Welsford secures stage 6 victory as Narvaez claims Tour Down Under title

Sam Welsford 2025 Tour Down Under GC Stage 6

Sam Welsford capped off a remarkable Tour Down Under campaign with a dominant sprint victory on the streets of Adelaide in the final stage. The Australian sprinter crossed the line ahead of Bryan Coquard and Phil Bauhaus, securing his third stage win of this yearโ€™s race.

Reflecting on his performance, Welsford expressed pride in his teamโ€™s efforts. โ€œI didnโ€™t think three stage wins were possible going into this race,โ€ he said. โ€œThe team really believed in me and backed me in these stages. We knew this last one was a good one for us, a big power circuit. The boys did an amazing job. Danny dropped me off about 200 metres from the finish. Iโ€™m really happy with this Tour.โ€

Narvaez claims overall victory

Jhonatan Narvaez safely navigated the chaotic finale to seal his first-ever WorldTour overall stage race victory, becoming the first Ecuadorian to win the Tour Down Under. Narvaez, who entered the day with a nine-second lead over Javier Romo, maintained his advantage despite the fast pace and crashes in the final kilometres.

โ€œIt wasnโ€™t easy, it was a bit dangerous, but we ended up winning the race,โ€ Narvaez shared. โ€œItโ€™s one of the nicest races on the calendar. It means a lot for me and also for the team โ€“ itโ€™s my first year here, and a start like this is awesome.โ€

Narvaez 2025 Tour Down Under GC winPhoto Credit: Tour Down Under

High-paced finale in Adelaide

The 90km circuit race in downtown Adelaide saw relentless action from the start. A three-man breakaway, featuring Casper Pedersen, Kelland Oโ€™Brien, and Damien Howson, dominated the early laps. Pedersen secured the first intermediate sprint, while Howson claimed both KOM primes atop Montefiore Hill, working hard to bolster his teammate Fergus Browningโ€™s hold on the mountains classification.

The breakaway trio worked efficiently, holding a maximum lead of 46 seconds, but their chances diminished as the peloton began to reel them in during the closing laps. With 8km remaining, Pedersen attacked his breakaway companions, but the move was short-lived as the group was caught before the finish.

The peloton surged forward, led by teams positioning their sprinters for the finale. A crash in the final three kilometres splintered the field, but the lead group powered on. Welsford, guided perfectly by Van Poppel, launched his sprint with 100 metres to go, leaving Coquard and Bauhaus unable to match his acceleration.

Welsfordโ€™s stage victory also secured him the points classification, while 19-year-old Albert Withen Philipsen claimed the best young rider jersey. Fergus Browningโ€™s efforts in the breakaways solidified his grip on the mountains classification, and Lidl-Trek earned the overall team title.

2025 Men’s Tour Down Under Stage 6 result

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2025 Men’s Tour Down Under GC result

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Main photo credit: Tour Down Under