UAE-Emirates bossed Thursday’s mountainous second stage of the Tour Down Under, with the high-powered squad going one-two: Jay Vine was the winner and new race leader, and Jhonatan Narváez came runner up. Teammate Adam Yates placed seventh. Canada’s Michael Leonard vaulted into seventh on GC and retook the young rider’s white jersey after achieving 22nd on the day.
The Course
After Tuesday’s prologue that put Samuel Watson in the leader’s ochre jersey, followed by a sprint day that saw Tobias Lund Andresen in ochre after his first WorldTour win, it was time to climb.
Riders would assail the Cat. 1 Corkscrew Hill in the latter half of 148 km from Norwood to Uraidla. The second time up the 3.6-km, 6.7 percent, the climb crested 13 km from the finish line. That 13 km contained a little more climbing, a rolling plateau and a slight descent.
A seven-rider breakaway formed early. It included Martin Urianstad Bugge, who grabbed the KOM lead by getting into the break on Wednesday. Although he wasn’t first over the Cat. 2 Ashton climb, he added to his total. The first climb of Corkscrew bumped up Bugge’s total, although the Dutch fugitive who was actually winning the maximum points, Pepijn Reinderink, was beginning to crowd the Norwegian.
Galloping towards the Corkscrew, the peloton sopped up the escapees. Adam Yates whipped up the pace on the climb with teammate Vine, the 2023 overall victor, on his wheel and last year’s champion Narváez lurking nearby. The group was quickly whittled down. With 700 meters to go, Vine attacked, drawing Narváez. A Movistar-heavy chase group scrambled 20 seconds behind.
Vine pulled almost the entire way to Uraidla, where he surged ahead before the line and both riders celebrated the accomplishment.
Although not as difficult as Stage 2’s parcours, Stage 3’s route still has plenty of ripples.
2026 Tour Down Under, Stage 2
1) Jay Vine (Australia/UAE-Emirates) 3:36:42
2) Jhonatan Narváez (Ecuador/UAE-Emirates s.t.
3) Mauro Schmid (Switzerland/Jayco-AlUla) +0:58
22) Michael Leonard (Canada/EF Education-EasyPost) +1:09
2026 Tour Down Under GC
1) Jay Vine (Australia/UAE-Emirates) 6:23:33
2) Jhonatan Narváez (Ecuador/UAE-Emirates +0:06
3)…
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