Fourteen years have passed since Cadel Evans became the first and only Australian to win the Tour de France. That 2011 victory in yellow remains a high point for the country’s cycling faithful – and every July, a new generation of Australians takes to the roads of France, chasing a little piece of that history.
For 2025, Australia fields ten riders. It’s a jump from last year’s low of six and includes a mix of GC ambition, sprint firepower, mountain pedigree and breakaway muscle. There’s no Jai Hindley, no Sam Welsford, no Michael Matthews – three big names sidelined by injury or illness – but the group heading to Lille still offers plenty of late-night reasons to tune in.
They’ll represent seven different teams, with Jayco-AlUla unsurprisingly the most stacked. Among them are debutants, returning riders, and those with a point to prove. Here’s a closer look at who’ll be flying the green and gold flag and how they could shape the 2025 Tour.
Harry Sweeny (EF Education-EasyPost)
Age: 26 | 2nd Tour de France appearance
Sweeny made waves on debut in 2021 with an aggressive ride to 3rd place in Nîmes, but then spent three years waiting for another shot. Now back, with a fully stage-hunting EF Education squad around him, he says it best himself: “It gives me goosebumps to think about what it could mean to win there.” With the GC ambitions scrapped following Carapaz’s illness, the path is clear for the Queenslander to chase breakaways. He’s strong, motivated, and knows how to get into the right move.
Photo Credit: GettyLuke Plapp (Jayco-AlUla)
Age: 24 | Tour de France debut
Still learning, still building – and already a Grand Tour stage winner. Plapp showed class at the Giro with his victory on stage 8 before illness forced an early exit. In France, he’ll play a key support role in the mountains for Ben O’Connor, but don’t be surprised if he gets the nod for a time trial or takes a punt from a break. He’s long been seen as a GC project, and racing alongside the team’s leader will be a crucial step in that development.
Jack Haig (Bahrain-Victorious)
Age: 31 | 5th Tour de France appearance
Once touted as a future podium rider, Haig is realistic now. “The sport has moved on,” he admitted earlier this year. But that doesn’t mean his role is any less important. He’s Bahrain’s road captain on mountain days, guiding Santiago Buitrago through the high-pressure moments. He’s calm, experienced and dependable – precisely what’s needed deep into week three.
Callum Scotson (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale)
Age: 28 | Tour de France debut
A switch from Jayco-AlUla to AG2R brought with it new opportunity – and now, a first Tour de France. Scotson will support Felix Gall, the Austrian climber aiming to replicate or better his 8th place from 2023. The pairing already worked well together at the Tour de Suisse, and the climbs of the Alps and Pyrenees will again be where Scotson earns his keep.
Photo Credit: GettyBen O’Connor (Jayco-AlUla)
Age: 29 | 5th Tour de France appearance, 4th in 2021
The last Australian to come close to replicating Cadel Evans was O’Connor, with his impressive 4th overall in 2021. After a few disrupted seasons, his 2024 has been a return to form: 2nd at the Vuelta, 7th at Tour de Suisse, and strong rides all spring. Now racing with Australia’s only WorldTour squad, O’Connor finally gets full backing for yellow. He’s matured, motivated, and the team is built around him. This is his best shot yet at climbing back onto the Tour GC podium.
Jarrad Drizners (Lotto)
Age: 26 | 2nd Tour de France appearance
Back for a second go at leading out Arnaud De Lie, Drizners returns to the Tour with more experience and bigger expectations. He helped the Belgian to two podiums last year, and if the final kilometres line up just right, it could be a breakthrough year for the Lotto sprint train. He’ll also be keeping things tight on transitional stages as Lennert Van Eetvelt chases GC. A solid engine and growing confidence make Drizners one to watch in week one.
Robert Stannard (Bahrain-Victorious)
Age: 26 | Tour de France debut
After a turbulent 2023 and a backdated ban for biological passport irregularities, Stannard is back in cycling’s biggest race. His return has been steady rather than spectacular, but Bahrain-Victorious clearly value his contribution. He’ll be assisting in sprints and protecting GC riders on flatter stages. He’s completed three Vueltas, so the three-week test won’t be a problem – but France, of course, is a different beast.
Photo Credit: Chris Auld/AusCyclingLuke Durbridge (Jayco-AlUla)
Age: 34 | 11th Tour de France appearance
No Australian has ridden more Tours than Durbridge in the current peloton. He’s the national champion, the trusted road captain, and the steady hand that every squad needs. Jayco-AlUla rely on him to marshal the group early, manage the tempo and deliver Dylan Groenewegen to the business end of sprint stages. There’s no flair, no flash – just sheer horsepower and loyalty.
Michael Storer (Tudor Cycling)
Age: 28 | 2nd Tour de France appearance
Tudor Cycling make their Tour debut this year, and Michael Storer is the team’s best chance at turning heads. A proven climber with stage wins at the Vuelta and victory at this year’s Tour of the Alps, Storer will be hunting mountain breaks. He has the legs, and now he has the opportunity. A big result could make him one of the stories of the summer.
Photo Credit: LaPresseKaden Groves (Alpecin-Deceuninck)
Age: 26 | Tour de France debut
It’s a Tour debut, but Groves comes in with the résumé of a seasoned Grand Tour sprinter. He’s won across the Giro and Vuelta, worn points jerseys, and finished second only to Mads Pedersen in last year’s Vuelta sprint tally. But at Alpecin-Deceuninck, there’s only one sprint leader – Jasper Philipsen. Groves joins a heavyweight train that includes Mathieu van der Poel, and his job is clear: help deliver green again, even if it’s not him crossing the line first.
The bigger picture
Australia’s class of 2025 isn’t short on talent or opportunity. There may not be an obvious successor to Cadel Evans this July, but Ben O’Connor is edging closer. And elsewhere, there are riders in nearly every key role – from flatland engines to breakaway climbers, lead-out men to budding GC projects.
What they share is ambition. And if the stars align, one or more of them might just find their name etched into Tour de France history.
