"First time in a long time that I’ve really raced for myself": Australian climber secures career-best podium at Tour Down Under

Harry Sweeny has started the 2026 season in style. The 27-year-old Australian rider finished the Tour Down Under in third place after being given the opportunity to lead the American squad for the first time in a major event.

The result might be a potential turning point for Sweeny, who has spent the majority of his WorldTour career in the service of others. Stepping into the leadership spotlight required both physical preparation and also a significant psychological adjustment.

"It’s the first time in a long time that I’ve really raced for myself," Sweeny told Domestique. "I had the team’s blessing and the full support of the boys. We used every single man we had, and I can’t thank them enough."

Sweeny admitted that the responsibilities of leadership - specifically the need to direct his colleagues -did not come naturally, as he is not used to that.

"Telling the guys where to be, calling them back, asking them to do things, that’s not really my style," he explained. "I’m usually the one doing it for someone else. It’s a mindset shift, but it’s something I’m learning."

Despite the initial discomfort, the change in hierarchy paid off for the team. Sweeny noted that he had "special legs" throughout the week, validating the team's decision to back him.

“To be honest, actually, the whole [Australian] summer and also so far, I've been going way better than I thought. I thought my power meter was broken for the last few weeks, actually. But I've been feeling good. I've been happy, which is really important," the 27-year old said after the second stage, in which he finished in ninth place.

“I came into this race with no expectations at all and then I got a call from JV (Jonathan Vaughters, ed.), the boss, and he was just like, 'why aren't you going to ride GC here?' And I thought, actually, it's a good point. Maybe I will give it a crack, and that's about it.”

The main question which remains to be seen is whether Sweeny will be granted leader status in other races this season.

The performance aligns with the explicit goals set by EF Education-EasyPost team boss Jonathan Vaughters. Vaughters recently stated his desire to see Sweeny transition from a support rider to a winner in races where the team's primary stars are absent.

"I really want to see Harry win a bike race," Vaughters said. "We’ve put a lot of effort into developing him, and I’d like to see that start to show when he goes to races where Ben Healy or Richard Carapaz aren’t there, so he doesn’t have to watch out for them and can go for the win."

Sweeny confirmed that management is encouraging him to be more assertive regarding his race program and tactical role. "Jonathan Vaughters has been on the phone telling me I need to ask for leadership more," he said. "So yeah, I’m going to try and do that and see how it goes."