Chat with GreenEDGE Cycling general manager Brent Copeland

BA caught up with GreenEDGE Cycling general manager Brent Copeland about the forthcoming season and how the changes within the team will impact 2026 for the squad.

Q: Why was the team so late in submitting its application to the UCI this year?

Brent Copeland: The team was not late in submitting its application to the UCI; however, there were paperwork issues that prevented the application from being finalised until after the initial deadline. We are grateful to the UCI for their support in this matter and appreciate their patience as we dealt with these paperwork issues. Thanks also go out to our partners, who backed us fully throughout the delay, and remain firm believers in our team going into the future.  

Q: You’ve made many changes to the team’s lineup for 2026, including Matt White’s departure. How will that affect the team’s culture?

Brent Copeland: I’m grateful for the work that Matt White has put into this team, and he leaves a lasting legacy amongst those who worked with him. Looking to the future, the team’s culture remains much the same as it has in previous seasons, and we continue to focus on delivering at the highest level. It will always be an Australian team at its heart, and we maintain a strong Aussie core going into 2026. We’re proud of the strong roster of Australian riders that we have in both our men’s and women’s teams, alongside a talented international line-up. I’m also delighted to see the return of Neil Stephens to the squad, a person who helped create this team at the very beginning.

Q: What are the key races for the men’s team in 2026? What are the key races for the women’s team in 2026?

Brent Copeland: We recently appointed Gene Bates as the Sporting Manager for Team Jayco AlUla, and we’re still discussing the finer details about our goals and objectives. While it’s too early to discuss where our team leaders will go, the Grand Tours and Monuments remain the most important races for our team. To find success at any of these events is a very special thing, and we felt it in 2025 with our three Grand Tour stage wins – especially Ben O’Connor’s queen stage victory at the Tour de France. Of course, we have to consider the smaller races on the calendar where picking up points will be important to maintain a strong UCI ranking, but we will continue to look for results at the biggest races of the season, where we have shown that we can perform.

Q: You didn’t have a great Men’s Tour de France in 2025 in the GC race. Will your goals be the same in 2026?

Brent Copeland: While our initial goal of a strong general classification didn’t go to plan, we were still one of only a few teams that finished in Paris with a stage win. After crashing on the first stage, Ben O’Connor showed his resilience by continuing to grind away throughout the three weeks. His determination paid off with a beautiful win on the toughest day of the race. For next season, as I said previously, it’s too early to give specifics about our goals, but we will be looking to bring home a big result in Paris. 

Q: What are you doing to improve your position in the WorldTour rankings for 2026?

Brent Copeland: With the start of a new three-year promotion-relegation cycle for the men’s team, it is a chance to take stock of how we approach our racing. There will be a heightened focus on consistently scoring results at some of the smaller races to build up our points, which we’ve seen other teams be successful at in recent seasons. We will still hunt for those big victories, and we have the talent on the team to pick up wins at the top races, which will also deliver the points we’re looking for. It’s important to note that we were one of just five teams that won a WorldTour stage race in 2025, with Paul Double’s victory at the Tour of Guangxi. That statistic puts us alongside some of the biggest squads in the WorldTour, including UAE Team Emirates XRG and Visma-Lease a Bike, plus Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe and Lotto.  We have worked hard over the latter part of this year to build a roster that mixes youth and experience, which we believe will deliver those consistent results. This will be a key task for Gene Bates as Sporting Manager of Team Jayco AlUla, and I have full confidence in him that he can get the best out of this squad.

Q: How important is the Australian season for the team?

Brent Copeland: The Australian summer is always important to us as an Australian registered team, and also as it is a great moment for the team of riders and staff to spend quality time with Gerry Ryan and his family at the very start of every new exciting season. Starting at the national championships, we’re as keen as ever to keep the Australian green and gold in the team for another season. It’s always special for our Aussie riders to wear the jersey of national champion and represent Australia for the season. We also love racing at the Tour Down Under and the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race, and we were lucky to win Cadel’s in 2025 with Mauro Schmid. The Australian public is fantastic and always creates a fun atmosphere on the side of the road. It’s also a big moment for our kit partner MAAP, who are a proud Australian brand. January, in general, will be a big month for us with the AlUla Tour following right after the Australian block. As the home race of our naming partner AlUla, we’re looking forward to capping off a successful start to the season with a good result there.