'I'd be disappointed if I didn't win, especially with how much work we put in' – Targeting prologue pays off for Sam Watson and Ineos Grenadiers at Tour Down Under

After preparing specifically with the Tour Down Under prologue in mind, British rider Sam Watson (Ineos Grenadiers) was going to be happy with nothing other than winning, as he did, on the opening day of the 2026 men's WorldTour in Adelaide.

With wins in professional cycling being arguably harder than ever to come by, such is the depth of the field and overall standard of racing, specifically targeting a discipline like a road bike prologue can be a great route to success.

Ineos Grenadiers know Watson can perform to his best on these short individual time trials, where his sprint power and cornering skills are highlighted, just as they were at last year's Tour de Romandie, where he beat the likes of Remco Evenepoel and Stefan Küng to the prologue win.

"I was going for the win, to be honest, and I'd be disappointed if I didn't win, especially with how much work we put into this," Watson told reporters after being presented with the leader's ochre jersey.

"We obviously saw the course quite in advance of this year, and then we kind of went full for it with the team. I'm really lucky that they give me a lot of support.

"I've got a whole different setup, and did aero testing on a different bike, with a prologue position. That was great, but it also creates a lot of time to think about it, so it's a bit of a stressful way to start the year, but I'm so happy I've pulled it off."

After his stressful build-up to the prologue, Watson then had an equally nerve-racking wait in the hot seat for the final couple of hours on Tuesday evening, with several riders coming within a narrow margin of his benchmark.

British compatriot Ethan Vernon (NSN) came closest, finishing just after Watson and less then a second slower, and the long wait for victory confirmation carried on right until the final starter, Australian TT champion Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) finished four seconds slower.

"If I'm honest, it's not too enjoyable [in the hot seat]," said Watson. "It's nice that I'm there, but I had the speakers right next to me, and I can't relax with that in my ears. With every rider was it like, 'Oh, they're close,' so yeah, it's a bit of a stressful two hours.

"Just as I got off the bike, Ethan Vernon came across the line, and he was 0.5 behind me. I knew he’d be a contender, and I nearly didn't even make it to the hot seat. [When Vine finished], obviously, then it was a big sigh of relief for myself. I’m so happy to start the season with a win."

Watson won't be expected to battle out the general classification with the likes of Vine as the climbing roads come thick and fast, but he's still got a big role to play in the lead-out for new Ineos signing Sam Welsford.

The ochre jersey should be well on show on tomorrow's stage in Tanunda, with either Watson himself or experienced Brit Ben Swift set to be Welsford's last man.

"Tomorrow is a really good opportunity to win another stage. So we go 100% for that," Watson added. "[Welsford has] won here six times in the last two years, so it’s all for him."

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