UAE Team Emirates-XRG started the 2026 cycling season with a time trial victory for Jay Vine and podium finish for Brodie Chapman in Australia
PERTH: UAE Team Emirates-XRG kicked off the 2026 cycling calendar with an impressive performance at the Australian National Time Trial Championships, held on Thursday in Perth. The team delivered early success with Jay Vine clinching the elite men’s title, while Brodie Chapman secured a hard-fought second place in the women’s event.
Vine produced a standout ride over a 39.1-kilometre course, finishing in 46 minutes and 52 seconds. He averaged an astonishing 50.05 kmph, becoming the only rider to surpass the 50 kmph threshold during the time trial. His effort earned him the green and gold champion’s jersey, which he will wear throughout the domestic season.
The course tested riders with long exposed straights, coastal winds, and sharp technical sections, rewarding both physical power and precision pacing. Vine’s victory sets a confident tone for UAE Team Emirates’ campaign in the months ahead.
In the women’s time trial, Brodie Chapman also delivered a strong performance, narrowly missing out on defending her 2025 title. Chapman completed the 29.3 km route just 3.8 seconds behind the winner, showing excellent form and determination to begin her 2026 season.
Chapman, who joined UAE Team Emirates-XRG in 2024, has consistently remained one of the top Australian cyclists in recent seasons. Her result in Perth signals strong potential for upcoming international events, especially in early-season stage races.
UAE Team Emirates has expanded its presence in Oceania through XRG, and this championship showing reaffirms its commitment to developing a powerful, performance-led unit for both men’s and women’s competitions in 2026.
The Australian Championships continue through the weekend, with road races set to highlight more emerging talent and further test national favourites on Western Australia’s coastal roads.
