Everything you need to know about the Australian cycling athletes, what events they're competing in, an overview of the cycling disciplines and event schedules, plus when and where to watch all the action.
17 Jul 2024
All the action kicks off from 26 July - 11 August 2024. The Paris Games will see over 460 Australian athletes competing across 33 different sports - it is expected to be the third largest Australian contingent to compete at a Games held overseas.
The Australian squad is headed up by Chef de Mission Anna Meares, a four-time track cycling Olympian and six-time medallist.
Among the Australian athletes, 25 are represented across cycling disciples, with 19 athletes competing for gold across track and road cycling.
Fifteen out of the nineteen Australian riders across the road and track teams have raced here in South Australia for the Santos Tour Down Under.
We’ve put together a summary of all the athletes on the Australian Cycling Team who have competed as part of the Santos Tour Down Under.
GRACE BROWN
Grace Brown made history in the Santos Tour Down Under as the first rider to win the event after the women’s race was elevated to UCI WorldTour status in 2023.
She has been a familiar face in the January peloton having competed in six races over the past eight years.
Earlier this month, Brown announced her retirement, making the Paris Games her last opportunity to add a Games medal to her long list of accolades.
Brown is making her second Games appearance and will be racing in the Women's Individual Time Trial and Road Race.
RUBY ROSEMAN-GANNON
Ruby Roseman-Gannon has competed in three Santos Tour Down Under events (2020, 2023, 2024) and won the domestic Santos Festival of Cycling race in 2022. She currently races for the Australian WorldTour team Liv Jayco-AlUla.
This will be Ruby’s first Games where she will compete in the Women's Road Race & Women's Individual Time Trial.
LAURETTA HANSON
Lauretta Hanson is an established rider in the peloton and currently races for the US Women's WorldTour Lidl-Trek team. She has competed in every Santos Tour Down Under event since 2017, minus the 2020 event.
It will be Lauretta’s first Games where she will compete in the Women's Road Race & Individual Time Trial events.
MICHAEL MATTHEWS
Veteran cyclist Michael Matthews will make his debut at the Paris Games. Matthews has competed in five Santos Tour Down Under events, and claimed the points classification in the 2023 race.
Matthews is the only debutant in the men's road race team and will compete in the Men's Road Race & Individual Time Trial.
SIMON CLARKE
Simon Clarke has competed in 13 editions of the Santos Tour Down Under and in 2024, he was the most experienced rider in the peloton.
This will be the second Games for Clarke, having competed in the Men's Road Race at the 2016 Rio Games. In Paris, he'll race in the Men's Road Race & Individual Time Trial.
LUKE PLAPP
Luke Plapp is a three-time National Road Race champion having won the title consecutively since 2022. Plapp first raced here in January for two editions of the domestic Santos Festival of Cycling race where he won a WorldTour contract on the back of his impressive performances. Since then he's raced in two editions of the Santos Tour Down Under for INEOS Grenadiers and is current team, Team Jayco-AlUla.
Plapp was part of the Track Cycling team for the 2020 Tokyo Games where he claimed a Bronze medal in the Men's Team Pursuit. The Paris Games will be the first time he's competing in a road event wearing the green and gold. Plapp will put his skills to the test in the Men's Road Race & Individual Time Trial races.
ALEXANDRA MANLY
Four-time Santos Tour Down Under competitor Alexandra Manly will make her second appearance at the Games on the Track team. Manly took the Stage 2 win at the 2023 Santos Tour Down Under and has been a strong competitor within the Australian World Tour team, Team Liv-AlUla Jayco.
Manly was part of the Cycling Track Women's Team Pursuit at the 2020 Tokyo Games and will take on the same event in Paris.
GEORGIA BAKER
Georgia Baker has competed in the Santos Tour Down Under three times (2018, 2023, 2024), and raced in both editions of the Santos Festival of Cycling where she won Stage 4 for Team Garmin Australia in 2021.
This is Baker’s third Games and she’ll contest in the women’s track events.
CHLOE MORAN
Chloe Moran will make her debut in Paris and will form part of the women's track team.
Moran has raced at the Santos Tour Down Under once in 2017 for High5 Dream Team.
MAEVE PLOUFFE
South Australian Maeve Plouffe will be making her second appearance in the women's track team. Plouffe competed in the Santos Tour Down Under in 2018 and again in 2024, and raced in both editions of the Santos Festival of Cycling where she came third overall in 2022.
SOPHIE EDWARDS
24-year-old Sophie Edwards is the youngest teammate on the women's track team and will make her debut in Paris.
The South Australian has raced in three Santos Tour Down Under races since 2020 and competed in both Santos Festival of Cycling races. Edwards currently rides for WorldTour Team ARA Skip Capital.
KRISTINA CLONAN
Kristina Clonan first competed in the Santos Tour Down Under in 2017 for High5 Dream Team, then again in 2018 for TIS Racing before turning her focus to track cycling.
At the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games, Clonan won gold in the 500m Time Trial. She will make her debut in Paris within the women's track team.
SAM WELSFORD
Sam Welsford has a strong track history and is making waves on the tarmac. He's raced in the Santos Tour Down Under three times, first in 2018 and again in 2020 for Team UniSA Australia. Welsford had a strong start to his 2024 season, winning three stages at the Santos Tour Down Under for team BORA - hansgrohe.
In 2016 he competed at the Rio Games and came home with Silver from the Team Pursuit track event. In 2020 he added a Bronze medal to the collection after placing third in the Men's Team Pursuit. Will Welsford finally get the Gold medal at the Paris Games?
KELLAND O'BRIEN
Kelland O'Brien first raced at the Santos Tour Down Under in 2020 for the UniSA Australia team. After racing at the Santos Festival of Cycling in 2021, he returned to the WorldTour peloton in 2024 with Team Jayco-AlUla.
O'Brien won a Bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Games in the Men's Team Pursuit event. He will be making his second appearance in Paris on the men's track team.
CONOR LEAHY
25-year-old Conor Leahy is set to make his debut in Paris. Leahy competed in both editions of the domestic Santos Festival of Cycling race and made his first Santos Tour Down Under appearance in 2023 for the Australian National Team.
To see all of the other Australian riders competing in the Paris, head to our Paris Cycling Guide where you’ll find all the information on the riders, all the cycling disciplines, the event schedules and where to catch all the action.
