"I just didn’t have the minerals" - Stephen Williams sees hopes of back-to-back Tour Down Under victories slip away on stage 3

Cycling
Thursday, 23 January 2025 at 15:30
stephenwilliams 2

The defending Tour Down Under champion, all eyes were on Israel - Premier Tech's Stephen Williams ahead of the first GC test on stage 3 of the 2025 edition. Sadly for the Welshman though, things didn't go exactly to plan.

Crossing the line 25 seconds down on stage winner Javier Romo, Williams finished the day sitting in 23rd on the general classification, 35 seconds off the Ochre Jersey. “It was a bit of a shit fight all day," reflected a disappointed Williams afterwards, in quotes collected by his Israel - Premier Tech team. "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 and I was alright. But, I just didn’t have the minerals on the climb and I fell behind."

The Welshman is completely giving up home of a second successive Tour Down Under title though, finishing his post-stage 3 message with some fighting talk. "It’s not ideal but so is life and we have three more days to try and be good. Hopefully we can jump back from this and try and be good for the rest of the race,” Williams concludes.

2025 Tour Down Under - Stage 3 results:

1Romo JavierMovistar Team03:46:01
2Narvaez JhonatanUAE Team Emirates XRG+ 05
3Fisher-Black FinnRed Bull-BORA-hansgrohe+ 05
4Withen Philipsen AlbertLidl-Trek+ 05
5Gloag ThomasTeam Visma | Lease a Bike+ 05
6Konrad PatrickLidl-Trek+ 05
7Bagioli AndreaLidl-Trek+ 05
8Tronchon BastienDecathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team+ 05
9Rochas RémyGroupama-FDJ+ 05
10Sheffield MagnusINEOS Grenadiers+ 05
11Plapp LucasTeam Jayco-AlUla+ 05
12Higuita SergioXDS Astana Team+ 05
13Vine JayUAE Team Emirates XRG+ 05
14Lopez Juan PedroLidl-Trek+ 05
15Eulalio AfonsoBahrain Victorious+ 05
16Harper ChrisTeam Jayco-AlUla+ 05
17Onley OscarTeam Picnic PostNL+ 05
18Mollema BaukeLidl-Trek+ 05
19Schmid MauroTeam Jayco-AlUla+ 21
20Kwiatkowski MichalINEOS Grenadiers+ 25
21Zimmermann GeorgIntermarché-Wanty+ 25
22Lecerf JuniorSoudal Quick-Step+ 25
23Marriage ZacAustralia+ 25
24Strong CorbinIsrael-Premier Tech+ 25
25Porter RudyAustralia+ 25
26Koerdt BjoernTeam Picnic PostNL+ 25
27Torres PabloUAE Team Emirates XRG+ 25
28Williams StephenIsrael-Premier Tech+ 25
29Woods MichaelIsrael-Premier Tech+ 25
30Brennan MatthewTeam Visma | Lease a Bike+ 01:02
31Askey LewisGroupama-FDJ+ 01:02
32Pacher QuentinGroupama-FDJ+ 01:02
33Nerurkar LukasEF Education-EasyPost+ 01:02
34Stannard RobertBahrain Victorious+ 01:02
35Bystrøm Sven ErikGroupama-FDJ+ 01:02
36Tesfazion NatnaelMovistar Team+ 01:02
37Labrosse JordanDecathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team+ 01:02
38Boven LarsAlpecin-Deceuninck+ 01:02
39Tjøtta MartinARKEA-B&B HOTELS+ 01:02
40Glivar GalAlpecin-Deceuninck+ 01:02
41Lapeira PaulDecathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team+ 01:02
42Beloki MarkelEF Education-EasyPost+ 01:02
43Huising MennoTeam Visma | Lease a Bike+ 01:02
44Chaves EstebanEF Education-EasyPost+ 01:02
45Canal CarlosMovistar Team+ 01:02
46Pescador DiegoMovistar Team+ 01:02
47Izagirre IonCofidis+ 01:02
48Mulubrhan HenokXDS Astana Team+ 01:02
49Zwiehoff BenRed Bull-BORA-hansgrohe+ 01:02
50Leemreize GijsTeam Picnic PostNL+ 01:02
51Rodriguez CristianARKEA-B&B HOTELS+ 01:02
52Bennett GeorgeIsrael-Premier Tech+ 01:02
53Gate AaronXDS Astana Team+ 01:02
54De Pooter DriesIntermarché-Wanty+ 01:16
55Pedersen CasperSoudal Quick-Step+ 01:16
56Herrada JesusCofidis+ 01:16
