Team Jayco AlUla have concluded a successful season of ups and downs, ready to build and progress in 2026. The team’s achievements were highlighted by three Grand Tour stage wins, including new recruit Ben O’Connor’s stage victory at the Tour de France.
Injuries and illness played their part throughout the 2025 season, but the team continued to battle on and chase results with maiden wins, career firsts, and Grand Tour successes.
In total six different riders secured seven WorldTour wins, highlighting the Australian outfits versatility and strength across a diverse roster.
Unforgettable start
The year kicked off in fine style as Team Jayco AlUla swept the honours at the Australian national championships. Luke Plapp retained his time trial championship, before selflessly setting up teammate Luke Durbridge for the road race victory.
A frustrating Tour Down Under brought several near misses without reward, but Swiss champion Mauro Schmid made sure the team ended the Aussie summer on a high with a stunning solo victory at the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race.
Meanwhile over in Saudi Arabia, mountain bike world champion Alan Hatherly demonstrated his talents on the roads as he fought with the best to take two impressive top three stage finishes at the AlUla Tour.
Career firsts
New signing Paul Double made a strong start to life in his new colours as he soloed to his first professional victory at the Coppi e Bartali on stage two. The British rider showcased his aggressive racing style throughout the season which saw his claim another impressive stage win and the overall title at the Okolo Slovenska.
The 29-year-old saved his best for last as he soared to victory on the queen stage of the Tour of Guangxi to take his first WorldTour win before holding on to secure the general classification on the final day.
Australian Plapp also delivered his own first back in April as he climbed to his maiden professional victory in Europe. The 24-year-old did the business over in Greece at the Tour of Hellas, fighting though tough and rainy conditions to come out on top in a head-to-head duel.
Despite a challenging season that saw him sidelined with injury for much of the season, Michael Matthews added another first to the team’s palmarès in 2025 with an emphatic victory at the one-day Eschborn-Frankfurt, amongst a consistent series of top 10s throughout the year.
Grand Tour success
Plapp took the confidence of his first win on European soil into the Giro d’Italia and backed up his success with a magnificent 45km solo victory on stage eight, his first win in a three-week tour. The team wasn’t done in Italy as Chris Harper then conquered the Colle delle Finestre on his way to glory on a spectacular queen stage.
The team endured a turbulent Tour de France after an early crash for leader O’Connor put a dent in the squad’s overall ambitions. However, the Australian continued to show his grit and determination throughout a demanding three weeks and was rewarded with a victory stage 18.
His win made it back-to-back-to-back queen stage victories at Grand Tours for the team, following Eddie Dunbar’s La Vuelta a España triumph in 2024 and Harper’s Giro win.
Ben O’Connor:
“In terms of special moments, it’s by far my stage win at the Tour. Especially coming later in the race, on the queen stage, after really having to fight a couple of demons and after the crash. For things to turn around and to get the big win, on the big day at the Tour, that was that was definitely the special moment of the year for me.
In general, being on the team, being on the ‘Aussie’ team has been just a real pleasure to experience and to have that English speaking vibe and just this familiarity that has been so different in my past through my cycling career, that’s probably the most enjoyable part of this year.
I would have definitely have liked to have done more and missing the Vuelta after damaging my ribs was really a huge blow because I love that race, and I think things were really on track. So it’s definitely not being as successful as I dreamed or hoped for, but that’s sport and sometimes things are out of your control.”
Mat Hayman (Sport Director):
“We hit the ground running this year and I think Luke Durbridge winning the national championships in Perth in front of a home crowd, we’re at the end of the season now, but that was very special and Luke Plapp’s role that he played in that win, it was a bit of a fairy tale. It was really nice to see Luke win that race and then Plappy took out the TT as well. Then we won Cadels with Mauro, we hadn’t won that race before, there was big pressure, and it was nice to see Gerry hand the trophy to someone from his own team finally.
Then Luke Plapp and Chris Harper both getting stage wins in the Giro was great and I think Paul Double has had a standout season. He’s somebody who has fought pretty hard to get his professional contract and is just growing from strength to strength during the year.
To go back to the Australians – Ben O’Connor’s win at the Tour de France when the chips were down, he was fighting for GC, struggled through an injury but just the tenaciousness of him never giving up. Then winning on the queen stage in the way he did it, just the confidence in the way he attacked out of a very elite front group to go on and win this stage on what is a ridiculously hard climb.
Also, a special mention has to go to Alan Hatherly at the world championships, even though it was on the mountain bike, to win that again just shows the class of the guy. He’s done some great rides on the road but that world championship and to have a world champion on your team is always special.”
Team Jayco AlUla 2025 Victories:
1st Australian Time Trial Championships – Luke Plapp
1st Australian Road Race Championships – Luke Durbridge
1st Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race – Mauro Schmid
1st South African Time Trial Championships – Alan Hatherly
1st Coppi e Bartalia, stage 2 – Paul Double
1st Tour of Hella, stage 2 – Luke Plapp
1st Eschborn-Frankfurt – Michael Matthews
1st Tour de Hongrie, stage 4 – Dylan Groenewegen
1st Giro d’Italia, stage 8 – Luke Plapp
1st Giro d’Italia, stage 20 – Chris Harper
1st Tour of Slovenia, stage 1 – Dylan Groenewegen
1st Tour of Slovenia, stage 3 – Dylan Groenewegen
1st Swiss Time Trial Championships – Mauro Schmid
1st Swiss Road Race Championships – Mauro Schmid
1st Tour de France, stage 18 – Ben O’Connor
1st Tour de Slovaquie, stage 5 – Paul Double
1st Tour de Slovaquie, general classification – Paul Double
1st Tour of Guangxi, stage 5 – Paul Double
1st Tour of Guangxi, general classification – Paul Double
Photos: Sprint Cycling
