Picture by Zac Williams/SWpix.com - 25/01/2026 - Cycling - 2026 Tour Down Under - Stage 5 - Stirling to Stirling - Matthew Brennan, Visma Lease a Bike, wins Stage 5.

Brennan sprints to Stirling stage 5 win as Jay Vine survives kangaroo crash to seal Tour Down Under title

British sprinter times final effort perfectly on the hilly circuit while UAE's climber defends ochre with just one teammate left after dramatic mid-stage wildlife collision.

By Peter Stuart · · 2 min read

Matthew Brennan (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) won the uphill sprint on the Stirling drag to take Stage 5, while Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) continued after a mid-race kangaroo collision to secure overall victory at the 2026 Santos Tour Down Under.

The sprint was opened by Brady Gilmore (NSN Pro Cycling), Brennan followed his wheel before overtaking him in the final 50 metres of the 2km finishing climb, which averaged 4% with ramps touching 11%. Finn Fisher-Black (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) took second place, while Tobias Lund Andresen (Decathlon CMA CGM Team), who had beaten Brennan to the Stage 1 win, completed the podium.

Results

Stirling • Jan 25 • 169.8km

Velora
PosRiderTeamTime
🥇
GB flagMatthew Brennan
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE3:58:08
🥈
NZ flagFinn Lachlan Fox Fisher-Black
RED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHE+00
🥉
DK flagTobias Lund Andresen
DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM+00
4
AU flagBrady Gilmore
NSN CYCLING TEAM+00
5
IT flagSimone Velasco
XDS ASTANA TEAM+00
6
AU flagPatrick Eddy
Unknown+00
7
GB flagSamuel Watson
INEOS GRENADIERS+00
8
IT flagEdoardo Zambanini
BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS+00
9
ER flagNatnael Tesfatsion
MOVISTAR TEAM+00
10
IT flagAndrea Bagioli
LIDL-TREK+00
11
DK flagAnthon Charmig
UNO-X MOBILITY+00
12
IT flagMatteo Sobrero
LIDL-TREK+00
13
IT flagAndrea Raccagni Noviero
SOUDAL QUICK-STEP+00
14
FR flagTom Donnenwirth
GROUPAMA-FDJ UNITED+00
15
IT flagFilippo Zana
SOUDAL QUICK-STEP+00
16
AU flagMatthew Fox
LOTTO INTERMARCHÉ+00
17
DK flagAndreas Lorentz Kron
UNO-X MOBILITY+00
18
CH flagMauro Schmid
TEAM JAYCO ALULA+00
19
DE flagMarco Brenner
TUDOR PRO CYCLING TEAM+00
20
NZ flagAaron Murray Gate
XDS ASTANA TEAM+00
21
AU flagHarrison Sweeny
EF EDUCATION - EASYPOST+00
22
AU flagChristopher Hamilton
TEAM PICNIC POSTNL+00
23
IT flagFlorian Samuel Kajamini
XDS ASTANA TEAM+00
24
DE flagGeorg Zimmermann
Unknown+00
25
AU flagBen O'Connor
TEAM JAYCO ALULA+00
26
AU flagJay Vine
UAE TEAM EMIRATES XRG+00
27
NO flagEmbret Svestad-Bårdseng
INEOS GRENADIERS+00
28
AU flagMatthew Dinham
TEAM PICNIC POSTNL+00
29
AU flagRudy Porter
TEAM JAYCO ALULA+00
30
AU flagChristopher Harper
Unknown+08
31
NL flagSam Oomen
LIDL-TREK+08
32
FR flagEnzo Paleni
GROUPAMA-FDJ UNITED+08
33
FR flagGuillaume Martin Guyonnet
GROUPAMA-FDJ UNITED+08
34
DE flagAnton Schiffer
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE+08
35
AU flagOliver Bleddyn
Unknown+11
36
ES flagGonzalo Serrano Rodriguez
MOVISTAR TEAM+11
37
EC flagJefferson Alveiro Cepeda Hernandez
MOVISTAR TEAM+11
38
IT flagAlessandro Romele
XDS ASTANA TEAM+11
39
AT flagMarco Schrettl
XDS ASTANA TEAM+11
40
CO flagSantiago Buitrago Sanchez
BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS+14
41
SI flagGal Glivar
ALPECIN-PREMIER TECH+15
42
PL flagMichal Kwiatkowski
INEOS GRENADIERS+30
43
FR flagHenri François Renard Haquin
TEAM PICNIC POSTNL+34
44
IT flagDavide Toneatti
XDS ASTANA TEAM+35
45
NL flagTim Marsman
ALPECIN-PREMIER TECH+35
46
IT flagJacopo Mosca
LIDL-TREK+37
47
AU flagMatthew Greenwood
Unknown+47
48
GB flagAdam Richard Yates
UAE TEAM EMIRATES XRG+47
49
AU flagSamuel Welsford
INEOS GRENADIERS+47
50
NZ flagLaurence Pithie
RED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHE+47
