Javier Romo and a victory for Movistar that did not come by chance: "I have worked hard in winter thinking about the Tour Down Under"
Cycling
Javier Romo has achieved his first victory as a professional in the third stage of the Tour Down Under after an attack on the final descent that left the other favorites like Jhonatan Narváez or Lucas Plapp with no options. The Movistar Team rider acknowledged at the finish line that he has worked hard in winter to get in shape for the first World Tour race of the year:
"It's very important, this winter I've worked a lot thinking about the Tour Down Under, I could imagine this day. I'm very happy," he shared in a post-race interview. "I want to thank my team because today they worked very well for me, they have a lot of confidence in me."
The Spaniard had already shown himself on stage 2 with a move at the top of Menglers Hill, and so he was an outsider for the third stage. On the start of the climb, a stretched out peloton and rough pace split the group to bits. Everyone controlled each other going uphill, but as soon as the downhill started not everyone wanted to commit to hitting the wind.
Hence Romo's bravery was highly rewarded, as his solo move with around 5 kilometers to go net him a huge win, with the chasing group unwilling to organize itself to chase down the Spaniard. His victory also takes him to the race lead, where he is now perhaps the biggest contender to win the race. "When I went into the last kilometer I knew the victory was mine, I'm very happy," he tells.
He remembered his loved ones, how could it be otherwise, after winning the first victory of his career and the first of Movistar Team in an exciting 2025: "This victory is very important, also for my family, my girlfriend and all the people who have helped me these years."
Read also
🗣️ « It’s so important, for me, for my family, for my team. I can’t believe it »
— Santos Tour Down Under 🚴🚴♀️ (@tourdownunder) January 23, 2025
- 🇪🇸 @romoliver_99
🎤 The first words from today’s @efex_IT Stage 3 winner ⤵️
📺 Stream the race now on 7plus: https://t.co/k2Exq3FDwl@efex_IT | @santosltd#TourDownUnder #CouchPeloton pic.twitter.com/TqaGcvN6r0
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
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Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
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- He is boring
leedorney08-11-2026 - To Twoje przemyślenia te bla, bla :)
Dariusz08-11-2026 - Uwielbiam patrzeć, jak wyjeżdża na czoło peletonu i zaczyna się rzeź...Dariusz08-11-2026
- Yeah, unreal.
parisbound0008-11-2026 - there needs to be space in life for pointless comments!Ketterechts08-11-2026
- That is a very lazy way of putting it but so far on this website it seems like everyone is happy to look at everything lazily, even things that annoy them intensely. All they want to do is state their feeling and position but ask most to analyse a problem or come up with solutions or improvements and you’re stunned by silence. Nobody even really knows how this all happens. It’s very simple and quick to just say the UCI did it but I bet you they didn’t, I bet you not more than 2 people were involved, more likely just 1. The UCI may be ultimately responsible but it is not their decision, this is about hierarchy, power and delegation. The fact that protest is possible also means it isn’t over and that MORE people could get involved for a thorough review which could throw up anything. It is highly likely it was a sole commissar who decided and has that power in a first round. Therein might lie the problem the UCI has to consider, is it acceptable to give so much authority to one single person when it is quite possible for them to have a natural bias or be too easily susceptible to imposed bias. Who is to say an individual in this position isn’t susceptible to collaboration with outside players with interests in the results, nations, families, teams, betting companies, etc. On the one hand we have sports where these problems have been worked on way more to reduce such problems, on the other hand we have sports with far stricter and more draconian rules not even concerning safety or obstruction that nobody really questions like false starts or stepping out of lane or zones in athletics. If cycling hastowork on itself, it would be good if protagonists (all kinds) would start doing a little more than just moaning over outcomes.Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- Yes, so why not make comments less pointless?Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- What a race! I didn't expect Vanthourenhout to collapse like that, and Wyseure did take the fight to Nys, but there was no doubt at the end. I also wonder what Aubin Sparfel would be capable of were he to race in the elites now. In the U23 ranks he is making good work of Giel Lejeune, who himself is among the better riders in the elites, and a top 10 contender in the big races (3rd at Kleebergcross, 8th at Berencross and 5th at Heerderstrand). In the French Cup, Sparfel is significantly better than Romain Debord (8th at Koppenbergcross and 10th at the Euros) and Rémi Lelandais (12th at Koppenbergcross and 19th at the Euros).
Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - There really was nothing in it. Schreiber was so much faster, and Brand was fighting to stay in the wheel in the sprint. Schreiber did move a bit, but to say she closed the door doesn't make sense because Brand couldn't enter it anyway, abd she wasn't impeded.Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026
- He should have been allowed to go to Movistar. Right now both arent a good fit for each other and are just wasting each other's time and effortabstractengineer08-11-2026
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