Noemi Rüegg (EF Education-Oatly) won stage 3 of the Women's Santos Tour Down Under and claimed her second consecutive overall title, outsprinting three UAE Team ADQ riders in a four-up finale after the decisive double ascent of Corkscrew Road.
Stage 3 Results
Norwood - Campbelltown • Jan 19 • 126.5km
| Pos | Rider | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🥇 | Noemi RÜEGG | EFOEF EDUCATION - OATLY | 3:24:02 |
| 🥈 | Margarita Victoria GARCIA CAÑELLAS | UADUAE TEAM ADQ | +01 |
| 🥉 | Paula BLASI CAIROL | UADUAE TEAM ADQ | +01 |
| 4 | Dominika WLODARCZYK | UADUAE TEAM ADQ | +02 |
| 5 | Sarah VAN DAM | TVLTEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE | +12 |
| 6 | Nina BUIJSMAN | HPHHUMAN POWERED HEALTH | +12 |
| 7 | Ella WYLLIE | LIVLIV-ALULA-JAYCO | +12 |
| 8 | Mireia BENITO PELLICER | AGSAG INSURANCE - SOUDAL TEAM | +12 |
| 9 | Amanda SPRATT | LTKLIDL - TREK | +12 |
| 10 | Lotte CLAES | APTFENIX-PREMIER TECH | +12 |
| 11 | Lauren DICKSON | FDJFDJ UNITED - SUEZ | +12 |
| 12 | Anouska KOSTER | UXMUNO-X MOBILITY | +12 |
| 13 | Maud OUDEMAN | TVLTEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE | +14 |
| 14 | Josie NELSON | TPPTEAM PICNIC POSTNL | +27 |
| 15 | Alessia VIGILIA | UXMUNO-X MOBILITY | +27 |
| 16 | Olivia BARIL | MOVMOVISTAR TEAM | +27 |
| 17 | Justyna CZAPLA | CSZCANYON//SRAM ZONDACRYPTO | +27 |
| 18 | Rosita REIJNHOUT | TVLTEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE | +27 |
| 19 | Erica MAGNALDI | UADUAE TEAM ADQ | +27 |
| 20 | Julie VAN DE VELDE | AGSAG INSURANCE - SOUDAL TEAM | +27 |
| 21 | Ruby ROSEMAN-GANNON | LIVLIV-ALULA-JAYCO | +1:18 |
| 22 | Mikayla HARVEY | SDWTEAM SD WORX - PROTIME | +1:18 |
| 23 | Claire STEELS | MOVMOVISTAR TEAM | +1:18 |
| 24 | Léa CURINIER | FDJFDJ UNITED - SUEZ | +1:18 |
| 25 | Neve Summer BRADBURY | CSZCANYON//SRAM ZONDACRYPTO | +2:43 |
| 26 | Mackenzie COUPLAND | LIVLIV-ALULA-JAYCO | +2:48 |
| 27 | Magdeleine VALLIERES MILL | EFOEF EDUCATION - OATLY | +3:01 |
| 28 | Alice TOWERS | EFOEF EDUCATION - OATLY | +3:26 |
| 29 | Gaia REALINI | LTKLIDL - TREK | +3:26 |
| 30 | Sophie EDWARDS | UNKUnknown | +3:34 |
| 31 | Marta LACH | SDWTEAM SD WORX - PROTIME | +3:34 |
| 32 | Marie LE NET | FDJFDJ UNITED - SUEZ | +3:34 |
| 33 | Paula OSTIZ TACO | MOVMOVISTAR TEAM | +3:36 |
| 34 | Loes ADEGEEST | LTKLIDL - TREK | +4:19 |
| 35 | Carina SCHREMPF | APTFENIX-PREMIER TECH | +4:43 |
| 36 | Teuntje BEEKHUIS | UXMUNO-X MOBILITY | +4:53 |
| 37 | Lucia RUIZ PEREZ | MOVMOVISTAR TEAM | +4:53 |
| 38 | Marion BUNEL | TVLTEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE | +5:55 |
| 39 | Tiffany CROMWELL | CSZCANYON//SRAM ZONDACRYPTO | +6:04 |
| 40 | Gaia MASETTI | TPPTEAM PICNIC POSTNL | +6:04 |
| 41 | Tully SCHWEITZER | UNKUnknown | +6:56 |
| 42 | Alexandra Grace MANLY | AGSAG INSURANCE - SOUDAL TEAM | +7:03 |
| 43 | Xaydee VAN SINAEY | APTFENIX-PREMIER TECH | +7:03 |
| 44 | Sofia BERTIZZOLO | FDJFDJ UNITED - SUEZ | +7:03 |
| 45 | Marit RAAIJMAKERS | HPHHUMAN POWERED HEALTH | +7:03 |
| 46 | Carlotta CIPRESSI | HPHHUMAN POWERED HEALTH | +7:03 |
| 47 | Margaux VIGIE | TVLTEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE | +7:03 |
