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Tour Down Under Men’s stage by stage

BA is thrilled to be trackside for every stage of this year’s Tour Down Under and will provide rolling coverage here, as well as regular social updates on Facebook and Instagram.

Stage 6: Welsford takes his third, while Narváez wins the ochre

Fittingly, the Tour Down Under’s 25-year anniversary drew to an end today on the city streets of Adelaide. Starting and finishing a stone’s throw from the River Torrens and Adelaide Oval along King William Road, it’s basically the same course that featured between 2015 and 2018, the most recent edition of which was won by fan-favourite Andre Greipel who watched on today as a spectator.

The crowds were large and the temperature and racing were hot, resulting in a reduced bunch sprint (after a crash close to the finish line) won by Aussie Sam Welsford.

Welsford said of his win, “I didn’t think three (stage wins) was possible going into this race; I knew it was going to be a hard tour and challenging stages.

“The team really believed in me and backed me in stages. We knew this last one was a good one for us, a big power circuit.

“The boys did an amazing job, (teammate) Danny Van Poppel dropped me off (as the leadout man) about 200 metres from the finish. I am really happy with this tour.”

Ecuadorian Jhonatan Narváez was crowned 2025 Santos Tour Down Under champion after a cautious last day in the saddle today.

The UAE Team Emirates-XRG gun said it was the biggest UCI WorldTour win of his career.

“It wasn’t easy, it was a bit dangerous and we ended up winning the race,” Narváez said. “It’s one of the nicest races on the calendar.”

Stage 5: A new King of Willunga is crowned

The Queen’s stage of the 2025 TDU did not disappoint, with action aplenty. Ecuadorian Jhonatan Narváez of UAE Team Emirates won decisively, taking the ochre jersey. He will likely win the TDU after tomorrow’s final stage.

The 145.7km stage from McLaren Vale to Willunga Hill was followed by thousands of cyclists, many of whom rode up Willunga to emulate their favourite riders.

Jhonatan Narváez is looming as the first Ecuadorian to claim a prestigious Tour Down Under UCI WorldTour crown after winning the stage atop Willunga Hill.

The 27-year-old said his team had targeted an overall victory before arriving from its European preseason – either for his Australian teammate Jay Vine, who won the race in 2023, or himself.

“I was feeling well at every stage; Jay wasn’t feeling so good he had a crash (on Friday),” Narvaez said.

“That was our tactic, to win the race with me or him (Vine).” 

Narváez has a nine-second lead over Spain’s Javier Romo, who has worn the leader’s jersey since winning Stage 3 from Norwood to Uraidla on Thursday.

Five-time Santos Tour Down Under stage winner Sam Welsford crashed for a second time during the race, but the Australian dusted himself down and was checked by the Red Bull-BORA-Hansgrohe doctor before jumping back on his bike.

The stage took in the TDU iconic locations of McLaren Vale, Snapper Point, Aldinga, and, of course, Willunga Hill. But what makes this year different from the past 24 editions is that the peloton also descended Old Willunga Hill Road under race conditions for the first time ever. For most riders, it was a successful descent except sprint jersey holder Sam Welsford, who took another spill with several other riders.

Stage 4: Coquard wins in a reduced bunch sprint

France’s Bryan Coquard claimed the Tour Down Under Men’s Stage 4 with a tactical last kilometre to beat Phil Bauhaus and Jhonatan Narvaez in a sprint finish at the Esplanade, Victor Harbor.

The 157.2km stage from Glenelg to Victor Harbor is a long-time Tour Down Under staple. Technically, it was last seen in 2020 when Italy’s Giacomo Nizzolo prevailed in a bunch sprint. However, a similar course was also used in 2023, beginning in Brighton.

The route stuck to the west coast for the first 68km, giving ride spectators spectacular views, before traversing to the eastern side of the Fleurieu Peninsula via Yankalilla, Bald Hills and the day’s first KOM at Parawa Hill (7 per cent av). A second KOM awaited at Nettle Hill (8.1 per cent av) on Hindmarsh Tiers Road, with the stage finishing 22km later on the Esplanade in Victor Harbor.

Coquard of the Cofidis team said, “Very happy to win, it’s my best chance to win here and it’s a perfect day.

