Stephen Williams Seals Tour Down Under Victory Final Stage

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Welsh cyclist Stephen Williams secured overall victory in Australia by winning the final stage of The Tour Down Under. The 27-year-old Israel-Premier Tech rider demonstrated a strong sprint in Mount Lofty, marking the biggest win of his career.

Expressing his joy and gratitude, Williams commented on the incredible support from his team in the last few days, stating, “What a stage, so over the moon, honestly, the support the team have given me the last few days. Incredible, I can’t thank them enough.”

Born in Aberystwyth, Williams had previously claimed overall victory at the 2021 Cro Race and won the four-stage Arctic Race of Norway in August 2023. His success in the Tour Down Under came after taking the leader’s ochre jersey on the penultimate stage, finishing second to stage five winner Oscar Onley.

Starting the final stage on equal time with Scotland’s Onley and only holding a slim lead ahead of other competitors, Williams managed the attacks in the last kilometers calmly before launching his winning sprint with 250 meters to go.

Describing the favorable finish for him, Williams mentioned, “That finish is perfect for me, it’s so punchy. I’ve got a knack of being able to hold and hold and hold. And luckily I was able to get back on the wheel, read the situation and capitalized, opened up with 250 to go and everyone’s legs were dead by then, so I thought if I got the jump, then I’d be in with a good chance.”

Reflecting on the mental aspects of the race, Williams shared, “Everything goes through your mind. Just how hard this sport is and to win races, they don’t come around very often. To do it here in Australia, the first world tour race of the season is fantastic.”

“I’m just really proud to kick off the season like this, on the front foot, and head back to Europe to continue on.”