The 2026 WorldTour season officially raises the curtain on Tuesday, February 20th in Australia with the Tour Down Under prologue. As is tradition, the race opens the top-tier calendar with an individual time trial that will set the first gaps in the general classification and award the first ochre leader’s jersey. Adelaide again provides the stage for a short, explosive day with strong symbolic weight.
The prologue is virtually flat, starting and finishing in Adelaide itself over 3.6 kilometres. It’s a course built for powerful rouleurs and short-effort specialists, where every second will matter and there will be no room for error. While the gaps won’t be large, they can shape the early race dynamics and influence the following stages.
Michael Gogl of Alpecin-Premier Tech will be first off the ramp at 08:00 CET. Riders will then start at one-minute intervals in a prologue expected to run a little over two hours. The last rider to roll down the start ramp will be Jay Vine of UAE Team Emirates - XRG, who closes the session at 10:19 CET.
The Australian lines up as the leading favourite to pull on the first ochre jersey, a clear bet from his team even though last year’s winner was Jhonatán Narváez, then also riding for UAE.
Among the names to watch is Adam Yates, off at 08:59 CET, also in the colours of UAE Team Emirates - XRG. The Briton will aim to limit losses in an effort that doesn’t fully suit his profile, but could prove decisive for the GC.
Ivo Oliveira, another key man for the Emirati squad, starts at 09:59 CET, while Ben O’Connor, one of Australia’s prime GC cards, goes at 08:54 CET for the Team Jayco AlUla.
Jay Vine, Australian national champion, favourite at the Tour Down Under
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TDU prologue start times and start order
| Order | Time (CET) | Name | Team |
| 1 | 08:00 | GOGL Michael | Alpecin-Premier Tech |
| 2 | 08:01 | VAN UDEN Casper | Team Picnic PostNL |
| 3 | 08:02 | BRENNER Marco | Tudor Pro Cycling Team |
| 4 | 08:03 | STEVENSON Lucas | Australia |
| 5 | 08:04 | LEONARD Michael | EF Education - EasyPost |
| 6 | 08:05 | VAN EETVELT Lennert | Lotto Intermarché |
| 7 | 08:06 | URIANSTAD BUGGE Martin | Uno-X Mobility |
| 8 | 08:07 | EENKHOORN Pascal | Soudal Quick-Step |
| 9 | 08:08 | PITHIE Laurence | Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe |
| 10 | 08:09 | DONNENWIRTH Tom | Groupama - FDJ United |
| 11 | 08:10 | WATSON Samuel | INEOS Grenadiers |
| 12 | 08:11 | MOSCA Jacopo | Lidl - Trek |
| 13 | 08:12 | STANNARD Robert | Bahrain - Victorious |
| 14 | 08:13 | NOVÁK Pavel | Movistar Team |
| 15 | 08:14 | DURBRIDGE Luke | Team Jayco AlUla |
| 16 | 08:15 | ANDRESEN Tobias Lund | Decathlon CMA CGM Team |
| 17 | 08:16 | VERNON Ethan | NSN Cycling Team |
| 18 | 08:17 | KAJAMINI Florian Samuel | XDS Astana Team |
| 19 | 08:18 | BRENNAN Matthew | Team Visma | Lease a Bike |
| 20 | 08:19 | MOLANO Juan Sebastián | UAE Team Emirates - XRG |
| 21 | 08:20 | BUSATTO Francesco | Alpecin-Premier Tech |
| 22 | 08:21 | HAMILTON Chris | Team Picnic PostNL |
| 23 | 08:22 | WIRTGEN Luc | Tudor Pro Cycling Team |
| 24 | 08:23 | HOWSON Damien | Australia |
| 25 | 08:24 | WALKER Max | EF Education - EasyPost |
