Williams, Vine Vie For Season-Opening Tour Down Under 2025 Crown
Williams, Vine Vie For Season-Opening Tour Down Under 2025 Crown
Stephen Williams defends his Tour Down Under title against Jay Vine and Geraint Thomas, while Chloe Dygert leads a star-studded women’s race in Adelaide.

Defending champion Stephen Williams, former winner Jay Vine, and 2018 Tour de France victor Geraint Thomas headline the 25th staging of Australia’s Tour Down Under this week, marking the start of the new UCI WorldTour season.
Men's Race: Key Contenders
The men’s six-stage event will take place from January 21–26, with Welshman Williams looking to defend his crown after his thrilling victory at Mount Lofty in 2024. His performance last year propelled him to a successful season, including a win at the Tour of Britain in September and a four-year contract extension with Israel-Premier.
“Winning my first Tour Down Under was an unbelievable moment for me,” Williams said. “I’m chasing another strong result to kickstart my 2025 season, and hopefully it will lead to another breakthrough year.”
Williams faces stiff competition from UAE-Team Emirates, featuring 2023 TDU winner Jay Vine and Jhonatan Narvaez, last year’s runner-up. Vine, who has made an incredible comeback from a severe crash in the Tour of the Basque Country, expressed optimism: “I had a really good summer of preparation in Australia and am excited to be in Adelaide for the Tour Down Under, a place where I have some amazing memories.”

Women’s Tour: A Star-Studded Line-Up
The three-stage women’s event starts on January 17, showcasing top talent such as Olympic team pursuit gold medallist Chloe Dygert, reigning Tour de France queen of the mountains Justine Ghekiere, and Australia’s Ruby Roseman-Gannon. Ghekiere, who also won the mountains classification in last year’s Giro d’Italia, will be part of the AG Insurance-Soudal team.
Other notable riders include Amanda Spratt, Ally Wollaston, and Dygert, who said, “It’s always exciting to race in Australia—it’s a fantastic way to start the season.” Unfortunately, last year’s champion Sarah Gigante will miss the event due to surgery for a vascular condition.
The 2025 Tour Down Under promises a thrilling start to the season, with sunny skies, challenging courses, and some of the world’s best cyclists vying for glory.