Javier Romo pulled off a thrilling victory on stage 3 of the Santos Tour Down Under, launching a decisive attack in the final kilometres to claim his first-ever UCI win. The 147.5km route from Norwood to Uraidla included two passages of Knotts Hill, a climb that shattered the peloton and set the stage for Romo’s success.
The Spanish rider surged clear just after the summit of Knotts Hill’s second ascent, capitalising on a moment of hesitation in the reduced lead group. Despite attempts from rivals like Chris Harper and Oscar Onley to bridge the gap, Romo maintained his lead and celebrated as he crossed the finish line five seconds ahead of the chasing pack.
“From this winter, I worked a lot thinking about the Tour Down Under and I could imagine this day,” Romo told Cyclingnews post-race. “I’m so happy. I want to say thank you to my team because their work was very good for me today. They have a lot of confidence in me, and this victory is so important—also for my family, my girlfriend, and all the people who helped me this year.”
Narváez and Fisher-Black round out podium
Behind Romo, the sprint for second place was fiercely contested. Jhonatan Narváez edged out Finn Fisher-Black by a bike throw to claim the runner-up spot. Fisher-Black, despite being solo in the group, expressed some frustration over the lack of coordination among teams with larger numbers.
“I went to the back of the group after the rollers and saw five Trek guys up there,” Fisher-Black remarked. “I wasn’t sure what the tactics were. I hoped they’d pull [Romo] back, but in the end, I think it was Jayco chasing. Maybe controversial tactics, but it is what it is. In the end, we had to sprint for second, and I’m happy to get third.”
Albert Philipsen, racing in his first WorldTour event, finished fourth, narrowly missing out on bonus seconds. The 18-year-old Dane retained the white jersey for the best young rider classification but was visibly disappointed with his positioning in the finale. “I’m really happy to grab the white jersey for now, but I think I could have done more,” he admitted.
Photo Credit: GettyStevie Williams’ challenging day
Defending champion Stephen Williams endured a tough stage after crashing in the feed zone with 61km remaining. Though he rejoined the peloton with the help of his teammates, the crash left him struggling on the final climb, and he lost 20 seconds to the main group.
“It was a bit of a shit fight all day,” Williams said. “I came down in a crash just before the climb. It was just a touch of wheels, and I came down. Then I tried to recompose and come back, but I just didn’t have the minerals on the climb and fell behind. It’s not ideal, but so is life. We have three more days to try and be good.”
Breakaway action and Knotts Hill battles
The day began aggressively, with a breakaway forming early on, including Ben Swift, Geoffrey Bouchard, and Fergus Browning. Browning added to his lead in the mountains classification by sweeping up KOM points on both climbs of Knotts Hill. However, the peloton reeled in the escapees before the decisive final lap.
The approach to Knotts Hill’s second ascent was marked by chaos, including a mid-peloton crash that forced Martín López to abandon. As the remaining contenders hit the climb, attacks from Jay Vine and Remy Rochas thinned the group further, leaving 20 riders to battle it out over the summit.
Romo’s perfectly timed counterattack on the rolling terrain after the climb caught his rivals off guard. Luke Plapp led the chase, but the disorganised effort allowed Romo to claim a memorable victory.
General classification update
Romo now leads the general classification, donning the ochre jersey with an eight-second advantage over Narváez. Patrick Konrad and Fisher-Black sit tied in third at 10 seconds back. Philipsen, in seventh place overall, is 15 seconds adrift but retains the white jersey.
The Tour Down Under continues with three stages remaining, offering more opportunities for climbers and sprinters alike to shake up the standings.
2025 Men’s Tour Down Under Stage 3 result
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Main photo credit: Getty