| 48 | Floortje MACKAIJ | MOVMOVISTAR TEAM | +7:03 |
| 49 | Anya LOUW | AGSAG INSURANCE - SOUDAL TEAM | +7:03 |
| 50 | Julia KOPECKÝ | SDWTEAM SD WORX - PROTIME | +7:03 |
| 51 | Femke GERRITSE | SDWTEAM SD WORX - PROTIME | +7:03 |
| 52 | Amber KRAAK | FDJFDJ UNITED - SUEZ | +7:03 |
| 53 | Ally Marée WOLLASTON | FDJFDJ UNITED - SUEZ | +7:03 |
| 54 | Ricarda BAUERNFEIND | LTKLIDL - TREK | +7:03 |
| 55 | Nicole STEIGENGA | AGSAG INSURANCE - SOUDAL TEAM | +8:06 |
| 56 | Lucie FITYUS | TPPTEAM PICNIC POSTNL | +9:25 |
| 57 | Juliana LONDOÑO DAVID | TPPTEAM PICNIC POSTNL | +9:25 |
| 58 | Flora PERKINS | APTFENIX-PREMIER TECH | +9:43 |
| 59 | Fien VAN EYNDE | APTFENIX-PREMIER TECH | +9:43 |
| 60 | Fauve BASTIAENSSEN | AGSAG INSURANCE - SOUDAL TEAM | +9:43 |
| 61 | Wilma AINTILA | CSZCANYON//SRAM ZONDACRYPTO | +9:43 |
| 62 | Henrietta CHRISTIE | EFOEF EDUCATION - OATLY | +9:43 |
| 63 | Stina KAGEVI | EFOEF EDUCATION - OATLY | +9:43 |
| 64 | Barbara GUARISCHI | SDWTEAM SD WORX - PROTIME | +9:43 |
| 65 | Alena IVANCHENKO | UADUAE TEAM ADQ | +9:43 |
| 66 | Josie TALBOT | LIVLIV-ALULA-JAYCO | +9:43 |
| 67 | Alyssa POLITES | UNKUnknown | +14:37 |
| 68 | Julie DE WILDE | APTFENIX-PREMIER TECH | +15:20 |
| 69 | Emma Cecilie Norsgaard BJERG | LTKLIDL - TREK | +15:20 |
| 70 | Lauretta HANSON | LTKLIDL - TREK | +15:20 |
| 71 | Francesca PELLEGRINI | UXMUNO-X MOBILITY | +15:20 |
| 72 | Ella HEREMANS | TPPTEAM PICNIC POSTNL | +16:26 |
UAE placed Mavi Garcia, Paula Blasi and Dominika Wlodarczyk in the final selection but did not take the win. Wlodarczyk attacked before the final climb, forcing EF to commit world champion Magdeleine Vallieres to the chase. The trio regrouped with Rüegg over the top and launched successive attacks on the five-kilometre descent, but the Swiss rider sat tight, conserving energy in the wheels.
In the final 200 metres, UAE led out from the front. Rüegg waited, then came over the top to win by a second from Garcia, with Blasi third at the same gap and Wlodarczyk two seconds back.
Image credits: Zac Williams/SWpix.com
"Honestly, I can't believe it," Rüegg said following the race finish. "I'm totally overwhelmed. We wanted to defend the title but it is always harder to defend. My team was amazing."
GC reshaped on the first ascent
Ally Wollaston (FDJ United-Suez), who entered the day in the ochre jersey after back-to-back stage wins, was dropped on the first Corkscrew ascent as Lidl-Trek and EF set a hard pace. The New Zealander finished over seven minutes down, and lost the overall lead.
Blasi secured the Queen of the Mountain classification, while Rüegg added the points jersey to her ochre. Justyna Czapla (Canyon//SRAM Zondacrypto) took the best young rider award.
The 2026 edition marked the first time the women's race tackled Corkscrew twice, on a longer, harder route with more climbing than previous editions. Rüegg's successful defence gave her a second overall title at the event.
On Tuesday the men's Santos Tour Down Under will begin, and we expect to see a redesigned course there generate similar drama.
Cover image credit: Zac Williams/SWpix.com