57Van den Bossche FabioAlpecin-Deceuninck+ 01:16
58Smith DionIntermarché-Wanty+ 01:16
59Mosca JacopoLidl-Trek+ 01:19
60Graat TijmenTeam Visma | Lease a Bike+ 02:28
61Ourselin PaulCofidis+ 02:28
62Huby AntoineSoudal Quick-Step+ 02:28
63O'Brien KellandTeam Jayco-AlUla+ 02:28
64Bayer TobiasAlpecin-Deceuninck+ 02:28
65Mackellar AlastairEF Education-EasyPost+ 02:28
66Uhlig HenriAlpecin-Deceuninck+ 02:28
67van Belle LoeTeam Visma | Lease a Bike+ 04:23
68Ermakov RomanBahrain Victorious+ 04:23
69Godon DorianDecathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team+ 04:23
70Browning FergusAustralia+ 04:23
71Howson DamienAustralia+ 04:23
72Swift BenINEOS Grenadiers+ 04:23
73Hamilton LucasINEOS Grenadiers+ 04:23
74Schultz NickIsrael-Premier Tech+ 04:23
75Busatto FrancescoIntermarché-Wanty+ 04:23
76Bettiol AlbertoXDS Astana Team+ 04:23
77Verre AlessandroARKEA-B&B HOTELS+ 04:23
78Swift ConnorINEOS Grenadiers+ 04:23
79Walls MatthewGroupama-FDJ+ 05:50
80Teutenberg Tim TornLidl-Trek+ 05:50
81Edmondson AlexTeam Picnic PostNL+ 05:50
82Pithie LaurenceRed Bull-BORA-hansgrohe+ 05:50
83van Poppel DannyRed Bull-BORA-hansgrohe+ 05:50
84Serry PieterSoudal Quick-Step+ 05:50
85Renard AlexisCofidis+ 05:50
86Vendrame AndreaDecathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team+ 05:50
87Lund Andresen TobiasTeam Picnic PostNL+ 05:50
88Watson SamINEOS Grenadiers+ 06:32
89Van Der Lee JardiEF Education-EasyPost+ 07:08
90Todome YuhiEF Education-EasyPost+ 07:08
91Bouchard GeoffreyDecathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team+ 07:45
92Paasschens MathijsBahrain Victorious+ 07:45
93Davy ClémentGroupama-FDJ+ 07:45
94Eenkhoorn PascalSoudal Quick-Step+ 07:45
95Isidore NoaDecathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team+ 07:45
96Clarke SimonIsrael-Premier Tech+ 07:45
97Soler MarcUAE Team Emirates XRG+ 07:45
98Côté Pier-AndréIsrael-Premier Tech+ 07:45
99Schelling IdeXDS Astana Team+ 07:45
100Coquard BryanCofidis+ 07:45
101Walker MaxEF Education-EasyPost+ 07:45
102Mühlberger GregorMovistar Team+ 07:45
103van den Berg JuliusTeam Picnic PostNL+ 10:09
104Conci NicolaXDS Astana Team+ 11:10
105Debruyne RamsesAlpecin-Deceuninck+ 11:11
106Welsford SamRed Bull-BORA-hansgrohe+ 12:40
107Epis GiosueARKEA-B&B HOTELS+ 12:40
108Grondin DonavanARKEA-B&B HOTELS+ 12:40
109Bleddyn OliverAustralia+ 12:40
110Norsgaard Mathias SunekærMovistar Team+ 12:40
111Mahoudo NolannCofidis+ 12:40
112Eddy PatrickTeam Picnic PostNL+ 12:40
113Scott CameronAustralia+ 12:40
114Mullen RyanRed Bull-BORA-hansgrohe+ 12:40
115Marit ArneIntermarché-Wanty+ 12:40
116Raccagni Noviero AndreaSoudal Quick-Step+ 12:40
117Maciejuk FilipRed Bull-BORA-hansgrohe+ 12:40
118Maas JanCofidis+ 12:40
119Johansen JuliusUAE Team Emirates XRG+ 12:40
120Oliveira RuiUAE Team Emirates XRG+ 12:40
121Vermote JulienTeam Visma | Lease a Bike+ 12:40
122Le Huitouze EddyGroupama-FDJ+ 12:40
123Rouland LouisARKEA-B&B HOTELS+ 12:40
124van der Hoorn TacoIntermarché-Wanty+ 12:40
125Herregodts RuneUAE Team Emirates XRG+ 12:40
126Arndt NikiasBahrain Victorious+ 12:40
127Bauhaus PhilBahrain Victorious+ 12:40
128Durbridge LukeTeam Jayco-AlUla+ 12:40
129Knox JamesSoudal Quick-Step+ 12:40
130Hepburn MichaelTeam Jayco-AlUla+ 12:40
131Thomas GeraintINEOS Grenadiers+ 12:40
132Paquot TomIntermarché-Wanty+ 12:40
133Dehairs SimonAlpecin-Deceuninck+ 12:40
134Walsh LiamAustralia+ 12:40
135Stewart CampbellTeam Jayco-AlUla+ 12:40
136Skerl DanielBahrain Victorious+ 12:40
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