What a day for Maple Ridge, B.C.’s Maggie Coles-Lyster! The track and road star took a fantastic win on Thursday. She won the Vanguard Women’s One Day Race in Tanunda, Australia.
The Human Powered Health rider overcame a crash with just two laps remaining. This capped a stunning return to form for the 26-year-old pro, following iliac artery surgery in 2025.
“It was chaos out there,” Coles-Lyster said. “I crashed with two laps to go. All week I was just trying to stay calm. It really felt like a criterium. It was punchy and aggressive, constant attacks — and that’s the kind of racing I love.”
She started from the bottom, now we’re here 🏆
From FLIA surgery last summer to winning the @tourdownunder Women’s One Day Race, Maggie Coles-Lyster, you are a hero!
What a journey, what an inspiration.
📸 @GettySport #TourDownUnder pic.twitter.com/PdihNaRj6S
— Human Powered Health Cycling (@hphcycling) January 21, 2026
After crashing late in the race Coles-Lyster fought her way back to the peloton. She managed to make back contact before setting herself up perfectly for the finale. When the bunch sprint unfolded, she proved untouchable, launching past her rivals to seal an emotional win.
“People thought I might be tired after the Tour Down Under, but I felt strong,” she said. “Being back on the top step after everything I’ve been through. It’s sinking in now.”
Maggie Coles-Lyster flies to her first win in four years 💪
The Canadian takes the win at the Tour Down Under Women’s One Day Race. pic.twitter.com/s0ImRBW88O
— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) January 21, 2026
The final lap was frenetic. There was a massive surge in pace triggering multiple crashes around 1.4km from the finish. While several favourites were delayed or caught out, the main sprinters stayed upright, setting the stage for Coles-Lyster’s decisive finish. It was a big win for the multiple national champ–just one of many big results for riders from our country.
“The number of Canadians winning and standing on podiums right now is really inspiring,” she said. “Hockey will always be huge back home, but cycling is absolutely on the radar.”
The race marked the final women’s event of a big week in South Australia, where, for the first time, every UCI Women’s WorldTeam competed at the Santos Women’s Tour Down Under. Tanunda hosted 12 laps of an 8.5km circuit, following the men’s Vanguard Stage 1 earlier in the day.
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