The 2026 season is underway
# The 2026 Cycling Season Kicks Off with the Tour Down Under
The much-anticipated 2026 cycling season has officially commenced as the Tour Down Under unfolds on Australian soil. After a winter break that sparked eager expectations, the Groupama-FDJ United cycling team launched its thirtieth chapter of competitive cycling with an intense 3.6-kilometre prologue through the streets of Adelaide.
Traditionally, the cycling season begins with preliminary criteriums before the main race, but this year took a different approach. “We arrived last Tuesday,” noted Jussi Veikkanen, the team’s sports director in Australia. “The guys were able to adapt gradually to the local climate, especially since we experienced very little extreme heat.” The team had a full week to acclimatize, blending training rides with recon sessions on the course, particularly valuable since five of the riders were newcomers to the event. They meticulously examined four of the six stages, including two critical ones. “The prologue circuit, located just 500 metres from the team hotel, was also thoroughly examined,” Jussi remarked.
The prologue featured a fast-paced section followed by a more technical part, concluding in the city park where the historic Formula 1 circuit once roamed. “It was a good course for rouleurs,” Jussi added, setting an optimistic tone for the team’s efforts ahead.
Victory on the prologue went to Briton Sam Watson, who clocked an impressive time of four minutes and sixteen seconds. The Groupama-FDJ United riders trailed by roughly twenty seconds, with Guillaume Martin-Guyonnet finishing twenty-eight seconds off the pace. “Our main goal was for Guillaume to not lose too much time compared to the general classification contenders,” Jussi explained, emphasizing the team’s strategic focus.
The performance didn’t meet all expectations, especially after challenges like Tom’s minor mishap, where he dropped his chain in a technical segment. “Fortunately, he didn’t crash, but he dropped his chain and had to stop pedalling for a few seconds to get it back on,” Jussi recounted. Despite these setbacks, he remains realistic about future endeavors: “Overall, the result isn’t what we were hoping for, but there’s no point dwelling on it. Above all, it was time to get down to business.”
Looking ahead, Jussi confirmed that the team has set specific daily goals for the week, starting with a sprint stage tomorrow. “Even though we know the area and are aware it can be very windy,” he concluded, the team is determined to make the most of the opportunities that lie ahead in this exciting early season.
