Rider Profile
Sam Welsford
Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe

Personal Details:
Teams history:
- 2025 - Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe
- 2024 - Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe
- 2023 - Team dsm-firmenich
- 2022 - Team DSM
- 2020 - UniSA-Australia
- 2018 - UniSA-Australia
- 2018 - Australian Cycling Academy
Biography:
Born on January 19, 1996 in Subiaco, a suburb of Perth in Western Australia, Sam Welsford began racing as a junior in 2013. His first success came right away on the track as part of the Team Pursuit titles for Australia in the World Championships in 2013 and 2014.
His sprint talents continued with an elite Team Pursuit world title in 2016 and earned a berth at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, earning a silver medal with teammates Michael Hepburn, Alex Edmondson, Jack Bobridge and Callum Scotson. Two years later alongside Alex Porter, Leigh Howard and Kelland O'Brien, Welsford was part of a gold medal performance at Commonwealth Games that set a new world record, 3:49.804. At Track Worlds the next year, the team broke that mark for the gold, 3:48.012, and Welsford also added a gold medal in the Men's Scratch race.
His excellence on the track continued at the 202 Worlds with another gold in the Team Pursuit. At the Tokyo Olympic Games, Welsford was part of a bronze medal team effort in the Team Pursuit, and regained the gold in 2024 in Paris.
After riding a few years in the road with Continental or club level teams, Welsford jumped to the WorldTour in 2022 with Team DSM, where he earned a podium at Scheldeprijs and then won his first UCI race that year on a stage at the Presidential Tour of Turkey.
On a second year at DSM, he won back-to-back stages at Vuelta a San Juan and finished second at Scheldeprijs. He earned a berth at his first Tour de France, going 10th on stage 11 into Moulins. He followed his first Grand Tour with a stage win at Renewi Tour.
From the next two seasons he moved to Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe and made an impact in 2024 with a trio of stage victories at his home stage race, Tour Down Under. He scored nine additional podiums in the season, including a stage win at Tour de Hongrie.
Just before his 29th birthday in 2025, Welsford won three of his first four races, including the national criterium title. He then dominated the opening rounds of the Tour Down Under with sprint victories on stages 1 and 2 and wear the ochre leader's jersey.
Top results
2025
🥇 National Criterim championship
🥇 Western Australia State Criterium championship
🥇 Villawood Men's Classic
🥇 Two stages, Tour Down Under
2024
🥇 Three stages and points classification, Tour Down Under
🥇 One stage Tour de Hongrie
🥉 One stage, UAE Tour
🥉 National Criterium championships
🥉 One stage CRO Race
2023
🥇 Two stages, Vuelta a San Juan
🥇 One stage Tour de Hongrie
🥇 Grand Prix Criquielion
🥇 One stage Renewi Tour
🥈 Scheldeprijs
🥈 One stage and GC, ZLM Tour
🥉 One stage, UAE Tour
🥉 National Criterium championships
🥉 Bredene Koksijde Classic
🥉 GP Criquielion
🥉 Veenendaal-Veenanndaal Classic
2022
🥇 One stage Tour of Turkey
🥉 Scheldeprijs
🥉 One stage ZLM Tour
Related Articles

'Better than he was last year' – Sam Welsford sets the standard as sprinters look to UAE Tour
By Sophie Smith published
News The Australian won gold in the velodrome at the Olympics last year but is keen to further cement his name on the road in 2025

‘It was Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe versus the world’ – Sam Welsford’s sprinting hot streak curtailed at the Surf Coast Classic
By Simone Giuliani published
News Team looks for revenge at the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race with defending champion Laurence Pithie and Finn Fisher-Black

Who will capitalise on Challambra Crescent? - Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race contenders
By Jackie Tyson, Kirsten Frattini published
Preview Circuits into Geelong waterfront prove key for aggressive riders in men’s and women’s races

Sam Welsford eyes Tour de France berth after trio of stage wins in Tour Down Under
By Laura Weislo published
News Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe sprinter puts his hands up for first maillot jaune

Danny van Poppel hit with UCI yellow card after high-speed Tour Down Under sprint block - Video
By Stephen Farrand published
News Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe rider punished by the UCI for obstructing and endanger another rider

'My legs were screaming' - Patience pays off for Sam Welsford with second consecutive win at Tour Down Under
By Laura Weislo published
News Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe rider credits new training regime for second stage win at WorldTour race and third victory in a week

'I thought maybe I mucked that up' - Tour Down Under stage winner Sam Welsford went early in the sprint
By Laura Weislo published
News Visma-Lease a Bike's Matthew Brennan almost surprises stage 1 winner

Sam Welsford wins Down Under Classic ahead of final corner crash
By Laura Weislo published
Results Criterium champion puts team's work to good use in Adelaide to beat Uhlig and Brennan
Blogs
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Nathan Haas blog: Has the UCI done enough for gravel pros at the Gravel World Championships?
Sponsored gravel riders appear to be losing interest in the rainbow jersey battle -
Lauren De Crescenzo and her tough decision to miss UCI Gravel World Championships
In her own words, the gravel star explains the complex picture of the Gravel World Championships for the US team -
A proper women's race – Historic day in Emporia at Unbound Gravel
Extended gaps around women's start end with unprecedented sprint finish though 'it’s still imperfect, but it’s the best we can do for now' -
Road prep and adapting to new rules as Life Time Grand Prix begins at Fuego XL mountain bike event
Lauren De Crescenzo uses The Growler for confidence boost ride ahead of prestigious off-road series -
'Untapped gold' in store for inaugural RADL GRVL in South Australia
Nathan Haas calls gravel course 'raw, fast, exciting' after pre-ride with co-founder Valtteri Bottas