51
AU flagLuke Tuckwell
RED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHE+47
52
IT flagFrancesco Busatto
ALPECIN-PREMIER TECH+47
53
NO flagErik Nordsaeter Resell
UNO-X MOBILITY+47
54
NO flagPer Strand Hagenes
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE+47
55
IT flagPietro Mattio
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE+47
56
ES flagHaimar Etxeberria Ansalas
RED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHE+47
57
EC flagJefferson Cepeda Ortiz
EF EDUCATION - EASYPOST+50
58
FR flagNicolas Prodhomme
DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM+1:08
59
DK flagCasper Pedersen
SOUDAL QUICK-STEP+1:11
60
ER flagAmanuel Ghebreigzabhier
LIDL-TREK+1:14
61
NZ flagReuben Thompson
Unknown+1:14
62
AU flagDamien Craig Howson
Unknown+1:18
63
NO flagAnders Skaarseth
UNO-X MOBILITY+1:18
64
US flagLuke Lamperti
EF EDUCATION - EASYPOST+1:18
65
GB flagJames Knox
TEAM PICNIC POSTNL+1:18
66
AT flagPatrick Konrad
LIDL-TREK+1:18
67
FR flagPierre Gautherat
DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM+1:18
68
BE flagFabio van den Bossche
SOUDAL QUICK-STEP+1:25
69
AU flagOscar Chamberlain
DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM+1:36
70
AU flagCallum Scotson
DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM+1:36
71
BE flagLionel Taminiaux
LOTTO INTERMARCHÉ+1:36
72
DE flagFlorian Stork
TUDOR PRO CYCLING TEAM+1:45
73
AU flagJack Haig
INEOS GRENADIERS+1:56
74
AU flagJensen Plowright
ALPECIN-PREMIER TECH+2:00
75
PT flagIvo Emanuel Alves Oliveira
UAE TEAM EMIRATES XRG+2:08
76
CA flagMichael Shea Leonard
EF EDUCATION - EASYPOST+2:11
77
NL flagPepijn Reinderink
SOUDAL QUICK-STEP+2:16
78
GB flagOliver Peace
TEAM PICNIC POSTNL+2:31
79
DE flagNiklas Märkl
TEAM PICNIC POSTNL+2:31
80
FR flagBaptiste Veistroffer
LOTTO INTERMARCHÉ+3:26
81
NO flagStorm Ingebrigtsen
UNO-X MOBILITY+3:28
82
DE flagTim Torn Teutenberg
LIDL-TREK+3:44
83
HR flagFran Miholjević
BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS+3:46
84
IT flagFilippo Fiorelli
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE+4:32
85
NL flagDarren van Bekkum
XDS ASTANA TEAM+4:39
86
ES flagJavier Romo Oliver
MOVISTAR TEAM+4:39
87
AU flagHamish Mckenzie
TEAM JAYCO ALULA+4:40
88
AU flagNicholas Schultz
NSN CYCLING TEAM+4:44
89
NZ flagGeorge Bennett
NSN CYCLING TEAM+4:44
90
AU flagKelland O’Brien
TEAM JAYCO ALULA+4:47
91
CZ flagPetr Kelemen
TUDOR PRO CYCLING TEAM+4:55
92
NL flagPascal Eenkhoorn
SOUDAL QUICK-STEP+4:55
93
BE flagSente Sentjens
ALPECIN-PREMIER TECH+5:13
94
NZ flagLewis Bower
GROUPAMA-FDJ UNITED+6:36
95
AU flagJarrad Eriks Drizners
RED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHE+6:38
96
AU flagRobert Stannard
BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS+6:38
97
AU flagAlastair Mackellar
EF EDUCATION - EASYPOST+6:38
98
AU flagLucas Hamilton
INEOS GRENADIERS+6:40
99
GB flagBen Swift
INEOS GRENADIERS+6:40
100
NO flagTord Gudmestad
DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM+6:40
101
GB flagEthan Kane Vernon
NSN CYCLING TEAM+6:56
102
AU flagSimon James Clarke
NSN CYCLING TEAM+6:56
103
BE flagTim Rex
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE+7:18
104
GB flagCallum Thornley
RED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHE+7:18
105
LU flagLuc Wirtgen
TUDOR PRO CYCLING TEAM+7:18
106
CH flagJoel Suter
TUDOR PRO CYCLING TEAM+7:18
107
CZ flagPavel Novák
MOVISTAR TEAM+7:18
108
AU flagLuke Durbridge
TEAM JAYCO ALULA+7:29
109
GB flagOliver Stockwell
BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS+7:39
110
NO flagMartin Bugge
UNO-X MOBILITY+10:39
111
IT flagManlio Moro
MOVISTAR TEAM+10:39
112
SI flagŽak Eržen
BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS+10:39
113
DE flagMaurice Ballerstedt
ALPECIN-PREMIER TECH+10:39
114
AU flagLucas Plapp
TEAM JAYCO ALULA+10:39

