Maggie Coles-Lyster’s return to the top step of the podium was anything but straightforward. On a warm day in Tanunda, Australia, the 26-year-old from Maple Ridge, B.C. powered to victory at the Santos Tour Down Under Women’s One Day Race, taking the first professional win of her career just 192 days after undergoing surgery for Flow Limitation of the Iliac Artery (FLIA).
The comeback is complete
As you can imagine, the victory was an emotional one. “I was both speechless, and it just felt right,” Coles-Lyster said after the finish. “I have a lot of self-belief and knew it was a matter of time and that the win would come. I just felt so much relief to have been able to prove to myself that I’m on the comeback and already better than ever.”
The 94.2-km race ended in absolute chaos. Coles-Lyster used all of her experience from the track and road to get in the right position.
Wild finale
A crash with two laps remaining briefly knocked her out of position. But the Olympian fought her way forward again, narrowly avoiding further incidents as the peloton fractured. Sixteen riders emerged at the front, and Coles-Lyster stayed patient before launching with 150 m to go, holding off Noemi Rüegg to take the win.
“I knew the final km was just going to be a game of being in a good position,” she said. “We had talked it through as a team that I needed to be top 10 there, and that’s where my teammates got me. After that, it was a game of patience.”
Timing is everything
Course knowledge and careful planning shaped the final sprint. “The finish stretch kicked about 1–2 per cent, so I didn’t want to jump too early,” she said. “I felt in such a flow state the last 500 metres and all my thoughts were, ‘the line’s so close, and I’m still the first rider, go go go!’”
192 days 🏆https://t.co/38mc5zK48S#TourDownUnder pic.twitter.com/eTc66uB8qK
— Human Powered Health Cycling (@hphcycling) January 21, 2026
Beyond the result, the victory symbolized vindication after a very tough year navigating a complex medical issue. “Last year was a huge test of patience and consisted of a lot of advocating for myself,” Coles-Lyster said. “Iliac artery isn’t always easily diagnosed or quickly operated on… today’s win has already solidified that it was all worth it.”
She was quick to credit her HPH squad. “My teammates were absolutely amazing today,” she said. “When I crashed… they were there when I came back to the…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Canadian Cycling Magazine…