A collection of stories that we didn’t write about at the time.
Image: Kei Tsuji/Cor Vos
The nine days of racing at this year’s 2026 Santos Tour Down Under provided no shortage of interesting tales to tell. Thrilling race finishes, intriguing bike tech, sit-down interviews, first-hand observations from the roadside, a last-minute route change due to fire risk, and much more besides.
But any time we’re out at a bike race, there will always be stories we don’t end up writing either because of time constraints, because they don’t deserve a full story on their own, or for any number of other reasons.
Which is where our Reporter’s Notebook series comes in. It’s in these pieces that we share interesting tidbits, half-finished stories, or even just humorous moments you might find entertaining. With that in mind, here’s what you didn’t see at the 2026 TDU.
Tadej to the TDU?
This story was bubbling away beneath the surface for much of the men’s Tour Down Under. It began with reports that Tadej Pogačar’s manager, Alex Carera, was going to be in Adelaide during the race – a sign, surely, that the world’s best rider was at least considering a return to the WorldTour opener.
Once Carera got to town and started speaking to the press, it became a case of when Pogačar would return, rather than if.
“One day, he will come – he loves Australia, he loves the fans and every year [the race] grows,” Carera told AAP. “I don’t know when, but I am sure that one day he will come. Today, his goal is to win every WorldTour race.”
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