An eventful final stage including a kangaroo nearly derailed Jay Vine’s chances of winning a second Santos Tour Down Under on Sunday.
Vine spent anxious seconds with his heart in his mouth, perhaps wondering how he had hit the deck during efex Stage 5 in Stirling.
“I can’t fathom how much bad luck we have had in the last couple of days,” Vine said after claiming his second overall Tour Down Under victory since 2023.
“We’ve got guys that are in the hospital. I have come out unscathed, but you never want that to happen.
“All the Europeans (riders) always ask me what’s the most dangerous animal in Australia, and I tell them kangaroos.
“They (kangaroos) wait in the bushes until you cannot stop and then they jump out in front of you.”
Great Britain’s Matthew Brennan (Team Visma Lease a Bike) won the stage at Stirling before Vine’s GC 1min 03 sec time gap over second-placed Mauro Schmid (Jayco AlUla) and Australia’s Harry Sweeney (EF Education Oatly) third overall.
“It was quite chaotic (at the finish), we knew we couldn’t do a proper lead out,” Brennan said.
“Everyone (on my team) was happy with the win.”
Vine’s GC was the second biggest time gap in Tour Down Under history, behind South Australia’s Patrick Jonker, who won by 1min 13 sec in 2004.
But it wasn’t the perfect efex Stage 5 race for Vine.
Vine lost another two UAE Team Emirates XRG teammates during the stage Mikkel Berg and Juan Sebastian Molano after the kangaroo incident.
Jhonatan Narvaez – the 2025 Tour Down Under champion – and Vegard Stake Laengden were forced out of the race during the Think! Road Safety Stage 4 on Saturday.
However, Vine, despite the fall on Sunday, recovered and got back on a teammate's bike after his team’s staff assessed the situation, claiming the 2023 win was one he will never forget.
“I don’t know what’s better,” Vine said.
“But I got a stage win this year, the surprise of 2023 was nicer.”
Vine had good company in Stirling as the stage race was drawing to a close.
His two remaining team members Adam Yates and Ivo Oliveira were relentless and surrounded the 2026 Tour Down Under stage winner and the 2025 KOM at the Vuelta a Espana in a bid to keep him out of harm’s way.
However, Menno Huising (Team Visma Lease a Bike) wasn’t as lucky as he was forced to abandon race.
Oliveria and Yates worked extremely hard to pull the peloton about 10km before the Mount Barker Road finish line after the 169.8km final stage started frenetically.
There was attack after attack as soon as race director Stuart O’Grady waved the green flag after a neutral start from Mount Barker Road, Stirling.
Stirling at the start line was a comfortable 31C in the tree-lined street.
Jayco AlUla’s Luke Plapp, who was celebrating his 50th race day in Australia, was at the front of the race – just as he was during the scorching Think! Road Safety stage 4 Brighton to Willunga on Saturday.
Plapp, 25, was joined by fellow Australian Robert Stannard (Bahrain Victorious) and Dutchman Pascal Eenkhoorn (Soudal Quick-Step).
The trio led by 2min 46 sec before Plapp had to replace a punctured tyre.
Eenkhoorn earned maximum bonus Ziptrak intermediate sprint seconds for the first time at Heathfield, followed by Stannard and Plapp.
Plapp was then rewarded when he picked up maximum points for the efex King of the Mountain for the first time at Stirling, but it didn’t dent Martin Urianstad Bugge’s (UnoX Mobility) chances of keeping the 2026 KOM jersey for good.
THE RESULTS
efex Men's Stage 5 Winner: Matthew Brennan (Visma Lease a Bike)
Santos Ochre General Classification: Jay Vine (UAE Emirates XRG)
Ziptrak Sprint Classification: Tobias Lund Andresen (Decathlon CMA CGM Team)
efex King of the Mountain Classification: Martin Urianstad Bugge (UnoX Mobility)
MyWhoosh Young Rider: Andrea Raccagni Noviero (Soudal Quick-Step)
Yamaha Most Competitive Rider: Pascal Eenkhoorne (Soudal Quick-Step)
Wilson Winning Team: Jayco AlUla
Tanya Denver Award for best placed South Australian: Chris Harper (ARA Australia)
