“We stand together” – Team Jayco AlUla move to contain backlash after controversial Australian nationals finale

Days after Team Jayco AlUla's chaotic finish at the Australian men’s elite road race sparked widespread criticism, the only Australian WorldTour team have gone public with a message of unity, accountability and rapid reset, as they try to calm the controversy that followed their tactical collapse.

Public reaction to the finale was brutal. Fans, commentators and former riders questioned how a team with such numerical strength could turn a perfect position into a losing one, effectively helping Patrick Eddy ride to the green and gold jersey. Luke Plapp, who finished second, became the lightning rod for much of that anger.

Now, Jayco AlUla’s leadership have stepped in to stop the situation from becoming a blame game. “Look, the bottom line is that is not how we wanted the race to go, flat out, and we are extremely disappointed with the outcome,” team manager Gene Bates said in conversation with AAP.

Rather than dissecting individual decisions in public, Bates has focused on how the team responds to the storm that followed. “There was some really good work done in that race and some examples of work we are better than, as a team,” he said.

Behind the scenes, the pressure has been intense. As Australia’s only WorldTour outfit, Jayco AlUla are judged not just as a trade team, but as a national flagship. Failing at the biggest domestic race of the year, in front of a home crowd, cut deeper than a normal defeat.

Bates has made it clear the priority is not defending individual riders in public, but protecting the group. “We learn from our mistakes and learn from experiences and make ourselves better. So we are working on things internally – but we do that as a team,” he said. “I’m keen to ensure that we stand together and work hard to support each other. We want to use this as an opportunity to become stronger, not be weaker.”

Luke Plapp has been at the centre of much of the public criticism, but Bates addressed his situation directly. “Luke is disappointed – certainly not the outcome he wanted and he knows it’s not the outcome the team wanted as well,” he said.

The language is deliberate. No pointing. No singling out. No tactical autopsy in the media. The message is that whatever went wrong belongs to everyone, not one rider.

The timing of the controversy could hardly be tighter. Within days, Jayco AlUla are back in action at the Tour Down Under, racing in front of the same fans who watched them unravel at nationals.

For the team, Adelaide is not just a season opener. It is a chance to rewrite the story. “Straight away, we get an opportunity to show what this team can do together and bounce back positively and hard,” Bates said.

Plapp, Luke Durbridge and Ben O’Connor will all be on the start line. O’Connor has been confirmed as the team’s main leader, a move that also subtly shifts focus away from the nationals fallout and onto a new objective. “Ben was good and he’s had a nice preparation in Australia,” Bates said. “He took a lot of confidence out of the racing and he’s one of those guys who will take another step forward now.”

One line from Bates hints at how deeply the backlash has cut. “This is an important race. We’re the only Australian WorldTour men’s and women’s teams and we like to perform in front of what we still call a home crowd,” he said. “We get a lot of joy and satisfaction out of that.”

That “home crowd” is the same audience that questioned their decisions, flooded social media with criticism and debated whether the team had embarrassed itself on the national stage.

Jayco AlUla’s response is not to argue with the outrage, but to outgrow it: stand together, move forward, and try to replace the image of chaos with one of cohesion.

Perth created the controversy. Adelaide is where they try to close it.