"Maybe it is the support and belief in me?" - Sam Welsford on what changed in 2024

Sam Welsford's move to BORA - hansgrohe, for the time being, is an absolute success and one of the German team's highlights. The Australian sprinter flew through the Tour Down Under with three wins and believes the change is in his new leadout.

"It's been quite a week. One stage win, then two and then the third... it's a dream start for the team. I looked for a cause, maybe it is the support and belief in me? The fact that I have been a full-time road professional for two years now also makes a big difference, I have a much bigger engine," Welsford told In de Leiderstrui. "I also rode the Tour de France last season and they always say that your legs feel different after that race, so maybe that is an advantage for me."

Whilst another year at World Tour level may have helped him, the support he got from Danny van Poppel and Ryan Mullen in the past week were key. He was delivered to the line very well, as Sam Bennett had last season. However he has been able to take full advantage of it, and has proven to be a perfect signing. "I usually have Danny van Poppel in front of me. He has so much experience in that role: they always said he sees things before they actually happen, so it's a great pleasure to be behind that."

"'Rhino' Ryan Mullen sits in front of Danny, as the man who makes room for us in the last two kilometers. What he does is crucial," Welsford continues. "The finals are becoming more and more hectic and faster. In front of that is Patrick Gamper or Filip Maciejuk, men with very large motorcycles that can ride in the wind for a long time."