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.
1 | Romo Javier | Movistar Team | 03:46:01 |
2 | Narvaez Jhonatan | UAE Team Emirates XRG | + 05 |
3 | Fisher-Black Finn | Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe | + 05 |
4 | Withen Philipsen Albert | Lidl-Trek | + 05 |
5 | Gloag Thomas | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | + 05 |
6 | Konrad Patrick | Lidl-Trek | + 05 |
7 | Bagioli Andrea | Lidl-Trek | + 05 |
8 | Tronchon Bastien | Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team | + 05 |
9 | Rochas Rémy | Groupama-FDJ | + 05 |
10 | Sheffield Magnus | INEOS Grenadiers | + 05 |
11 | Plapp Lucas | Team Jayco-AlUla | + 05 |
12 | Higuita Sergio | XDS Astana Team | + 05 |
13 | Vine Jay | UAE Team Emirates XRG | + 05 |
14 | Lopez Juan Pedro | Lidl-Trek | + 05 |
15 | Eulalio Afonso | Bahrain Victorious | + 05 |
16 | Harper Chris | Team Jayco-AlUla | + 05 |
17 | Onley Oscar | Team Picnic PostNL | + 05 |
18 | Mollema Bauke | Lidl-Trek | + 05 |
19 | Schmid Mauro | Team Jayco-AlUla | + 21 |
20 | Kwiatkowski Michal | INEOS Grenadiers | + 25 |
21 | Zimmermann Georg | Intermarché-Wanty | + 25 |
22 | Lecerf Junior | Soudal Quick-Step | + 25 |
23 | Marriage Zac | Australia | + 25 |
24 | Strong Corbin | Israel-Premier Tech | + 25 |
25 | Porter Rudy | Australia | + 25 |
26 | Koerdt Bjoern | Team Picnic PostNL | + 25 |
27 | Torres Pablo | UAE Team Emirates XRG | + 25 |
28 | Williams Stephen | Israel-Premier Tech | + 25 |
29 | Woods Michael | Israel-Premier Tech | + 25 |
30 | Brennan Matthew | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | + 01:02 |
31 | Askey Lewis | Groupama-FDJ | + 01:02 |
32 | Pacher Quentin | Groupama-FDJ | + 01:02 |
33 | Nerurkar Lukas | EF Education-EasyPost | + 01:02 |
34 | Stannard Robert | Bahrain Victorious | + 01:02 |
35 | Bystrøm Sven Erik | Groupama-FDJ | + 01:02 |
36 | Tesfazion Natnael | Movistar Team | + 01:02 |
37 | Labrosse Jordan | Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team | + 01:02 |
38 | Boven Lars | Alpecin-Deceuninck | + 01:02 |
39 | Tjøtta Martin | ARKEA-B&B HOTELS | + 01:02 |
40 | Glivar Gal | Alpecin-Deceuninck | + 01:02 |
41 | Lapeira Paul | Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team | + 01:02 |
42 | Beloki Markel | EF Education-EasyPost | + 01:02 |
43 | Huising Menno | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | + 01:02 |
44 | Chaves Esteban | EF Education-EasyPost | + 01:02 |
45 | Canal Carlos | Movistar Team | + 01:02 |
46 | Pescador Diego | Movistar Team | + 01:02 |
47 | Izagirre Ion | Cofidis | + 01:02 |
48 | Mulubrhan Henok | XDS Astana Team | + 01:02 |
49 | Zwiehoff Ben | Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe | + 01:02 |
50 | Leemreize Gijs | Team Picnic PostNL | + 01:02 |
51 | Rodriguez Cristian | ARKEA-B&B HOTELS | + 01:02 |
52 | Bennett George | Israel-Premier Tech | + 01:02 |
53 | Gate Aaron | XDS Astana Team | + 01:02 |
54 | De Pooter Dries | Intermarché-Wanty | + 01:16 |
55 | Pedersen Casper | Soudal Quick-Step | + 01:16 |
56 | Herrada Jesus | Cofidis | + 01:16 |
57 | Van den Bossche Fabio | Alpecin-Deceuninck | + 01:16 |
58 | Smith Dion | Intermarché-Wanty | + 01:16 |
59 | Mosca Jacopo | Lidl-Trek | + 01:19 |
60 | Graat Tijmen | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | + 02:28 |
61 | Ourselin Paul | Cofidis | + 02:28 |
62 | Huby Antoine | Soudal Quick-Step | + 02:28 |
63 | O'Brien Kelland | Team Jayco-AlUla | + 02:28 |
64 | Bayer Tobias | Alpecin-Deceuninck | + 02:28 |
65 | Mackellar Alastair | EF Education-EasyPost | + 02:28 |
66 | Uhlig Henri | Alpecin-Deceuninck | + 02:28 |
67 | van Belle Loe | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | + 04:23 |
68 | Ermakov Roman | Bahrain Victorious | + 04:23 |
69 | Godon Dorian | Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team | + 04:23 |
70 | Browning Fergus | Australia | + 04:23 |
71 | Howson Damien | Australia | + 04:23 |