“I love this country and at the start of the season I started good. I used my (track) experience to do a good sprint from about 300m, it’s perfect.”

With Coquard claiming his second Tour Down Under stage after winning at Willunga in 2023, Javier Romo held onto the ochre leader’s jersey.

In the race for GC, Javier Romo is four seconds clear of his biggest GC threat Narvaez. The highest-placed Aussie is Jay Vine in eighth position at 15 seconds, and Chris Harper is also 15 seconds behind in tenth spot.

Stage 3: The breakaway succeeds with a win for Spaniard Romo

The 147.5km stage from Norwood to Uraidla delivered a new winner in Spain’s Javier Romo. With more than 3,200 m of climbing packed into the route, the day had a familiar beginning, with inner suburban Norwood hosting its 17th stage start.

From there, the riders headed up to Norton Summit and the first KOM at Ashton after just 10km before heading south through Crafers, Stirling and Macclesfield. The racing then shifted north towards Balhannah, where the peloton entered a finishing circuit that included two ascents of the brutal new climb of Knotts Hill on Pound Road (2.6km, 7.5 per cent av, 22.2 per cent max).

Movistar’s Javier Romo’s maiden WorldTour victory took the favourites by surprise, with the 26-year-old Spaniard powering to victory over the Knotts Hill climb and crossing the finish ahead of his rivals. Jhonatan Narvaez was second across the line, followed by Finn Fisher-Black.

“I’m very happy, this morning I cannot imagine this day but I worked from September for this race,’’ Romo said.

“My team had a lot of confidence in me, and they worked very well to help me. The position today was very important and in the final (to the finish line) I had very good legs and everything was perfect.”

Romo now leads the ochre jersey competition.

Stage 2: Welsford makes it two from two

Sprinter Sam Welsford, wearing the ochre jersey, out-sprinted the peloton again to take his second stage.

The 128.8km stage started and finished in the popular Barossa Valley township of Tanunda, where it’s visited many times before.

The peloton passed through Tanunda another two times, while completing three ascents of Mengler Hill (2.7 km, 6.9 per cent av) approaching from the steeper western side.

Welsford looked to be in trouble early in the race when he crashed after a touch of wheels about one kilometre from the Stage 2 start. He pushed on with with gravel rash and torn knicks.

“That was bloody tough out there today, they didn’t make it any easier for me on that (final Menglers Hill) climb,” Welsford said.

“They (rivals) started launching attacks harder than expected but we had a good chase to get back on. My team worked hard.

“I said to them, ‘Let’s just get to the line and if I’m in front I’m sure I can have a good sprint. The boys did a mega job bringing me back and still did a lead out which is pretty impressive today.”               

After today’s win, Welsford also holds the Ziptrak sprint jersey.

ARA Australia’s Fergus Browning keeps the efex King of the Mountain jersey  

Great Britain’s 19-year-old Matthew Brennan (Team Visma-Lease a Bike) held on to the Zwift Young Rider jersey.

Stage 1: Welsford opens his account

The first of six stages of this year’s Tour Down Under men’s race started at a cracking pace in the picturesque Adelaide Hills on Tuesday. Raced over 150.7km from Prospect to Gumeracha, an impressive breakaway of two riders from the ARA Australia team got caught with 40km to go to end the stage in a bunch sprint. ARA Australia’s Zac Marriage and Fergus Browning jointly won the most combative prize for their efforts.

From Prospect, the peloton headed uphill on Gorge Road at Paracombe and journeyed to Williamstown on the southern fringe of the Barossa Valley. It passed through Gumeracha twice and then Loberthal, Charleston, Mount Torrens, and Birdwood—towns frequently featured in the TDU.

On the finish line, Welsford proved his strength and powered away from his Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe teammates with perfect timing to win the sprint at the Gumeracha finish ahead of Great Britain’s Matthew Brennan (Team Visma-Lease A Bike) and Groupama-FDJ’s Matthew Walls.

Welsford is also the race leader in the general classification, with a deserved four stage wins to his name since snaring his first in South Australia last year.

“We had our backs up against the wall from the start,’’ Welsford said.

“We just kept the break in check and eventually some teams started to put one on in the last 60km and then the gaps started coming down as well. The pressure was on and I’m really relieved.”

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