"Maybe I was the fastest, but you don't know" - Sam Welsford rues positioning as he rides into second at Scheldeprijs
Cycling
Sam Welsford has broken through this year as he repeatedly beat top competition as the Vuelta a San Juan, and he keeps showing impressive top speed. He was perhaps the fastest at yesterday's sprint at Scheldeprijs, but had to settle with second place after he didn't start in the best spot.
“It was a very hectic final, as you could see. I was lucky to find Jasper's wheel on the left, but it was also difficult so close to the barriers. I had to choose my moment to go past it and had little space. That is why I am happy with my second place," Welsford told Wielerflits.
Philipsen also struggled at the time, but managed to ride through the left of Edward Theuns who launched his sprint first. Welsford didn't have the same luck, not having space to go through but taking second place, as on the other side of the road Mark Cavendish sprinted to a third place in what was the closest he's come to a win since joining Astana.
“Maybe I was the fastest, but you don't know. It is also not about the fastest sprinter, but about the smartest," Welsford acknowledges. "And also about your lead-out and positioning. It was a very easy day in the peloton, but also a tough final. As a team we rode very well, although we could have done better in the final, but we can be happy with this result today."
The 27-year old, former track specialist, is only riding his second season at a high level and outside of Australia. He's shown the speed and is dialing in the positioning. He's yet to make his Grand Tour debut, and as DSM's top performer this season he should be an option. "Maybe yes. Riding the Tour de France, that's the dream," he tells, having proven to be strong enough to take a win in France.
"But it has to match what is good for my development. The Tour is an incredibly tough and hectic race. If I were going to ride the Tour, I want to prepare well. Then I would like to do a training camp, that way I can be in good shape," he concluded.
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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.
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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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Great effort from @sam_welsford who gets up to take 🥈 in the tight sprint finish after some good positioning work by the guys.💪🏻 #KeepChallenging #SPMen #SP23
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