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

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
🥇
Matthew Brennan
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE3:58:08
🥈
Finn Lachlan Fox Fisher-Black
RED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHE+00
🥉
Tobias Lund Andresen
DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM+00
4
Brady Gilmore
NSN CYCLING TEAM+00
5
Simone Velasco
XDS ASTANA TEAM+00
6
Patrick Eddy
Unknown+00
7
Samuel Watson
INEOS GRENADIERS+00
8
Edoardo Zambanini
BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS+00
9
Natnael Tesfatsion
MOVISTAR TEAM+00
10
Andrea Bagioli
LIDL-TREK+00
11
Anthon Charmig
UNO-X MOBILITY+00
12
Matteo Sobrero
LIDL-TREK+00
13
Andrea Raccagni Noviero
SOUDAL QUICK-STEP+00
14
Tom Donnenwirth
GROUPAMA-FDJ UNITED+00
15
Filippo Zana
SOUDAL QUICK-STEP+00
16
Matthew Fox
LOTTO INTERMARCHÉ+00
17
Andreas Lorentz Kron
UNO-X MOBILITY+00
18
Mauro Schmid
TEAM JAYCO ALULA+00
19
Marco Brenner
TUDOR PRO CYCLING TEAM+00
20
Aaron Murray Gate
XDS ASTANA TEAM+00
21
Harrison Sweeny
EF EDUCATION - EASYPOST+00
22
Christopher Hamilton
TEAM PICNIC POSTNL+00
23
Florian Samuel Kajamini
XDS ASTANA TEAM+00
24
Georg Zimmermann
Unknown+00
25
Ben O'Connor
TEAM JAYCO ALULA+00
26
Jay Vine
UAE TEAM EMIRATES XRG+00
27
Embret Svestad-Bårdseng
INEOS GRENADIERS+00
28
Matthew Dinham
TEAM PICNIC POSTNL+00
29
Rudy Porter
TEAM JAYCO ALULA+00
30
Christopher Harper
Unknown+08
31
Sam Oomen
LIDL-TREK+08
32
Enzo Paleni
GROUPAMA-FDJ UNITED+08
33
Guillaume Martin Guyonnet
GROUPAMA-FDJ UNITED+08
34
Anton Schiffer
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE+08
35
Oliver Bleddyn
Unknown+11
36
Gonzalo Serrano Rodriguez
MOVISTAR TEAM+11
37
Jefferson Alveiro Cepeda Hernandez
MOVISTAR TEAM+11
38
Alessandro Romele
XDS ASTANA TEAM+11
39
Marco Schrettl
XDS ASTANA TEAM+11
40
Santiago Buitrago Sanchez
BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS+14
41
Gal Glivar
ALPECIN-PREMIER TECH+15
42
Michal Kwiatkowski
INEOS GRENADIERS+30
43
Henri François Renard Haquin
TEAM PICNIC POSTNL+34
44
Davide Toneatti
XDS ASTANA TEAM+35
45
Tim Marsman
ALPECIN-PREMIER TECH+35
46
Jacopo Mosca
LIDL-TREK+37
47
Matthew Greenwood
Unknown+47
48
Adam Richard Yates
UAE TEAM EMIRATES XRG+47
49
Samuel Welsford
INEOS GRENADIERS+47
50
Laurence Pithie
RED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHE+47
51
Luke Tuckwell
RED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHE+47
52
Francesco Busatto
ALPECIN-PREMIER TECH+47
53
Erik Nordsaeter Resell
UNO-X MOBILITY+47
54
Per Strand Hagenes
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE+47
55
Pietro Mattio
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE+47
56
Haimar Etxeberria Ansalas
RED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHE+47
57
Jefferson Cepeda Ortiz
EF EDUCATION - EASYPOST+50
58
Nicolas Prodhomme
DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM+1:08
59
Casper Pedersen
SOUDAL QUICK-STEP+1:11
60
Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier
LIDL-TREK+1:14
61
Reuben Thompson
Unknown+1:14
62
Damien Craig Howson
Unknown+1:18
63
Anders Skaarseth
UNO-X MOBILITY+1:18
64
Luke Lamperti
EF EDUCATION - EASYPOST+1:18
65
James Knox
TEAM PICNIC POSTNL+1:18
66
Patrick Konrad
LIDL-TREK+1:18
67
Pierre Gautherat
DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM+1:18
68
Fabio van den Bossche
SOUDAL QUICK-STEP+1:25
69
Oscar Chamberlain
DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM+1:36
70
Callum Scotson
DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM+1:36
71
Lionel Taminiaux
LOTTO INTERMARCHÉ+1:36
72
Florian Stork
TUDOR PRO CYCLING TEAM+1:45
73
Jack Haig
INEOS GRENADIERS+1:56
74
Jensen Plowright
ALPECIN-PREMIER TECH+2:00
75
Ivo Emanuel Alves Oliveira
UAE TEAM EMIRATES XRG+2:08
76
Michael Shea Leonard
EF EDUCATION - EASYPOST+2:11
77
Pepijn Reinderink
SOUDAL QUICK-STEP+2:16
78
Oliver Peace
TEAM PICNIC POSTNL+2:31
79
Niklas Märkl
TEAM PICNIC POSTNL+2:31
80
Baptiste Veistroffer
LOTTO INTERMARCHÉ+3:26
81
Storm Ingebrigtsen
UNO-X MOBILITY+3:28
82
Tim Torn Teutenberg
LIDL-TREK+3:44
83
Fran Miholjević
BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS+3:46
84
Filippo Fiorelli
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE+4:32
85
Darren van Bekkum
XDS ASTANA TEAM+4:39
86
Javier Romo Oliver
MOVISTAR TEAM+4:39
87
Hamish Mckenzie
TEAM JAYCO ALULA+4:40
88
Nicholas Schultz
NSN CYCLING TEAM+4:44
89
George Bennett
NSN CYCLING TEAM+4:44
90
Kelland O’Brien
TEAM JAYCO ALULA+4:47
91
Petr Kelemen
TUDOR PRO CYCLING TEAM+4:55
92
Pascal Eenkhoorn
SOUDAL QUICK-STEP+4:55
93
Sente Sentjens
ALPECIN-PREMIER TECH+5:13
94
Lewis Bower
GROUPAMA-FDJ UNITED+6:36
95
Jarrad Eriks Drizners
RED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHE+6:38
96
Robert Stannard
BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS+6:38
97
Alastair Mackellar
EF EDUCATION - EASYPOST+6:38
98
Lucas Hamilton
INEOS GRENADIERS+6:40
99
Ben Swift
INEOS GRENADIERS+6:40
100
Tord Gudmestad
DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM+6:40
101
Ethan Kane Vernon
NSN CYCLING TEAM+6:56
102
Simon James Clarke
NSN CYCLING TEAM+6:56
103
Tim Rex
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE+7:18
104
Callum Thornley
RED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHE+7:18
105
Luc Wirtgen
TUDOR PRO CYCLING TEAM+7:18
106
Joel Suter
TUDOR PRO CYCLING TEAM+7:18
107
Pavel Novák
MOVISTAR TEAM+7:18
108
Luke Durbridge
TEAM JAYCO ALULA+7:29
109
Oliver Stockwell
BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS+7:39
110
Martin Bugge
UNO-X MOBILITY+10:39
111
Manlio Moro
MOVISTAR TEAM+10:39
112
Žak Eržen
BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS+10:39
113
Maurice Ballerstedt
ALPECIN-PREMIER TECH+10:39
114
Lucas 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.

Cover image credit: Zac Williams/SWpix.com

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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 having joined Cyclist in 2012 after 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.