Jhonatan Narváez produced a commanding uphill sprint on the slopes of Willunga Hill to win stage 5 of the Santos Tour Down Under and take the leader’s ochre jersey. The Ecuadorian, who finished second in last year’s edition, now holds a nine-second advantage over Javier Romo with one stage remaining.
“It was a hard day today,” Narváez said after his victory. “The temperature was high, and everyone told me I was the favourite, which is not easy. But in the end, we made it. You have to keep trying and eventually, you win.”
Romo attacks early but falls short
Overnight leader Javier Romo launched a bold attack at the base of the final ascent of Willunga Hill, attempting to catch his rivals off guard. The Spaniard pushed on with a small gap as the chasing group, led by Luke Plapp and Narváez, worked to close him down. Romo was reeled in within the final kilometre, setting up the decisive sprint.
“I tried because I know my sprint is not so good,” Romo admitted to Cyclingnews. “I thought it was possible that Narváez might not be in a good position. I lost the GC, but I’m very happy with second overall.”
Narváez’s victory earned him a ten-second time bonus, allowing him to turn his four-second deficit into a nine-second lead. With only a flat 90km stage in Adelaide left, the 2024 runner-up is well-positioned to claim overall victory.
Photo Credit: GettyOnley and Fisher-Black complete the podium
Oscar Onley, last year’s winner on Willunga Hill, finished second on the stage after following the attacks on the steep final climb. Finn Fisher-Black, sitting fourth on GC at the start of the day, managed to chase back to the lead group in the final metres and took third place ahead of Plapp and Romo.
Fisher-Black was delighted with his performance, saying, “I was feeling good and put in a couple of moves, but when the trio went up the road, I couldn’t follow their pace. I knew I had a good kick at the end, so I just tried to hold them close and go for it in the final 500 metres.”
Early break and peloton splits
The race began with a breakaway of six riders, including Pascal Eenkhoorn, Ben Swift, and Juan Lopez. They built a lead of over four minutes but were gradually reeled in by the peloton as the race approached the double ascent of Willunga Hill.
The first climb saw Jayco-AlUla’s Chris Harper and Mauro Schmid attack, creating chaos in the peloton. However, their move was neutralised, and the favourites regrouped ahead of the final climb. A crosswind section earlier in the stage caused additional splits, but strong team efforts from UAE Team Emirates and Movistar helped bring key riders back into contention.
Photo Credit: GettyNarváez reflects on his team’s effort
UAE Team Emirates sports director Fabio Baldato praised Narváez’s resilience and determination. “Jhony just needed confidence in himself,” Baldato said. “He is a super talent and today showed what he’s capable of. He deserves this win.”
Narváez expressed his gratitude to his team, saying, “I think we managed it really well today. Ineos made the crosswinds, but in the end, we came back, and I survived the climb to do the sprint.”
The Ecuadorian’s victory marks his first WorldTour stage race win and caps off a remarkable debut race with his new team. With only Sunday’s fast and flat finale left, Narváez is on the brink of turning last year’s heartbreak into triumph.
2025 Men’s Tour Down Under Stage 5 result
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Main photo credit: Getty
