Swiss rider Noemi Ruegg has claimed consecutive Santos Women’s Tour Down Under titles for the first time since Australian legend Amanda Spratt completed a hat-trick of victories in 2019.
Ruegg, 24, powered to the top of the general classification after beating three star rivals from UAE Team ADQ to win the final Hyundai Stage 3 on Maryvale Road, Athelstone, on Monday.
“Yeah, we came into the race with ambition to defend the GC (general classification),’’ Ruegg said.
“And for a stage win as well.
“I knew I was in great form, but I still hesitated a bit.
"I wasn't sure how well I would actually do.
“But the other team believed in me so much, and we had a plan every day that we committed to, and everyone was so committed and trusted in me.
“Every day we could execute our plan almost to perfection, today totally to perfection.”
Ruegg incredibly outwitted three riders, UAE Team ADQ’s Dominika Wlodarczyk, Paula Blasi and Mavi Garcia, 500m from the finish line to earn the coveted crown for a second time.
Ruegg appeared to be out of gas for the first Corkscrew Road climb.
However, she received a new lease of life when UCI World Champion teammate Magdeleine Vallieres nursed the Swiss star back to life where she had aggressively overcome the Corkscrew Road for the second time.
“I knew if I went into the last 500m with them (UAE Team ADQ members) then nothing can happen anymore,” Ruegg said.
“I didn't want to believe it (the win) too early but it's crazy.”
Blasi, who won the 2026 Tour Down Under efex Queen of the Mountain Jersey, said her team would dissect what went wrong, given it had strength in numbers before Ruegg powered to victory.
“At the last 500m we misunderstood each other,” Blasi said.
“We didn’t communicate that well, we tried to play our cards before the finish line.”
Ruegg’s EF Education Oatly’s team plan wasn’t evident early in the race.
The major general classification contenders, including back-to-back 2026 stage winner and Monday’s Santos Ochre Jersey leader Ally Wollaston, were all well protected by their teams.
The definitive calm among the GC favourites was evident before the Corkscrew Road double Category 1 climb storm as Austria’s Carina Schrempf broke away to open a 45-second lead with 107km before the finish.
Team tactics then shifted quickly when Mikayla Harvey (Team SD Worx Protime) and Rosita Reinhout (Team Visma – Lease a Bike) attacked in a bid to close Schrempf’s gap with a little more than 102km before the finish line.
Harvey then joined Schrempf at the front of the race as counterattacks were mostly conquered, testing the resilience of the peloton in a show of attrition.
The pair – at one stage of the race – led by nearly six minutes before the peloton started to gain serious ground on Gorge Road, then turned left to tackle the first Corkscrew Road lap, which created history for the women’s tour.
It was the first time the toilsome climb, which peaks at a 19.8 per cent maximum gradient, was granted the thrilling presence of the best UCI WorldTour women’s cyclists on the planet twice in the one stage.
Climbing the 2.5km Corkscrew was expected to be the most challenging part of the race before the fast Montacute Road descent.
And it didn’t disappoint bike racing fans.
Strategically astute teams started positioning their key riders including Ruegg on Gorge Road before the base of the Corkscrew in a bid to tackle the ascent as planned.
UAE Team ADQ showed their hand when veteran Garcia, Wlodarczyk and Blasi and Sarah Van Dam (Team Visma - Lease a Bike) caught Harvey and Schrempf at the first switchback, opening an 11-second gap over three-time Spratt (Lidl-Trek) and Ruegg.
Wlodarczyk earned the first efex Queen of the Mountain points at the summit peak while Van Dam picked up a handy sprint time bonus on Maryvale Road to make her the virtual GC leader of the time.
The Pole was first to hit the Corkscrew for a second time, but it was Spratt, 38, who instigated a brave attack as Wlodarczyk showed signs of fatigue.
Wlodarczyk had teammate Blasi with her on the descent, and Spratt was lurking alongside Ruegg.
The Swiss reigning Tour Down Under champion was far too good in the final sprint.
Ruegg and the rest of the UCI WorldTour Women’s peloton return to action on Wednesday afternoon for the Vanguard women’s one-day race for valuable UCI points in Tanunda.
The results
Hyundai Stage 3 Winner: Noemi Ruegg (EF Education Oatly)
Santos Ochre General Classification: Noemi Ruegg (EF Education Oatly)
Ziptrak Sprint Classification: Ally Wollaston (FDJ United – SUEZ)
efex Queen of the Mountain Classification: Paula Blasi (UAE Team ADQ)
MyWhoosh Young Rider: Justyna Czapla (Canyon//SRAM Zondacrypto)
Yamaha Most Competitive Rider: Carina Schrempf (Fenix Premier Tech)
Wilson Parking Team: UAE Team ADQ
Best South Australian: Sophie Edwards (ARA Australia)
