In a remarkable display of resilience, Australia's Jay Vine triumphed at the Tour Down Under on Sunday, despite being knocked from his bike by a kangaroo during the final stage. This victory marks the first event of the 2026 World Tour, with Vine securing his second win in three years at his home race.
Dramatic Collision on High-Speed Section
The incident occurred with approximately 96 kilometres remaining in the 169.8-kilometre stage through the hills around Adelaide. Two large kangaroos unexpectedly bounded onto the road, causing Vine to crash in a high-speed section. The collision forced three other riders—Menno Huising, Lucas Stevenson, and Alberto Dainese—to abandon the race, and the kangaroo involved was also injured.
Overcoming Team Setbacks and Adversity
Entering the final stage, Vine held a lead of 1 minute and 3 seconds on general classification. However, his UAE Team Emirates squad faced significant challenges, including the loss of defending champion Jhonatan Narvaez and another teammate in a crash during Saturday's fourth stage. On Sunday, Juan Sebastian Molano withdrew due to fatigue, leaving Vine with only two teammates: Ivo Emanuel Oliveira and Briton Adam Yates.
Despite the crash, Vine quickly remounted, changed bikes twice, and rejoined the peloton with around 92 kilometres to go. He maintained a position near the front for the remainder of the stage, ultimately finishing 1 minute and 3 seconds ahead of Mauro Schmid of Switzerland from Team Jayco Alula. Australian Harry Sweeny of EF Education - Easypost followed a further nine seconds behind.
Vine's Reflections on the Unpredictable Hazard
In a post-race interview, Vine humorously addressed the dangers of kangaroos, stating, 'Everyone asks me what's the most dangerous thing in Australia and I always tell them it's kangaroos. They wait and they hide in the bushes until you can't stop and they jump out in front of you. Point proven today.' He described the chaotic moment: 'Two of them blasted through the peloton when we were doing probably 50 kph (30 mph) and one of them stopped and went left, right, left right, left right and I ended up hitting its backside.'
Stage Details and Breakaway Dynamics
The stage featured eight laps of a circuit with a slow, steep climb to the finish in Stirling. Two breakaways occurred during the race, with the second being reeled in by the peloton with only one kilometre remaining. Matthew Brennan of Britain from Team Visma won the stage in a sprint, ahead of Finn Fisher-Black of New Zealand from Bora Hansgrohe and Tobias Lund Andresen of Denmark from Decathlon.
A Testament to Perseverance
Vine's victory underscores his ability to overcome a series of misfortunes throughout the race. He reflected, 'This year we started off really positive and we just had more and more bad luck as the race went on. Today was never going to be easy and I've been saying all week it's not over until it's over. But it's proven to be not over till it's over in this race for us.' His win not only highlights individual grit but also sets a thrilling tone for the 2026 World Tour season.
