Liv AlUla Jayco will kick-off their 2025 season on home soil as they head to Adelaide for the first UCI women’s WorldTour race of the new season, the Santos Tour Down Under.
2024 Australian road race champion Ruby Roseman-Gannon will be in action as she continues her hunt for a stage victory at the TDU following a standout year that saw the 26-year-old grab her first WorldTour win.
New Zealand champion Ella Wyllie will don the silver fern jersey one last time before her nationals title defence in February, and the Kiwi lines up in Australia looking to improve on her top-10 finish overall in 2024.
There will be a new face on the start line in Liv AlUla Jayco colours as Josie Talbot makes her full debut alongside fellow Aussies Georgia Baker and Amber Pate. It won’t be a completely Antipodean affair for the Australian squad as Dutch all-rounder Silke Smulders completes the punchy six-rider line-up.
Liv AlUla Jayco at TDU:
Georgia Baker (AUS)
Amber Pate (AUS)
Ruby Roseman-Gannon (AUS)
Silke Smulders (NED)
Josie Talbot (AUS)
Ella Wyllie (NZL)
Ruby Roseman-Gannon:
“A highlight of the season is always the Australian summer of racing and especially Tour Down Under. Home crowds and lots of family and friends make it particularly special for us.
The stages this year look similar to last year but with some added climbs, so I think we can expect more attritional racing and some exciting finales. I think we will have a strong team for the race and I’m excited to see what we can do.”
Gene Bates (Head Sport Director and Team Manager)
“We’re really excited about the Tour Down Under this year, as we are every year being an Australian team. For me personally, it’s a home race, I come from Adelaide, so it’s extra special.
I think we’re coming into the race with a competitive team, and we’ve got someone for each of the roles were looking for. We’re aiming for stage success and also overall success, we have riders capable of doing both over a challenging and dynamic course. The race is only three days long, but each stage is difficult in its own right.
We will take it stage by stage and really take the approach of three one-day races and try and get the best result each day, and the overall will take care of itself. We’ve got high ambitions with a great team coming together for this one, and we’re excited and motivated to hit the streets of Adelaide!”
Women’s Santos Tour Down Under – Race Details:
Friday 17th – Sunday 19th January, 2025
