Medical reports & withdrawals: Tour Down Under 2026, Stage 5 - A kangaroo-induced crash takes out several riders
The 2026 Tour Down Under, a high-stakes stage race, has seen its fair share of crashes, injuries, and withdrawals. As expected, the intense competition has led to several riders being forced to withdraw from the race. Keep reading for a detailed breakdown of all the incidents and withdrawals throughout the race.
Prologue
No incidents to report.
Stage 1
An early crash involving Jardi Christiaan van der Lee, Oliver Stockwell, Pietro Mattio, and Michael Leonard set the tone for the race. Max van der Meulen and Marius Mayrhofer also crashed, with Mayrhofer sustaining fractures to his right collarbone, shoulder blade, and ribs. Tudor commented on Mayrhofer's condition: 'Marius will return to Europe for rehabilitation, starting with physiotherapy. It's not the start I wanted, but I'm staying positive.'
Stage 2
Lennert van Eetvelt and Jonas Rutsch of Intermarché - Lotto were both involved in a crash.
Stage 3
Lennert van Eetvelt and Jonas Rutsch failed to start the stage due to injuries sustained in Stage 2.
A crash in the final kilometers involved Liam Walsh, Adam Yates, Ivo Oliveira, James Knox, Casper van Uden, Jefferson Alxander Cepeda, Andreas Kron, and Anders Skaarseth.
Stage 4
UAE Team Emirates - XRG suffered double blows with Jhonatan Narváez and Vegard Stake Laengen crashing on the fifth day of racing. Narváez was taken to the hospital for a spinal and neurological assessment, diagnosed with stable thoracic vertebrae compression fractures, and will be kept in hospital for observation. Laengen, also involved in a crash, was taken to the hospital with a suspected rib injury but is stable and will be monitored.
The stage saw many riders abandon due to crashes and severe heat. Groupama lost Rémi Cavagna and Kevin Geniets, while NSN lost Corbin Strong and Jake Stewart. Antoine l'Hote, Danny van Poppel, Liam Walsh, and Jardi van der Lee also withdrew.
Stage 5
Michael Gogl did not start the stage, and the withdrawals were significant. Mikkel Bjerg and Menno Huising notably abandoned after crashing into a kangaroo. Other riders who did not finish the stage included Titouan Fontaine, Juan Sebastián Molano, Alberto Dainese, Casper van Uden, Stan Fredheim, Lucas Stevenson, Albert Torres, Max Walker, and Maikel Zijlaard.
