Jayco AlUla announces Giro d'Italia squad, targets podium with Ben O'Connor

Jayco AlUla have announced their Giro d'Italia squad on their website this Friday morning. The Australian team head to Bulgaria and Italy with serious ambitions, built around GC leader Ben O'Connor, while sprinter Pascal Ackermann chases a fourth stage win at the race.

O'Connor has impressed at the Giro d'Italia before, finishing fourth on two occasions — but has never stood on the podium. The 30-year-old Australian wants to change that this year, and will have a experienced squad around him to help. Andrea Vendrame lines up at his ninth Giro, having won two stages at the race.

Pascal Ackermann will also get his opportunities. The German sprinter has three Giro stage wins to his name but is yet to win in 2026 — though a second place at Bredene Koksijde showed his sprint is very much intact. Christopher Juul-Jensen will serve as road captain, while 24-year-old Robert Donaldson will form part of Ackermann's lead-out train.

Felix Engelhardt and Alan Hatherly will support O'Connor on the harder terrain, alongside Koen Bouwman. The Dutchman knows what it takes to succeed at the Giro — in 2022 he won two stages and claimed the mountains jersey.

O'Connor is ready for his fifth Giro. "It is always special to return to the Giro d'Italia, because it was my first Grand Tour and I won my first stage here back in 2020." The Australian has already identified the key moments in the race. "There are some important stages in the Alps, and we need to focus on the stage to Blockhaus as well. There are also some tricky stages to Marche and Liguria," he said.

Sports director Steve Cummings is confident in his squad. "I am very happy with this team. We can compete for victory on any stage." He is clear on the roles. "Ben is our GC man — he has targeted this all year. Pascal is our sprinter, with Bob as his lead-out."

"The 2026 route suits a balanced team like ours very well. I expect the GC fight to stay alive into the third week, when the Alps will decide the winner," the Briton added. The squad will chase a strong overall result while giving the other riders freedom to hunt for stage wins as free agents.

Jayco AlUla Giro d'Italia 2026 squad: Ben O'Connor, Pascal Ackermann, Alan Hatherly, Felix Engelhardt, Koen Bouwman, Andrea Vendrame, Robert Donaldson, Christopher Juul-Jensen