Racing
Noemi Rüegg defends TDU title
Swiss rider wins final stage and goes back-to-back with GC titles
January 19, 2026
Noemi Rüegg and her teammates went all in on the final stage of the 2026 Tour Down Under and it paid off: Noemi took the stage win and the general classification title.
At the finish line, Noemi was quick to thank her teammates for their hard work and their unwavering belief in her.
“Yes, girls, you are the best. Thank you so, so much for everything! This is only because of you,” she said over the radio.
From the beginning, the squad had big plans to defend Noemi’s 2025 title and to go for at least one stage win.
“We came into the race with the ambition to defend the GC and try and go for a stage win as well,” Noemi said. “I knew I was in great form but I still hesitated a bit, I wasn’t sure how well I would actually do. But the team believed in me so much and we had a plan every day that we committed to and everyone was so committed and trusted in me. Every day we could execute our plan almost to perfection. Today we did it totally to perfection and that’s why we could win this. I’m super stoked and so happy to be part of this team. Honestly, it was the best team work. This was a real team win.”
Coming into today, Noemi was in third place overall, sitting 17 seconds back. With two ascents up the Corkscrew, averaging 7.1% over 3.3 kilometers, the squad knew the day would be a challenge but they were up for it. Henrietta Christie, Alice Towers, Stina Kagevi, and Magdeleine Vallieres looked after the defending champion all day, keeping her stocked with bottles and race food, as well and keeping her in perfect position.
When the race hit the Corkscrew for the second and final time, Noemi kept her cool when she found herself in a move with three riders from UAE Team ADQ. As her rivals launched attack after attack, trying to shake the Swiss rider, Noemi followed each and every one.
“I was a bit worried because I knew how hard it was on the first climb but all of a sudden it went a lot better than the first time and I knew that once I was back in the battle for GC, I could unlock some more power and that’s what happened,” she said.
The foursome turned the final corner and saw the finish line 500 meters ahead. Noemi bided her time, timing her sprint to perfection and winning the stage by several bike lengths.
“Honestly, I didn’t know that I had done it until the finish line,” Noemi said. “I was so focused up this last climb that I was really in my own world, in my own tunnel, and then I just focused on covering all the attacks from UAE. I knew they would race it how they did and I just followed attack after attack. I knew if I went into the last 500 meters with them, nothing could happen any more but I didn’t want to believe it too early.”
Congratulations Noemi and the whole squad!