Silke Smulders will not start the 2026 Tour Down Under after suffering injuries in a training ride crash, her team has confirmed. The decision has been taken to prioritise a full recovery, ruling the Dutch rider out of the season-opening WorldTour race where she finished second overall just twelve months ago.
In a medical update released by Liv AlUla Jayco, the team confirmed that Smulders was assessed following the incident and will now step back from racing to focus on rehabilitation. No return date has been specified.
“Unfortunately Silke will miss the 2026 Tour Down Under following a training ride crash,” the team statement read. “The 24-year-old was second overall in 2025, but after being assessed, the decision was made by the team for her to focus on making a full recovery.”
Smulders’ absence is a notable blow for the Australian race, given her strong early-season form in recent years. At the 2025 Women’s Tour Down Under, she finished runner-up overall and followed that performance with fifth place at the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race and a top ten at Strade Bianche, underlining her growing consistency at WorldTour level.
Born on 1 April 2001 in Loon op Zand, Silke Smulders has steadily built her reputation as a versatile rider capable of delivering results across stage races and demanding one-day events. After turning professional with Lotto-Soudal Ladies in 2021, she moved to Liv Racing-Xstra, where she gained experience in Grand Tours, including multiple appearances at the Tour de France Femmes. Following the closure of that programme at the end of 2023, she joined Liv AlUla Jayco in 2024.
Her breakthrough season came immediately. In 2024, Smulders claimed her first professional victory with a stage win at the Vuelta a Andalucía Ruta del Sol, finishing second overall in the race and later placing 13th at the Giro d’Italia Women. She backed that up in 2025 with further progress in stage racing, finishing 14th at the Giro and 43rd at the Tour de France Femmes.
While the timing of the injury is frustrating, the emphasis from the team is firmly on long-term health rather than rushing a return. Liv AlUla Jayco added that they are looking forward to welcoming Smulders back once she has fully recovered.
“We wish Silke a speedy recovery and can’t wait to see her back on the start line soon,” the statement concluded.
For Smulders, missing Adelaide removes an important early benchmark from her season, but at just 24, the priority now is ensuring she can return at full strength later in 2026 rather than risking setbacks so early in the year.
