In a country where snakes, spiders and jellyfish are said to be able to kill you in minutes, it was a kangaroo — not the climbs — that proved the most dangerous obstacle of the day. Jay Vine’s second Tour Down Under title came with a story few race winners can tell. That is, being wiped out by a kangaroo and still finishing on top.
Midway through the sixth and final stage, chaos erupted when kangaroos bounded out of the bushes and straight into the peloton. With 95.5 km still to race, the overall leader was among several riders taken down in a heart-stopping moment that briefly neutralized the bunch.
“Everyone asks me what’s the most dangerous thing in Australia. And I always tell them it’s the kangaroos,” Vine said after the finish, speaking to ABC Australia. “Point proven today.”
Vine described the surreal split-second decision-making as the animals zig-zagged across the road at race speed. “They wait in the bushes until you can’t stop, then jump out. One stopped, went left, right, left, right — and I ended up hitting its backside. Bad luck, but I was lucky to be OK.”
🦘 A ‘hopping’ mad situation!
🚴 Jay Vine was unfortunate to hit a rogue Kangaroo that was attempting to cross the track during the Tour Down Under! pic.twitter.com/6F5Jdd0Fed
— SBS Sport (@SBSSportau) January 25, 2026
After a quick bike change, Vine clawed his way back into the main group. Up front, a breakaway briefly threatened to rewrite the script, but the bunch regrouped on the final lap. Britain’s Matthew Brennan powered to a long-awaited stage win in a fast finish, while Vine stayed safely tucked in, ensuring no time loss.
“It’s not ideal,” Brennan admitted of the kangaroo drama, also via ABC Australia. “But today we finally nailed everything.”
Bruised, relieved and still wearing the leader’s jersey, Vine crossed the line knowing he’d survived one of cycling’s strangest days.
My follower Andrew Blair captured this unique moment from this year’s Tour Down Under… love it 🦘🚴 pic.twitter.com/27m2xx88RP
— Lukáš Ronald Lukács (@lucasaganronald) January 24, 2026
Oakville’s Michael Leonard unfortunately had a rough day at the office. He was sitting 7th overall going into the final stage. However, the EF Education – EasyPost rider would finish 77th, dropping to 33rd overall. The 21-year-old would still finish second in the young rider’s competition.
The young Canadian rode well through the Tour, taking a…
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