Stage 5 winner Jhonatan Narvaez (UAE Team Emirates XRG) avoided a crash in the final kilometres to safely cross the line at the end of flat and fast stage 6 in Adelaide to win the Santos Tour Down Under after taking second place last year.
The win, marking his first-ever WorldTour overall stage victory, is a significant achievement for the 27-year-old Ecuadorian, competing with his new team for the first time this season.
Article continues below“It means a lot for me, also, for the team, it’s my first year here, and a start like this is awesome.”
Narvaez rode cautiously, moving up in the final kilometres to avoid the typical chaos of a sprint finish, and therefore positioned himself in front of the crashes that disrupted the finale.
“Three crashes in the last 3 k[ilometres]. It’s not easy when 150 guys are trying to go into one corner at 70kmph, it’s dangerous but it’s cycling and we saved the day,” said Narvaez who called Sunday’s stage “one of the hardest” stages of the week.
Positioned at the front of the peloton, Welsford and his sprint train also avoided the crash in the final three kilometres, which splintered the field behind them. He then followed the wheel of his lead-out Danny van Poppel as they went around the final corner. With 100 metres to go, Welsford opened up his sprint. Bryan Coquard (Cofidis) was on his wheel but couldn’t match his power, settling for second, while Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain Victorious) claimed third in Adelaide.
“My boys are so good. Today took control. In the end, just amazing,” Welsford said of the work of his teammates.
“We came here with big goals, and we ticked them off pretty well. I think to win three stages and third on GC is something something to be proud of that’s for for sure.”
Narvaez claimed the top spot in the final general classification with a nine-second lead over Romo—the same margin that left the Ecuadorian in second place in 2024. Finn Fisher-Black (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) takes third place, a further three seconds in arrears.
With his stage victory, Welsford secured the points classification. The best young rider jersey went to 19-year-old Albert Withen Philipsen (Lidl-Trek). Fergus Browning (ARA Australia) secured the mountain classification after three consecutive days of hard work in the breakaway. Lidl-Trek won the overall team classification.
How it unfolded
At just 90 kilometres long, the final stage of the Tour Down Under was a red-hot, blisteringly fast victory lap in downtown Adelaide for Jhonatan Narvaez (UAE Team Emirates XRG). With a nine-second lead on Javier Romo (Movistar), Narvaez's lead wasn't under threat in the intermediate sprint bonuses.
The first sprint was taken by a three-man breakaway that escaped in the opening lap. Casper Pedersen (Soudal-Quickstep), Kelland O'Brien (Jayco-AlUla), and Damien Howson (ARA Australian National Team) made up the move.
Pedersen led through the first sprint, O'Brien claimed the second, while Howson mopped up the KOM points in honour of teammate and mountains classification leader Fergus Browning.
The trio's lead went out to a maximum of 46 seconds, but an attack from Finn Fisher-Black (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) ahead of the second intermediate sprint - an attempt to move ahead of Romo - was marked by the Spaniard's loyal teammate Natnael Tesfazion.
Another attack from Oscar Onley (Picnic-PostNl) to try and get ahead of Fisher-Black and onto the podium was also nullified before he could bridge the now 10-second gap.
The peloton settled down with 30km to go, giving the non-threatening escape group's gap stretch back out. Howson claimed the last KOM with 18km to go.
Pedersen, Howson and O'Brien worked well together in the closing kilometres but it was a futile effort. Teams like XDS Astana, Groupama-FDJ and Bahrain Victorious came forward in the final 15km to chop away at the 15-second lead the trio still maintained, but waited until the last to finish the catch.
Their' chances declined further with 8km to go when Pedersen attacked his companions, who went back to the bunch.
Ineos Grenadiers led the bunch past Pedersen with 2.4 kilometres to go, as the jostling for position dominated the front of the peloton. A crash in the final kilometres forced a split in the peloton with the riders at the front continuing on to sprint for victory.
Positioned behind his teammates, Sam Welsford (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) launched his sprint and no one could match his acceleration as he claimed his third stage victory of the race.
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