Tour Down Under organisers release the men’s and women’s fields for the 2025 race

It is the 25th edition of the Tour Down Under and a host of champion cyclists have been confirmed to take to South Australia’s roads.

A world champion, a Tour de France winner, eight national champions and the last two winners of the Tour Down Under make up the start list for the event’s 25th anniversary.

After already announcing Welsh yellow jersey winner Geraint Thomas will return to Australia for possibly his last time racing the TDU, race organisers have added plenty of winning experience for the milestone event.

Thomas (in yellow) will compete at the TDU for likely the last time. / AFP PHOTO / POOL / STEPHANE MANTEY

Thomas’ teammate at Ineos Grenadiers, 2014 world champion Michał Kwiatkowski will make his TDU debut, as will Team Visma Lease a Bike’s 2022 Paris-Roubaix Dylan Van Baarle.

Reigning defending TDU champ Stephen Williams of Team Israel Premier Tech will return to defend his crown, while 2023 winner Jay Vine will also race.

Vine’s UAE Team Emirates looks set to be one of the teams to beat with a strong contingent coming to Adelaide.

Stephen Williams will defend his TDU crown in 2025. Picture: Getty Images

On top of the 2023 winner, they have new signing and 2024 TDU runner up Jhonatan Narvaez, the decorated Marc Soler and the highly promising Pablo Torres Arias competing at the TDU.

Jayco-AlUla have also named a strong team for their home race.

Headlined by three-time Australian road national champion Luke Plapp, their team also contains Swiss national champ Mauro Schmid and gun Aussies Chris Harper and Kelland O’Brien.

Luke Plapp will be hoping for a better TDU than in 2024 where he suffered a big crash. (Photo by Tim de Waele/Getty Images

On top of Plapp and Schmid other national champions competing at the TDU will be Narvaez (Ecuador), Israel-Premier Tech’s Michael Woods (Canada), Decathlon Ag2R La Mondiale’s French national champ Paul Lapeira and XDS Astana’s Alberto Bettiol (Italy).

In the women’s peloton Liv-AlUla-Jayco’s Ruby Roseman-Gannon (Australia) and Ella Wyllie (New Zealand) and EF Education-Oatly’s Noemi Rüegg (Switzerland) will be wearing national championship jerseys.

The women’s race will also have 2024 Olympic gold medallist and world road race championship runner-up Chloe Dygert compete for Canyon/Sram Racing, as well as reigning Tour de France queen of the mountain Justine Ghekiere of AG Insurance - Soudal.

Chloe Dygert headlines the women’s TDU peloton. (Photo by Dario Belingheri/Getty Images)

TDU race director Stuart O’Grady said he was excited about the strength of both pelotons.

“Having eight reigning national champions across the men’s and women’s pelotons shows

the depth of quality we have in the field for our 25th anniversary, and I think we’ll see some

unbelievable racing this summer,” he said.

“Justine Ghekiere and Chloe Dygert are coming to South Australia fresh-off two highly

decorated seasons in 2024 and getting both Michal Kwiatowski and Dylan Van Baarle out for

their Santos Tour Down Under debut’s is great to see considering their cycling resumes.”

The Tour Down Under runs from January 17 to 26.

Originally published as Tour Down Under organisers release the men’s and women’s fields for the 2025 race