It’s another year of a strong presence for Australian riders at the Tour de France in 2026, with eleven riders expected to line up for the nation and a number among them having already shown what it takes to stand on the top step of the stage podium at a Grand Tour.
While once upon a time the pure sprinters like Robbie McEwen, Stuart O’Grady and Caleb Ewan delivered the biggest haul of stage wins for the nation, that has changed in recent years. Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Premier Tech) won a stage last year, but even that was in a breakaway, rather than his usual bunch sprint success. Particularly with no Groves on the start line in 2026, this time the attention will fall to the puncheurs and climbers to deliver the best odds for stage glory.
Riders like Jayco AlUla’s Ben O’Connor, who already has two wins at the race, and four-time victor Michael Matthews are two key prospects that will deliver optimism that the nation could have a reason to celebrate this July. Then there are others like 2022 Giro d’Italia victor Jai Hindley (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), who have plenty of proven winning prowess, but will be devoting their efforts to team goals instead.
From the debuting riders to the experienced hands, the winning prospects to the workhorses, we take a look at the eleven riders from Australia that will provide plenty of extra incentive for middle of the night viewing down under once the race sets off from Barcelona on Saturday for the 2026 Tour de France.
Luke Durbridge (Jayco AlUla)
- Riding his 12th and final edition
This is the last Tour de France for the retiring Luke Durbridge, with his power and experience bound to be much missed by the Australian team in future editions. A crucial part of what the team describes as the ‘engine room’ for a squad that is chasing stage victories and – perhaps not surprisingly given its origin – just about half fills this list of Australian riders with its squad.
Durbridge will be the road captain for what is bound to be an aggressive edition for the team where they have options to cover the gamut of stages on offer. His core role will be clearly evident right from the start as well, with the team bound to be hoping for a strong start with the team time trial on stage 1 and Durbridge will be a crucial part of driving that.
Michael Matthews (Jayco AlUla)
- 9th edition, four stage wins, points classification winner in 2017
It has undoubtedly been a tough patch for Michael Matthews, with the rider missing last year’s Tour de France after suffering a pulmonary embolism. Then, just as things looked to be falling into place this season, with a win at Gran Premio Castellón among the early results there was a crash in training and with fractures in both arms his season was once again facing a big interruption. The 35-year-old then returned at Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and also raced the Tour de Suisse and, with a solid run including an eighth in Switzerland, now looks to be building form in pursuit of that fifth stage win at the Tour de France.
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
The last celebration at the race was on stage 14, in 2022 when Matthews took a solo win, with the 2017 green jersey winner confirming his transformation into a well-rounded stage hunter as he held on to break companion Alberto Bettiol with determined grit on the steep ascents to the Mende Aerodrome and then sprinted away as the road flattened. Matthews is a rider who has ridden the lows of the rollercoaster before and held on determinedly so he can ride the highs, so there is no doubt he’ll be fighting for the ultimate peak and that is another victory at the Tour de France.
Ben O’Connor (Jayco AlUla)
- Fifth edition, two stage wins, fourth overall in 2021
When Ben O’Connor debuted at the Tour de France in 2021 he set a high bar, finishing fourth overall, but the pursuit of another top overall result hasn’t been an easy road. The Giro d’Italia was the general classification goal this year so proven force O’Connor, along with Matthews, will be a key in Jayco-AlUla’s pursuit of stages in France.
Back at the 2021 edition he won stage 9 to Tignes solo, which vaulted him up the rankings, and then in 2025 when his overall hopes were derailed the refocus saw him clinch the win on stage 18 at the top of Col de la Loze. In fact, that was his last win and while his form at the Giro may not have been what he was hoping for, now entering the French Grand Tour without the pressure of it being a key target for GC, he will be freer than ever to conserve the energy on the days that don’t suit so on those that do he can chase the stage victories.
Michael Storer (Tudor Pro Cycling)
- Third edition, third on a stage in 2025
It may be some time since Michael Storer broke through with his first two Grand Tour wins in 2021 at the Vuelta a España and, while the six Grand Tours he has ridden since haven’t yielded another, his ability to consistently deliver top-10 and even top-five results makes him another of the nation’s riders that has the potential to deliver a stage in 2026. In fact he stood on the podium in 2025 on stage 6, taking third from the break.
His Tudor Pro Cycling team is clear that in their second participation at the race stage victories will once again be at the top of their agenda so expect to see the Australian climber active in the breaks once again. Given the Giro results, where Storer was in the top 10 across five climbing stages and finished seventh overall, there can be no doubt about his ability to make the climbs count should he go out front with a group.
Jai Hindley (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe)
- Third edition, won a stage and wore yellow in 2023
The 2022 Giro d’Italia winner, who also came third at that race this year and won a Tour de France stage in 2023, has a clear role at the race this year. He may be a Grand Tour winner in his own right but the team has had a clear target on the event for Remco Evenepoel and Florian Lipowitz. With two third places overall between them at the Tour de France the last two years the aim is to deliver a team and leadership duo that, as a combined force, can chase the higher steps.
