Welsford shines Down Under

ADELAIDE, Australia (AFP) — Australia’s Sam Welsford just held on with a long finishing sprint to win the opening stage of the Tour Down Under and extend his success in the opening race of the UCI World Tour on Tuesday.

Welsford (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), who won three stages in last year’s event, made his move 250 meters from the finish to just stave off the fast-charging British riders Matthew Brennan (Team Visma) and Matthew Walls (Groupama-FDJ).

Welsford, who powered Australia to gold in the team pursuit at the Paris Olympics, was well positioned for the final sprint by his Dutch teammate Danny van Poppel to take possession of the ochre leader’s jersey after the first of six stages.

The Australian will take a four-second overall advantage into Wednesday’s second stage (128.8km) over Brennan with Zac Marriage (ARA Australia) third.

“It was a super hard run in. I probably stepped off Danny (Van Poppel) a little bit too early and that last straight was super hard to control the front,” Welsford said.

“My legs were burning with 50m to go. I was just so cooked I couldn’t get my other arm up.”

Welsford said it was a “statement” win for the Bora-Hansgrohe team.

“That’s the first World Tour win for the team and I can’t be happier.”

One of Welsford’s main sprint rivals, Germany’s Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain Victorious), lost his chance when he came down in a mid-peloton crash.

He was unhurt and resumed to cross in ninth place in the stage.

Local duo Fergus Browning and Marriage set up an early breakaway that was only reeled in by the peloton with 23 kilometers of the 150.7-kilometer stage left.

Browning took full advantage of the breakaway to lead the King of the Mountain with 21 points from Marriage on 15.

Defending champion, the Welshman Stephen Williams (Israel-Premier Tech), finished 23rd in the stage to be 27th overall.

Former Tour de France winner Geraint Thomas (Ineos-Grenadiers) eased his way through the opening stage and was off the back of the peloton towards the final stages of the race.