"It was as hard as I expected it to be" - As the Australians struggle, Mauro Schmid takes up Jayco leadership in Down Under and climbs onto podium
Cycling
Team Jayco AlUla came to the Tour Down Under with high ambitions as the home team and with a full set of leaders, just like UAE Team Emirates - XRG. However, after stage 2, it's become apparent that it's not the home riders that will carry the responsibility into Old Willunga Hill, but instead Mauro Schmid who climbed to third in the overall classification today.
“It was as hard as I expected it to be! I felt quite good on the Corkscrew until the tow UAE guys went. I think on the steepest part I wasted a bit too much energy because I maybe started the climb in position 70, so I already to do quite a big effort to move back up, and then exactly at this moment they went," the Swiss champion said in a press release.
It was not a good day for Jayco AlUla, who saw Luke Plapp off the back at the base of the Corkscrew climb. It is not confirmed whether he suffered a mechanical or a crash, as he did regain some positions, however the team also did not clarify. Plapp lost 1:43 minutes to Jay Vine and Jhonatan Narváez on the stage, taking into consideration he was one of the main favourites, making it a disaster.
Ben O'Connor finished in the third group on the road 1:08 minutes down, but his 13th place in the overall classification at this point in time is not what the team hopes for. Due to UAE's domination, it is not realistic for any other team to dream of the overall victory at the time being, however in third place as 'best of the rest' is Mauro Schmid, who had a stellar prologue and backed that up with a strong performance on the climbs today.
Read also
Schmid becomes big favourite to finish on the podium
He was part of the group that formed itself following the categorized ascent to the Corkscrew, and also sprinted to third place on the day, gaining an extra 4 seconds on his direct rivals which protects his current position.
"After that I just tried to do my rhythm, and I knew that when it gets flatter it will be better for me. We had quite a nice group and in the end I think it was nice to get a few seconds on the other guys.”
Schmid is showing top form in Australia. @Sirotti
Read also
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)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
- I'm picking .... .... Never mind 🫥flyer07-11-2026
Loading
🏁 FINISH It’s another strong performance from Mauro Schmid to climb over the Corkscrew and take 3rd from the chase group! 👊👏 RESULT: 3️⃣rd 🇦🇺 #TourDownUnder
Write a comment