| 26 | 08:25 | ZIMMERMANN Georg | Lotto Intermarché |
| 27 | 08:26 | INGEBRIGTSEN Storm | Uno-X Mobility |
| 28 | 08:27 | PEDERSEN Casper | Soudal Quick-Step |
| 29 | 08:28 | FISHER-BLACK Finn | Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe |
| 30 | 08:29 | BOWER Lewis | Groupama - FDJ United |
| 31 | 08:30 | KWIATKOWSKI Michał | INEOS Grenadiers |
| 32 | 08:31 | OOMEN Sam | Lidl - Trek |
| 33 | 08:32 | MIHOLJEVIĆ Fran | Bahrain - Victorious |
| 34 | 08:33 | TESFATSION Natnael | Movistar Team |
| 35 | 08:34 | MCKENZIE Hamish | Team Jayco AlUla |
| 36 | 08:35 | SCOTSON Callum | Decathlon CMA CGM Team |
| 37 | 08:36 | STRONG Corbin | NSN Cycling Team |
| 38 | 08:37 | SCHRETTL Marco | XDS Astana Team |
| 39 | 08:38 | SCHIFFER Anton | Team Visma | Lease a Bike |
| 40 | 08:39 | LAENGEN Vegard Stake | UAE Team Emirates - XRG |
| 41 | 08:40 | MARSMAN Tim | Alpecin-Premier Tech |
| 42 | 08:41 | PEACE Oliver | Team Picnic PostNL |
| 43 | 08:42 | KELEMEN Petr | Tudor Pro Cycling Team |
| 44 | 08:43 | GREENWOOD Matthew | Australia |
| 45 | 08:44 | MACKELLAR Alastair | EF Education - EasyPost |
| 46 | 08:45 | RUTSCH Jonas | Lotto Intermarché |
| 47 | 08:46 | FREDHEIM Stian | Uno-X Mobility |
| 48 | 08:47 | ZANA Filippo | Soudal Quick-Step |
| 49 | 08:48 | VAN POPPEL Danny | Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe |
| 50 | 08:49 | PALENI Enzo | Groupama - FDJ United |
| 51 | 08:50 | WELSFORD Sam | INEOS Grenadiers |
| 52 | 08:51 | BAGIOLI Andrea | Lidl - Trek |
| 53 | 08:52 | STOCKWELL Oliver | Bahrain - Victorious |
| 54 | 08:53 | SERRANO Gonzalo | Movistar Team |
| 55 | 08:54 | O'CONNOR Ben | Team Jayco AlUla |
| 56 | 08:55 | GUDMESTAD Tord | Decathlon CMA CGM Team |
| 57 | 08:56 | GILMORE Brady | NSN Cycling Team |
| 58 | 08:57 | TONEATTI Davide | XDS Astana Team |
| 59 | 08:58 | HUISING Menno | Team Visma | Lease a Bike |
| 60 | 08:59 | YATES Adam | UAE Team Emirates - XRG |
| 61 | 09:00 | SENTJENS Sente | Alpecin-Premier Tech |
| 62 | 09:01 | DINHAM Matthew | Team Picnic PostNL |
| 63 | 09:02 | MAYRHOFER Marius | Tudor Pro Cycling Team |
| 64 | 09:03 | EDDY Patrick | Australia |
| 65 | 09:04 | CEPEDA Jefferson Alexander | EF Education - EasyPost |
| 66 | 09:05 | TAMINIAUX Lionel | Lotto Intermarché |
| 67 | 09:06 | SKAARSETH Anders | Uno-X Mobility |
| 68 | 09:07 | DAINESE Alberto | Soudal Quick-Step |
| 69 | 09:08 | DRIZNERS Jarrad | Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe |
| 70 | 09:09 | FONTAINE Titouan | Groupama - FDJ United |
| 71 | 09:10 | SVESTAD-BÅRDSENG Embret | INEOS Grenadiers |
| 72 | 09:11 | SOBRERO Matteo | Lidl - Trek |
| 73 | 09:12 | VAN DER MEULEN Max | Bahrain - Victorious |
| 74 | 09:13 | CEPEDA Jefferson Alveiro | Movistar Team |
| 75 | 09:14 | O'BRIEN Kelland | Team Jayco AlUla |
| 76 | 09:15 | L'HOTE Antoine | Decathlon CMA CGM Team |
| 77 | 09:16 | SCHULTZ Nick | NSN Cycling Team |
| 78 | 09:17 | VAN BEKKUM Darren | XDS Astana Team |
| 79 | 09:18 | HAGENES Per Strand | Team Visma | Lease a Bike |
| 80 | 09:19 | BJERG Mikkel | UAE Team Emirates - XRG |
| 81 | 09:20 | GLIVAR Gal | Alpecin-Premier Tech |
| 82 | 09:21 | KNOX James | Team Picnic PostNL |
| 83 | 09:22 | SUTER Joel | Tudor Pro Cycling Team |
| 84 | 09:23 | WALSH Liam | Australia |
