Mike O'Connor
Australian favourite Luke Durbridge has announced 2026 will be his final year in professional cycling, bringing the curtain down on a stellar 14-year run with Team Jayco AlUla.
The 35-year-old confirmed the news via a team post after Paris-Roubaix, closing out one of the peloton’s rare one-team careers after joining the squad in its first season back in 2012.
The WA-native built his reputation as a powerhouse against the clock and a trusted teammate, but he also leaves behind a tidy list of results.
He claimed four Australian individual time trial titles (2012, 2013, 2019, 2020) and two Australian road race crowns (2013 and 2025). His 2013 win made him the first rider to win both the elite road race and time trial titles in the same year.
On the international stage, he announced himself early with victory in the opening prologue of the Critérium du Dauphiné in 2012, where he beat Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins.
He was also a team time trial world champion in 2014, part of the Orica-GreenEDGE squad that won the title at the UCI Road World Championships, and contributed to multiple team time trial stage victories at the Giro d’Italia.
He was also a key domestique, riding the Tour de France eleven times.
‘Turbo Durbo’ was also a rarity in the professional cycling world, a one-team man who spent his entire career with GreenEDGE, Australia’s first professional racing team.
Durbridge’s departure, alongside longtime teammate Michael Hepburn, marks the end of an era for the Australian outfit, with only a handful of riders remaining from its early years.
Alongside his unwavering loyalty, Durbridge leaves the sport with a reputation for consistency and humour. He says he plans to make the Australian 2027 Road Nationals his final competition.
Thanks for all the great memories Durbo.
Mike O’Connor – A keen cyclist, runner and photographer, Mike O’Connor is the Editor of Bicycling Australia. He manages the BA website and social media, and loves promoting the achievements of Australian cyclists.