Given the focus on team strength to try and tackle the two clear-cut favourites of Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard, Jai HIndley is an important link. Displaying building form through his own dual leadership effort with Giulio Pellizzari, the Australian should be powerful on the climbing stages. However, unless something goes seriously awry, don’t expect to see him use that prowess to chase his own results. Hindley will be all in for a team result, not his own.
Damien Howson (Pinarello-Q36.5)
It may be eight years since Damien Howson last rode the Tour de France but there have been plenty of other Grand Tours since so the 33-year-old will be stepping with a solid bank of experience to lean on and share. For his thirteenth Grand Tour, Howson will be lining up with Pinarello-Q36.5 led by Tom Pidcock that is racing the Tour de France for the first time and trying to make the most of the opportunity. Howson will likely slot into a valuable support role as riders like Pidcock lead the charge in pursuit of stage victories.
Chris Harper (Pinarello-Q36.5)
The last times Chris Harper lined up at the Tour de France in 2023 and 2024 at Jayco AlUla, he was a key domestique for Simon Yates, so the chance for him to go for his own opportunities were more limited. However, he proved at the 2025 Giro d’Italia that he is a rider that can deliver at the three-week races when the opportunity presents itself, turning an illness-derailed GC bid into a stage win on the penultimate day of racing. While this time it’s clear that the team is lining up chasing stages, the question is will Harper get his chances or will the focus be on supporting Tom Pidcock in pursuit of victories. Either way, the rider – who most recently supported Pidcock as he won the Andorra MoraBanc Clàssica and also took fourth himself – will be a valuable asset for the team.
Luke Plapp (Jayco AlUla)
It was Luke Plapp’s second Giro d’Italia when he claimed his first Grand Tour stage victory and that is of course a pattern he’d like to carry through to the Tour de France. It was a solo attack from the break on where the 25-year-old took that win in Italy, and his climbing and time trial ability make the ascent-heavy days a good target to deliver another in France. Plus, with an aggressive stage victory focussed approach for the team, Plapp is likely to have the chance to chase those opportunities.
Then there is also his power in the race against the clock, with the rider who has thrice taken the Australian title in the discipline last year delivering fifth and ninth in the time trials at the race. This year there is only one individual test, stage 1 delivering a team time trial, so the 26.1km effort on stage 16 will be the focal point.
As far as form goes, Plapp did leave the Tour Auvergne Rhône-Alpes with a fever, not starting stage 8 with the focus on recovering ready for the Grand Tour ahead. Presuming he now has, the signs have been good on the lead-in, with a third overall at the Tour de Hongrie, fifth at Tour de Romandie and a strong third earlier in the season at the UAE Tour, after taking second to Isaac del Toro on Jebel Hafeet.
Robert Stannard (Bahrain Victorious)
For a second year in a row Robert Stannard will be lining up for the Tour de France. The key aim for his Bahrain Victorious squad is stage victories with riders like three-time Tour stage winner Matej Mohorič on the squad along with Lenny Martinez who will be looking to the mountains jersey, and there is also Antonio Tiberi to chase the general classification. That means Robert Stannard will have his hands full, as he often does, in a support role. It will also be his second Grand Tour of the season, the 27-year-old having ridden the Giro d’Italia as well.
Kelland O’Brien (Jayco AlUla)
The Olympic Team Pursuit gold medallist hasn’t ridden the Tour de France before, but he does have Grand Tour experience, twice having ridden the Vuelta, and of course has proven that there is no problem with performing on the biggest stages. The power of Kelland O’Brien will be a valuable asset for the team, particularly when it comes to the opening team time trial. He came third in the race against the clock at the Australian National Championships this year and also was seventh in the individual time trial at the Vuelta last year. The 28-year-old is also bound to have his power put to use across the stages, combining with the force of Luke Durbridge to work on the front when required.
Sebastian Berwick (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA)
The 26-year-old already has two Grand Tours under his belt, a Giro d’Italia where he took a stage top three in 2023 and a Vuelta a España in 2021. Both of these were when he was riding with Israel-Premier Tech, though now with Caja Rural-Seguros RGA securing a wildcard, Sebastian Berwick is getting his first shot at the Tour de France. There was no doubt that the climber earned his spot on the team this season, not only coming sixth overall at the Tour of Oman, seventh at Milano-Torino and then going on to claim the overall win at the Tour of Turkey before also adding fifth overall at the recent Tour of Slovenia.
The world’s biggest bike race deserves world-class coverage. Subscribe to Cyclingnews for unlimited access to our unrivalled reporting of the 2026 Tour de France. From Barcelona through to Paris, our experienced team will bring you breaking news, expert insight, and in-depth coverage from every stage as the battle for the yellow jersey plays out. Plus, access the Cyclingnews app to follow the action on the go! Find out more.