The Aussies to watch as Classics season ignites

The first Monument is in the books and Milan San Remo has already delivered its annual chaos. With Michael Matthews out after breaking both wrists in a training crash, one of Australia’s most reliable one day performers is missing from the spring. That absence shifts the spotlight onto a new group of Australians who are actually lining up for the cobbles and the bergs in 2026.

This is the real picture. Who is racing. Who is in form. Who can shape the Classics.

The Men

Sam Welsford the sprinter with Classics power

Team: Ineos Grenadiers   Targets: Classic Brugge De Panne, Gent Wevelgem, Scheldeprijs

Welsford has been one of the standout Australians of 2026. He opened the year by winning two stages at the Santos Tour Down Under and taking the points classification. He then went to the UAE Tour and won stage one in a full World Tour sprint against the best fast men in the world. His top end speed is world class, but what makes him relevant to the Classics is the endurance he has added over the past two seasons.

He has already raced the early Belgian one day races with Ineos and the team is clearly backing him for the flatter Classics. Gent Wevelgem and Scheldeprijs are the big targets. If he makes it over the final climbs or survives the crosswinds, he is one of the fastest finishers in the race. He gives Australia a genuine winning chance in the sprint based Classics.

Kelland O'Brien the big motor for the wind and gutters

Targets: Gent Wevelgem, Scheldeprijs, Paris Roubaix support

O Brien’s 2026 results sheet is not covered in top tens, but his form is solid and his role is clear. He raced the early season in Australia and the Middle East and then moved into the Belgian one day races, doing long turns in crosswinds and keeping Jayco leaders in position. His track background means he can hold high power for long periods, which is exactly what Gent Wevelgem and Scheldeprijs demand.

He is not usually the protected rider, but current form suggests that could change this year. At Roubaix he will be a key part of the first half of the race, keeping leaders out of trouble on the sectors.

Luke Durbridge the Roubaix specialist

Targets: Paris Roubaix

Durbridge has been building form quietly through the early Belgian races. His 2026 results are steady rather than spectacular, but that is normal for him. He has been doing long pulls, closing gaps and guiding younger teammates through the chaos of Opening Weekend.

Roubaix is always his focus. He knows the stones, he knows the rhythm and he knows how to survive when the race becomes a grind. If the weather turns bad, his experience becomes even more valuable. A top ten is possible if the race explodes early and he makes the right move.

Kaden Groves

Targets: Classic Brugge De Panne, Gent Wevelgem, Scheldeprijs, selected cobbled Classics

Groves had a strong 2025 and arrives in 2026 ready to show his all round strengths in the cobbled Classics. His sprint, his resilience and his ability to handle repeated accelerations make him a genuine option for Alpecin in the flatter races.

Jensen Plowright

Targets: Nokere Koerse, Bredene Koksijde Classic, Dwars door Vlaanderen, selected cobbled Classics

Plowright won the national criterium title in January and has stepped up again in Europe. He rode brilliantly in Paris Nice and showed a new level of toughness. Alpecin has enormous depth, which makes selection difficult, but his current form should earn him starts in most of the cobbled Classics.

The Women

Ruby Roseman Gannon the punchy all rounder with real form

Targets: Gent Wevelgem Women, Amstel Gold Race, Brabantse Pijl

Ruby has opened 2026 with genuine results. She won the Australian criterium title in Perth, then finished second in the national road race. At the Santos Women’s Tour Down Under she was sixth on the Paracombe stage and ninth in the one day Santos race. She then finished fifteenth at the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race and lined up at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Strade Bianche.

Those results show a rider who is sharp, consistent and ready for the Classics. Gent Wevelgem and Amstel are the races where she can turn that form into something big.

Alexandra Manly the fast finisher with a strong Australian block

Targets: Gent Wevelgem Women, De Panne, flatter Classics

Manly was second in the Australian criterium championships and seventeenth in the road race. She then took seventh on stage two of the Santos Women’s Tour Down Under and fourth in the Santos one day race. She followed that with sixteenth at the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race and a solid showing at the UAE Tour Women.

She has the speed to win from a reduced bunch and the endurance to survive more than people expect. Gent Wevelgem and De Panne are her best chances.

Amber Pate

Out with injury and not part of the Classics block.

Mackenzie Coupland the national champion on a rapid rise

Targets: Belgian semi Classics, selected World Tour Classics starts

Coupland has been one of the breakout Australian riders of 2026. She stunned the field at the Australian road race championships in Perth, winning the elite title with a perfectly timed late move that held off a chase group containing Ruby Roseman Gannon and Neve Bradbury. That ride also secured her the under twenty three crown, confirming her as one of the most exciting young riders in the country. She backed it up with a strong showing across the national block and has since stepped into Europe with real confidence, racing the early season program with Liv AlUla Jayco and gaining valuable experience in the Belgian semi Classics. Strong, composed and improving quickly, she is expected to feature in selected Classics as the season builds.

Sarah Gigante the climber for the Ardennes

Targets: Fleche Wallonne, Liege Bastogne Liege

Gigante’s 2026 season is built around climbing and stage racing, but once the cobbles are done and the Ardennes arrive she becomes Australia’s best chance. Her 2025 results included third overall at the Giro d Italia Women and sixth at the Tour de France Femmes, with multiple mountain stage podiums.

She is not a cobbles rider, but she is absolutely a contender once the gradients tilt upward.

Georgia Baker the experienced all rounder

Targets: Belgian semi Classics, support roles across the block

Baker brings experience, speed and reliability to the Jayco squad. She has raced a full early season program and is an important part of the team’s Classics structure, especially in races where positioning and lead outs matter. She gives Ruby and Manly the support they need deep into the race.

The bigger picture

Australia’s Classics presence in 2026 is not built on one superstar. It is built on a cluster of riders who are already putting real results on the board and who now step into more responsibility with Matthews injured.

Welsford is winning sprints at the highest level. Ruby has national titles and top tens. Manly is sprinting at the front of big races. Durbridge brings experience. O'Brien brings power. Groves and Plowright add depth and speed.

The first Monument is gone. The next ones are coming fast. And the green and gold will be in the fight.