2026 Tour Down Under Stage 4 Results & Recap
Stage 4 of the 2026 Tour Down Under is in the books. The final results and standings are below, followed by our recap of how the race unfolded.
Race Recap
Ethan Vernon Storms to Stage 4 Victory\nBy Clara Beard
Ethan Vernon (NSN Cycling Team) powered to victory in a frantic bunch sprint to win the modified Stage 4 of the Santos Tour Down Under, capitalising on a rare opportunity for the fast men after the iconic Willunga Hill climb was removed due to extreme heat and fire danger. Vernon launched his sprint in the final metres on High Street in Willunga to take the stage ahead of Tobias Lund Andresen (Decathlon–CMA CGM) and Laurence Pithie (Red Bull–BORA–hansgrohe).
The stage began in Brighton under searing conditions, with temperatures approaching 40 degrees and a persistent northerly wind shaping the day’s racing. Almost immediately, Rémi Cavagna (Groupama-FDJ United), Lucas Plapp (Team Jayco AlUla), and Matthew Greenwood (ARA Australian Cycling Team) slipped clear to form the breakaway, a trio that set the pace for much of the afternoon and averaged more than 50 kilometres per hour over the opening hours.
Crosswinds along the coast added tension as INEOS Grenadiers, Team Visma | Lease a Bike and UAE Team Emirates XRG took turns policing the front of the bunch. Several accelerations caused the peloton to splinter briefly, and a series of nervous moments unfolded following a mid-race crash that forced defending champion Jhonatan Narváez (UAE Team Emirates XRG) out of contention. With the race leader Jay Vine suddenly exposed, UAE Team Emirates XRG rode conservatively yet attentively, keeping Vine well-positioned through the most exposed sections of the course.
As the kilometres ticked down, the break was gradually reeled in, and the focus shifted to the sprint teams. UNO-X Mobility and Team Visma | Lease a Bike led the charge into the closing run-in, with speeds hovering near 70 kilometres per hour as the peloton thundered toward Willunga.
The final kilometre was marked by a messy and compressed lead-out, with riders fighting for wheels on the slight drag to the line. Vernon timed his effort perfectly, bursting clear to secure the stage win.
In the general classification, Vine successfully defended the ochre jersey and now leads the race at 12:46:46. Mauro Schmid sits second at 1:03, with Harrison Sweeny third at 1:12.
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