that ended in Tour Down Under glory

Ally Wollaston admitted she was far from calm inside the peloton before powering to victory on stage 1 of the Women’s Tour Down Under, taking the first leader’s jersey of the 2026 race after a dramatic finale on Lower Willunga Hill.

The FDJ United - Suez rider delivered a crushing acceleration inside the final 250 metres, catching long-time escapee Alessia Vigilia and immediately stamping her authority on the new WorldTour season.

But the New Zealander revealed afterwards that the day had been far more difficult than the finish made it look. “It means the world. I didn’t feel great. I was actually really anxious. I really struggled in the peloton. The girls were amazing and they put me where I had to be,” she said in her post-race interview.

She paid special tribute to her team’s control of the race as the tension built in the closing kilometres, with crashes and pace changes adding to the pressure.

FDJ United Suez committed early to the chase of Vigilia’s long solo move, with Amber Kraak doing huge work on the front to bring the gap down before the final lap.

“We didn’t want a repeat of last year, so we put Amber Kraak on the front early. It’ll be silly not to (try and keep the jersey), I think I’ll go all in tomorrow.”

Wollaston now leads the general classification and the points standings after stage 1, though she will not wear the points jersey on the road.

Stage 2 finishes in Paracombe with another uphill run to the line, again suiting riders who can sprint after a climb. After the way Wollaston handled the pressure and the gradient on day one, she will start as one of the clear favourites to defend her ochre jersey.