The victory marked Brennan's first WorldTour win of 2026 after finishing second on the opening stage. His team controlled the final five kilometres, chasing down a late move featuring Javier Romo (Movistar Team) and Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious) that could have changed the podium positions.

Vine defends with depleted squad

Vine's GC defence was complicated after UAE entered Stage 5 with a reduced squad. Defending champion Jhonatan Narváez abandoned after Stage 4 with thoracic fractures, and Juan Sebastián Molano and Mikkel Bjerg withdrew mid-stage, leaving Vine with only Adam Yates and Ivo Oliveira for support.

With approximately 95km remaining, Vine crashed after he collided with a kangaroo that crossed the road. He remounted and rejoined the peloton, preserving his 1:03 advantage over Mauro Schmid (Team Jayco AlUla).

Picture by Zac Williams/SWpix.com - 25/01/2026 - Cycling - 2026 Tour Down Under - Stage 5 - Stirling to Stirling - Jay Vine, UAE Team XRG, wins The 2026 Santos Tour Down Under.
Image 1 of 5
Picture by Zac Williams/SWpix.com - 25/01/2026 - Cycling - 2026 Tour Down Under - Stage 5 - Stirling to Stirling - Matthew Brennan, Visma Lease a Bike, wins Stage 5.
Image 2 of 5
Picture by Zac Williams/SWpix.com - 25/01/2026 - Cycling - 2026 Tour Down Under - Stage 5 - Stirling to Stirling - Samuel Watson, Ineos Grenadiers.
Image 3 of 5
Picture by Zac Williams/SWpix.com - 25/01/2026 - Cycling - 2026 Tour Down Under - Stage 5 - Stirling to Stirling - Harry Sweeny, EF Education Easypost.
Image 4 of 5
Picture by Zac Williams/SWpix.com - 25/01/2026 - Cycling - 2026 Tour Down Under - Stage 5 - Stirling to Stirling - Harry Sweeny, EF Education Easypost.
Image 5 of 5

Image credits: Zac Williams/SWpix.com

"I always say kangaroos are the most dangerous animals in Australia," Vine said following the race finish. "I hit it on its backside and went down but fortunately I'm okay but unfortunately we lost a guy.”

Route design tested but held

The eight-lap Stirling circuit, replacing the traditional Adelaide criterium finale, was designed to keep GC open until the final lap. While it produced repeated attacks, Vine's margin from his Stage 2 Corkscrew Road win was not reduced. The removal of Willunga Hill's triple ascent on Stage 4 due to 43°C temperatures meant his advantage was unchanged on that stage.

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Vine's second Tour Down Under title, after his 2023 victory, was built on the time he gained on Stage 2 and maintained through the remaining stages.

Peter

Peter Stuart

Editor

Peter is the editor of Velora and oversees Velora’s editorial strategy and content standards, bringing nearly 20 years of cycling journalism to the site. He was editor of Cyclingnews from 2022, introducing its digital membership strategy and expanding its content pillars. Before that he was digital editor at Cyclist, and then Rouleur. Before joining Cyclist in 2012, he completed freelance work for titles including The Times and The Telegraph. He has reported from Grand Tours and WorldTour races, and previously represented Great Britain as a rower.