ADELAIDE, Australia — Australian cyclist Jay Vine secured a remarkable victory at the Tour Down Under on Sunday, overcoming an extraordinary mid-race collision with a kangaroo that forced three riders to abandon the competition. The incident occurred during the final 169.8-kilometer stage through Adelaide’s hills, marking a dramatic conclusion to the opening event of the 2026 World Tour.
With approximately 96 kilometers remaining, two large kangaroos unexpectedly bounded onto the road during a high-speed section. Vine was knocked from his bicycle upon impact, while riders Menno Huising, Lucas Stevenson, and Alberto Dainese were compelled to withdraw due to injuries sustained in the collision. The kangaroo involved also suffered injuries.
Despite entering the final stage with a substantial 1-minute, 3-second lead on general classification, Vine faced significant challenges beyond the wildlife encounter. His UAE Team Emirates squad had been reduced to just three members following Saturday’s fourth stage, where defending champion Jhonatan Narvaez and another teammate crashed out. The team was further diminished when Juan Sebastian Molano withdrew due to fatigue before Sunday’s stage.
Demonracing exceptional resilience, Vine immediately remounted after the kangaroo incident, changing bicycles twice before rejoining the peloton with 92 kilometers remaining. He maintained a strategic position near the front throughout the remainder of the stage, ultimately preserving his overall lead.
The Australian champion finished 1:03 ahead of Switzerland’s Mauro Schmid (Team Jayco Alula), with Australian Harry Sweeny (EF Education-Easypost) trailing by an additional nine seconds. Britain’s Matthew Brennan (Team Visma) claimed the stage victory in a sprint finish ahead of New Zealand’s Finn Fisher-Black (Bora Hansgrohe) and Denmark’s Tobias Lund Andresen (Decathlon).
Vine, who secured his second Tour Down Under victory in three years, humorously remarked on the incident: ‘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.’
The champion described the mechanics of the collision: ‘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.’
Reflecting on his team’s challenging week, Vine noted: ‘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.’
The stage featured eight laps of a circuit incorporating a slow, steep climb to the finish in Stirling township, with two breakaways occurring during the race, the final one being reeled in with just one kilometer remaining.