Trailblazing Riders: Top 6 Women to Watch
As the tour line-up is set to sizzle this summer, there are a few women's riders that should be on everyone's radar.
1. Neve Bradbury - CANYON//SRAM RACING ZONDACRYPTO
The Australian has the wind in her sail coming into the Santos Tour Down Under. She claimed her first Women’s WorldTour General Classification podium at last year’s event, shortly after winning the U23 national road championship title. She followed up with overall second in the UAE Tour Women, which saw her slingshot to the top of the Women’s WorldTour rankings. The 22-year-old’s career could catapult again with another strong showing in South Australia.
Riding for Canyon//SRAM, Bradbury is establishing herself as one of the key Women’s WorldTour riders. Having spent her formative training years in Melbourne during lockdown, the Victorian committed to a highly disciplined training regime before winning Zwift Academy, which saw her leap into the pro peloton.
Her 2024 campaign was underpinned by a stunning victory on the queen stage of the Giro d’Italia Women. A team player, Bradbury then sacrificed her ambitions for the young rider jersey at the Tour de France Femmes to support Polish teammate Katarzyna Niewiadoma, who successfully claimed the yellow jersey. She is also teammates with one of her childhood heroes – South Australian Tiffany Cromwell.
2. Ally Wollaston - FDJ-SUEZ
After winning the opening stage of 2024’s Santos Tour Down Under, Ally Wollaston has gone from strength to strength. The Kiwi claimed two medals at the Paris Olympics before going on to win two track cycling world championship titles. Her strength is one aspect to her game, but her grit is another. Wollaston’s tenacity is a feature of her racing career and will be a feared competitor when the Santos Tour Down Under gets underway.
Wollaston will begin her new two-year contract with team FDJ-SUEZ at the Women’s Santos Tour Down Under, after transferring from AG Insurance-Soudal. She has had eight professional wins in the last three seasons, including overall victory at Festival Elsy Jacobs and overall podiums at the Lotto Belgium Tour and Bretagne Ladies Tour. Wollaston is known for her fierce determination and passion for the sport. As one of New Zealand’s standout competitors, she is also helping to lift her country’s status and reputation in the sport on the world stage.
3. Justine Ghekiere – AG Insurance–Soudal
As the reigning Queen of the Mountain in both the Tour de France and Giro d’Italia, Justine Ghekiere is perfectly suited to the extra climb up Willunga Hill awaiting the women’s peloton this year. The 28-year-old Belgian is a late bloomer in pro cycling, dedicating herself to the sport during pandemic lockdowns. This will be her Santos Tour Down Under debut
4. Chloé Dygert – Canyon//SRAM
Twelve-time world champion Chloé Dygert will be a force at this year’s Santos Tour Down Under. An Olympic gold medallist, the American is heading to Adelaide for just the second time in her career. She has signed a new contract with Canyon//SRAM and is hoping for more consistency in 2025, after several years plagued by injury.
5. Ruth Edwards (nee Winder) – Human Powered Health
Having stood atop the podium of the 2020 Santos Tour Down Under, Ruth Edwards returns to Adelaide after a two-year sabbatical from pro cycling. One of America’s most decorated cyclists in the past decade, Edwards says the time away from the sport has given her a fresh perspective and more positive energy, which she will put to work at the Santos Tour Down Under.
6. Brodie Chapman – UAE Team ADQ
Transferring to her new team for season 2025, Brodie Chapman is looking to make a bigger impact during her two-year contract. The Queenslander is regarded as a dependable support act in the peloton; a role she relishes. The national road race champion added world championship gold to her accomplishments in 2024 as part of Australia’s mixed team relay.
