Magdeleine Vallières Mill spoke Saturday at a pre-race press conference in Willunga, South Australia, alongside her teammate Noemi Rüegg, the GC winner last year. Vallières Mill said that she is excited to debut the world champion jersey at the race alongside her team. The Sherbrooke, Que., rider’s primary goal will be to help Rüegg defend the race title. “It’s a great place to start the season. Get some nice weather in the winter. And, I mean, it’s a lot of motivation coming with Noemi from winning last year. So for sure, I wanted to be part of the team’s success like last year,” said Vallières Mill.
SUBSCRIBE Apple Podcasts | YouTube | TuneIn | Spotify | Simplecast | RSS
While summertime temperatures were a draw, Vallières Mill, along with the rest of EF Education-Oatley have done heat training in preparation for the infamous conditions often present at the TDU. That preparation will be especially important this year, as although the women’s race has been shortened to three stages instead of four, the race organizers have made an effort to give the women longer and more difficult stages.
The 2026 edition will also be made even more competitive with all 14 women’s WorldTour teams present for the first time. This includes several more Canadians, such as Maggie Coles-Lyster (Human Powered Health), Olivia Baril (Movistar Team), and Sarah Van Dam, making her debut with Visma-Lease a Bike.
This race also marks Chole Dygerts returns to racing this year with the CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto. Dygert made her intentions clear at the press conference stating, “I’m sick of losing,” despite still dealing with longstanding injuries.
The racing starts tonight at 7:15 p.m. EST on FloBikes.com. For the first stage, riders will tackle the infamous Willunga Hill.
Affiliate links present. Canadian Cycling Magazine may receive commissions
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Canadian Cycling Magazine…