72 | Swift Ben | INEOS Grenadiers | + 04:23 |
73 | Hamilton Lucas | INEOS Grenadiers | + 04:23 |
74 | Schultz Nick | Israel-Premier Tech | + 04:23 |
75 | Busatto Francesco | Intermarché-Wanty | + 04:23 |
76 | Bettiol Alberto | XDS Astana Team | + 04:23 |
77 | Verre Alessandro | ARKEA-B&B HOTELS | + 04:23 |
78 | Swift Connor | INEOS Grenadiers | + 04:23 |
79 | Walls Matthew | Groupama-FDJ | + 05:50 |
80 | Teutenberg Tim Torn | Lidl-Trek | + 05:50 |
81 | Edmondson Alex | Team Picnic PostNL | + 05:50 |
82 | Pithie Laurence | Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe | + 05:50 |
83 | van Poppel Danny | Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe | + 05:50 |
84 | Serry Pieter | Soudal Quick-Step | + 05:50 |
85 | Renard Alexis | Cofidis | + 05:50 |
86 | Vendrame Andrea | Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team | + 05:50 |
87 | Lund Andresen Tobias | Team Picnic PostNL | + 05:50 |
88 | Watson Sam | INEOS Grenadiers | + 06:32 |
89 | Van Der Lee Jardi | EF Education-EasyPost | + 07:08 |
90 | Todome Yuhi | EF Education-EasyPost | + 07:08 |
91 | Bouchard Geoffrey | Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team | + 07:45 |
92 | Paasschens Mathijs | Bahrain Victorious | + 07:45 |
93 | Davy Clément | Groupama-FDJ | + 07:45 |
94 | Eenkhoorn Pascal | Soudal Quick-Step | + 07:45 |
95 | Isidore Noa | Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team | + 07:45 |
96 | Clarke Simon | Israel-Premier Tech | + 07:45 |
97 | Soler Marc | UAE Team Emirates XRG | + 07:45 |
98 | Côté Pier-André | Israel-Premier Tech | + 07:45 |
99 | Schelling Ide | XDS Astana Team | + 07:45 |
100 | Coquard Bryan | Cofidis | + 07:45 |
101 | Walker Max | EF Education-EasyPost | + 07:45 |
102 | Mühlberger Gregor | Movistar Team | + 07:45 |
103 | van den Berg Julius | Team Picnic PostNL | + 10:09 |
104 | Conci Nicola | XDS Astana Team | + 11:10 |
105 | Debruyne Ramses | Alpecin-Deceuninck | + 11:11 |
106 | Welsford Sam | Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe | + 12:40 |
107 | Epis Giosue | ARKEA-B&B HOTELS | + 12:40 |
108 | Grondin Donavan | ARKEA-B&B HOTELS | + 12:40 |
109 | Bleddyn Oliver | Australia | + 12:40 |
110 | Norsgaard Mathias Sunekær | Movistar Team | + 12:40 |
111 | Mahoudo Nolann | Cofidis | + 12:40 |
112 | Eddy Patrick | Team Picnic PostNL | + 12:40 |
113 | Scott Cameron | Australia | + 12:40 |
114 | Mullen Ryan | Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe | + 12:40 |
115 | Marit Arne | Intermarché-Wanty | + 12:40 |
116 | Raccagni Noviero Andrea | Soudal Quick-Step | + 12:40 |
117 | Maciejuk Filip | Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe | + 12:40 |
118 | Maas Jan | Cofidis | + 12:40 |
119 | Johansen Julius | UAE Team Emirates XRG | + 12:40 |
120 | Oliveira Rui | UAE Team Emirates XRG | + 12:40 |
121 | Vermote Julien | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | + 12:40 |
122 | Le Huitouze Eddy | Groupama-FDJ | + 12:40 |
123 | Rouland Louis | ARKEA-B&B HOTELS | + 12:40 |
124 | van der Hoorn Taco | Intermarché-Wanty | + 12:40 |
125 | Herregodts Rune | UAE Team Emirates XRG | + 12:40 |
126 | Arndt Nikias | Bahrain Victorious | + 12:40 |
127 | Bauhaus Phil | Bahrain Victorious | + 12:40 |
128 | Durbridge Luke | Team Jayco-AlUla | + 12:40 |
129 | Knox James | Soudal Quick-Step | + 12:40 |
130 | Hepburn Michael | Team Jayco-AlUla | + 12:40 |
131 | Thomas Geraint | INEOS Grenadiers | + 12:40 |
132 | Paquot Tom | Intermarché-Wanty | + 12:40 |
133 | Dehairs Simon | Alpecin-Deceuninck | + 12:40 |
134 | Walsh Liam | Australia | + 12:40 |
135 | Stewart Campbell | Team Jayco-AlUla | + 12:40 |
136 | Skerl Daniel | Bahrain Victorious | + 12:40 |
🎙️ Stevie Williams reflects on a tough @tourdownunder stage 3 👇
— Israel – Premier Tech (@IsraelPremTech) January 23, 2025
“It was a bit of a shit fight all day. 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… pic.twitter.com/m9Wfd7v0C1