The 2025 Santos Tour Down Under kicked off in Gumeracha with a predictable dash stage taken by the favorite Sam Welsford (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), however a surprising kick from Visma-Lease a Bike’s first-year WorldTour rider Matthew Brennan virtually upended the predictions and the outcome.
Welsford was relieved so as to add to the trio of levels from final 12 months however admitted that he virtually dedicated the cardinal sin of celebrating too quickly, as Brennan was accelerating quickly on his left and almost received previous him on the line.
“I had somebody on my wheel and I used to be maintaining them in test, and I did not truly discover the left,” Welsford admitted.
“I went to cease and salute, however I [had gone] fairly lengthy, so I did not have a lot legs left. I ought to have realized that it was a extremely quick downhill dash on the finish.
“I believed I had it, however [Brennan] got here at such a tempo – I believed my entrance wheel was over the road, however then he got here zooming previous me, and I believed ‘perhaps I mucked that up’, however I used to be comfortable to get it.”
Even with the victory, Welsford stated he has room for enchancment.
“Danny informed me he had extra to present within the closing he may have gone longer, so I simply should be a bit extra affected person and never cease going so bloody early – use them so much longer and make my life so much simpler.”
For Brennan, coming so near a victory in his WorldTour debut was “a bit irritating”, however he acquired a pleasant comfort prize in taking the lead in one of the best younger rider’s classification.
“It’s a very nice outcome however it might be good to win,” Brennan stated.
“It’s very nice being the younger riders’ jersey. That’s one thing that we’re going for this 12 months as a workforce. But it might all the time be good to return first.
The 19-year-old’s impression of his first WorldTour bunch kick?
“Sprinting is freakin’ hectic, innit?”
Another WorldTour debutant, Tim-Torn Teutenberg (Lidl-Trek) was an in depth fourth behind Groupama-FDJ’s Matthew Walls and might be one other sprinter to observe within the coming levels.
“I almost crashed with 3k to go or one thing, after which I went out of the pedals and my chain dropped. Then I needed to get again up to the mark. Luckily, I had two teammates after which they introduced me again to the entrance, then I had a very good run and nonetheless got here forth,” Teutenberg defined to Cyclingnews.
“I feel all people was fairly confused on the primary day of the race.”
The crash inside the ultimate three kilometres concerned Brennan’s teammate Dylan van Baarle.
According to Australian champion Luke Durbridge, who witnessed the wreck forward of him, “It was only a regular lead-out dash stage crash – a few guys had been doing the lead-out, they swing off, they arrive again slower – guys try to maneuver up.
“Inside the final three ok’s, it is fairly messy in a dash stage so it will need to have been a kick of wheels. I’d truly pulled it up and I noticed it taking place after which a few guys hit me from behind.”
