Luke Plapp to race 2026 Tour de France and potentially hunt GC at Vuelta a España
CyclingSunday, 28 December 2025 at 11:45
Team Jayco AlUla have lost several of its best climbers over the last few years and it is looking to have someone new be able to contest Grand Tours. For several years now Luke Plapp seems to be heading in that direction, and later this summer he should give it a first go at the Vuelta a España.
The Giro d'Italia stage winner has in the past performed strongly in the overall classification of several stage-races, including a second place between Adam Yates and Remco Evenepoel at the 2023 UAE Tour. However his level in the one-week races doesn't seem to have evolved over the past years, but instead he has found his talent in chasing stage wins.
But he is looking for changes in his performance, and for this, he is switching coaches within the Australian team, and joining forces with the man who has guided the team's best in the three-week races. "I had a great relationship with my previous coach, so I didn't know what to expect, especially since I'm coming off my best season. But the initial signs are very good," Plapp said in words to Daniel Benson.
"I'm now working with Joshua Hunt, who also coaches Ben O'Connor and worked with the Yates brothers when they rode for Jayco AlUla. It's a good approach, and he's coached Grand Tour winners and other strong GC riders".
Will Plapp's plan be successful?
Plapp has the W/Kg to perform amongst the best even in the top races, as confirmed for example at the Tour de France where he finished fifth at the Peyragudes mountain time trial - directly ahead of Matteo Jorgenson, Oscr ONely, Adam Yates and other top riders. His issue lies in consistency, as somehow that was the only day at the Grand Boucle where he was in the spotlight. At the Giro, his solo win in Castelraimondo was also evidence of an extraordinary level, but one he doesn't often find.
In 2026 he rides the Tour de France as confirmed to Benson, but adds that he has the wish of chasing the overall classification at the Vuelta a España to test his ability. "That's still the plan. Next year, I'll focus on a few multi-day stage races first, and then I'll go to the Tour de France as a stage-hunter. If I still have enough energy after the Tour, I really want to go to the Vuelta and try for a good GC there. But it will all depend on how I feel after the Tour".
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