Stephen Williams will not ride the 2025 Tour de France or the British National Championships in Aberystwyth, with the Israel-Premier Tech rider confirming that a lingering knee injury has forced him to take another step back from competition. The 29-year-old has been dealing with quadriceps tendinopathy in his right knee since the start of the year and, despite an attempted return in April, has now opted to pause his season once more.
The Welshman began 2025 at the Tour Down Under but only returned to racing three months later at the Giro d’Abruzzo and Ardennes Classics. However, DNFs at Flèche Wallonne, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, and Eschborn-Frankfurt suggested all was not well. He last raced on May 1.
“Since the start of my season in Australia, I’ve had an issue with my right knee – a quadriceps tendinopathy – which is very tricky to manage, and it hasn’t resolved,” Williams wrote in a statement shared via social media. “I was able to come back for Giro d’Abruzzo and the Ardennes, but things still aren’t completely right.”
The decision to miss both the Tour and the Nationals will be a bitter blow. Aberystwyth will host the national road race championships at the end of June, and Williams had made no secret of his desire to race in front of a home crowd.
Photo Credit: Getty“Unfortunately, this means I won’t be able to race the national championships in Wales or the Tour de France,” he said. “I’m gutted to miss them, but I’m working really hard to get back to full fitness with the support of the team, and I hope I’ll be back on the start line soon.”
Williams has been one of Israel-Premier Tech’s key riders since joining in 2023, delivering standout results last season with overall victories at the Tour Down Under and Tour of Britain, plus a stunning solo win at La Flèche Wallonne. But 2025 has been a stop-start affair from the outset, and with the knee injury still unresolved, the focus is now on long-term recovery.
It’s not the first time Williams has had to navigate a major setback. He previously lost more than a year to a left knee injury early in his professional career at Bahrain-Merida. That experience gives him a sense of perspective, though the frustration remains.
“As a cyclist, the only thing you want to do is race,” he said. “This season has been incredibly frustrating, but I know these things can’t be rushed.”
There is still hope that Williams can return later in the season, potentially for a late summer block or autumn races, but the focus now is purely on getting healthy. For a rider who thrives on momentum and consistency, the enforced time out is a challenge, but one he’s tackled before.