| 85 | 09:24 | LAMPERTI Luke | EF Education - EasyPost |
| 86 | 09:25 | VEISTROFFER Baptiste | Lotto Intermarché |
| 87 | 09:26 | RESELL Erik Nordsæter | Uno-X Mobility |
| 88 | 09:27 | REINDERINK Pepijn | Soudal Quick-Step |
| 89 | 09:28 | THORNLEY Callum | Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe |
| 90 | 09:29 | GENIETS Kevin | Groupama - FDJ United |
| 91 | 09:30 | HAIG Jack | INEOS Grenadiers |
| 92 | 09:31 | KONRAD Patrick | Lidl - Trek |
| 93 | 09:32 | ZAMBANINI Edoardo | Bahrain - Victorious |
| 94 | 09:33 | TORRES Albert | Movistar Team |
| 95 | 09:34 | SCHMID Mauro | Team Jayco AlUla |
| 96 | 09:35 | CHAMBERLAIN Oscar | Decathlon CMA CGM Team |
| 97 | 09:36 | BENNETT George | NSN Cycling Team |
| 98 | 09:37 | ROMELE Alessandro | XDS Astana Team |
| 99 | 09:38 | FIORELLI Filippo | Team Visma | Lease a Bike |
| 100 | 09:39 | NARVÁEZ Jhonatan | UAE Team Emirates - XRG |
| 101 | 09:40 | BALLERSTEDT Maurice | Alpecin-Premier Tech |
| 102 | 09:41 | MÄRKL Niklas | Team Picnic PostNL |
| 103 | 09:42 | STORK Florian | Tudor Pro Cycling Team |
| 104 | 09:43 | BLEDDYN Oliver | Australia |
| 105 | 09:44 | VAN DER LEE Jardi Christiaan | EF Education - EasyPost |
| 106 | 09:45 | THOMPSON Reuben | Lotto Intermarché |
| 107 | 09:46 | KRON Andreas | Uno-X Mobility |
| 108 | 09:47 | VAN DEN BOSSCHE Fabio | Soudal Quick-Step |
| 109 | 09:48 | ETXEBERRIA Haimar | Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe |
| 110 | 09:49 | CAVAGNA Rémi | Groupama - FDJ United |
| 111 | 09:50 | HAMILTON Lucas | INEOS Grenadiers |
| 112 | 09:51 | GHEBREIGZABHIER Amanuel | Lidl - Trek |
| 113 | 09:52 | ERŽEN Žak | Bahrain - Victorious |
| 114 | 09:53 | MORO Manlio | Movistar Team |
| 115 | 09:54 | PORTER Rudy | Team Jayco AlUla |
| 116 | 09:55 | GAUTHERAT Pierre | Decathlon CMA CGM Team |
| 117 | 09:56 | STEWART Jake | NSN Cycling Team |
| 118 | 09:57 | VELASCO Simone | XDS Astana Team |
| 119 | 09:58 | MATTIO Pietro | Team Visma | Lease a Bike |
| 120 | 09:59 | OLIVEIRA Ivo | UAE Team Emirates - XRG |
| 121 | 10:00 | PLOWRIGHT Jensen | Alpecin-Premier Tech |
| 122 | 10:01 | RENARD-HAQUIN Henri-François | Team Picnic PostNL |
| 123 | 10:02 | ZIJLAARD Maikel | Tudor Pro Cycling Team |
| 124 | 10:03 | HARPER Chris | Australia |
| 125 | 10:04 | SWEENY Harry | EF Education - EasyPost |
| 126 | 10:05 | FOX Matthew | Lotto Intermarché |
| 127 | 10:06 | CHARMIG Anthon | Uno-X Mobility |
| 128 | 10:07 | RACCAGNI NOVIERO Andrea | Soudal Quick-Step |
| 129 | 10:08 | TUCKWELL Luke | Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe |
| 130 | 10:09 | MARTIN Guillaume | Groupama - FDJ United |
| 131 | 10:10 | SWIFT Ben | INEOS Grenadiers |
| 132 | 10:11 | TEUTENBERG Tim Torn | Lidl - Trek |
| 133 | 10:12 | BUITRAGO Santiago | Bahrain - Victorious |
| 134 | 10:13 | ROMO Javier | Movistar Team |
| 135 | 10:14 | PLAPP Luke | Team Jayco AlUla |
| 136 | 10:15 | PRODHOMME Nicolas | Decathlon CMA CGM Team |
| 137 | 10:16 | CLARKE Simon | NSN Cycling Team |
| 138 | 10:17 | GATE Aaron | XDS Astana Team |
| 139 | 10:18 | REX Tim | Team Visma | Lease a Bike |
| 140 | 10:19 | VINE Jay | UAE Team Emirates - XRG |
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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