A major early-season target for team Jayco-AlUla

January 22 ^nd 2026 - 17:07 [GMT + 3]

• Australian team Jayco–AlUla heads into the AlUla Tour with high ambitions for the overall classification, led by Briton Paul Double and South African Alan Hatherly.
• For the fourth consecutive year, AlUla is sponsoring a WorldTour team.

As it begins its 15th season, the only Australian team in the UCI WorldTour once again races under the name Team Jayco–AlUla for the fourth year running. “Obviously, the AlUla Tour is very important to us, as AlUla is part of our team’s name,” explains Brent Copeland. “We are returning with the clear intention of performing well, because it has become an excellent early-season race. Now that it is part of the ProSeries, it is even more attractive thanks to the UCI points on offer. It used to be a great race; now it’s a fantastic one! From my discussions with other teams, I can feel that overall interest in the event is growing, which means competition will be even fiercer this year.”

The Santos Tour Down Under and the AlUla Tour follow one another on the international cycling calendar, creating a unique situation for an Australian team that also promotes the Saudi oasis of AlUla, renowned for its archaeological site of Hegra, its Nabataean tombs, the remains of Dadan, the Sharaan Nature Reserve and Elephant Rock.

“We have always been able to field two different but equally competitive teams for both races,” continues Copeland, who is also President of the AIGCP (the International Association of Professional Cycling Teams). “January has traditionally been a key racing month for us, but that is now true for almost all teams. This year marks the start of a new three-year cycle, and everyone wants to get off to a strong start and establish themselves near the top of the standings.”

“Our AlUla Tour squad will be coming straight from a training camp in Spain,” he adds. “Winning the overall classification is our main objective; that has always been our philosophy. One of our leaders will be Alan Hatherly, the reigning mountain bike world champion. He rode a very strong AlUla Tour last year in his first race as a professional road cyclist, but he was unlucky. On the day when the peloton split in echelons, he hit a bump in the road and was having his handlebar fixed by the team car when the decisive split occurred. Otherwise, he would have finished third overall instead of sixth. It was nevertheless a valuable experience that will benefit him this year.”

“Our other leader is Paul Double. He finished the 2025 season in great form by winning the Tour of Guangxi in China. The climb in AlUla (leading to the Skyviews of Harrat Uwayrid) is extremely demanding and suits both riders well. That said, the competition will be strong, which promises an exciting race for everyone. Events such as the Tour of Guangxi and the AlUla Tour offer perfect opportunities for riders like Hatherly and Double (who came to WorldTour road cycling relatively late) to raise their level. I firmly believe in steady, long-term development rather than throwing young riders straight into the deep end after the junior ranks.”