"Shame I couldn't finish it off" - Stephen Williams has to settle for second on stage 3 of 2024 Tour de Suisse

In a thrilling finale to stage 3 at the 2024 Tour de Suisse, the puncheurs came to the fore as Thibau Nys took the win and Alberto Bettiol moved into the Maillot Jaune. Sandwiched between those two, finishing second on the stage was Israel - Premier Tech's Stephen Williams.

"Whoever has got the strongest legs up there wins," the Welshman, who earlier this year triumphed at the Tour Down Under and La Fleche Wallonne, reflects in his post-stage interview with the social media pages of the Israel - Premier Tech team. “It was a good day though, I felt good, and the boys were great, especially in the final and the last 20 or 30 kilometres. They kept me there in the front and it's a shame I couldn't finish it off, but it was a good day out."

As mentioned, in the end it was Lidl-Trek prodigy Thibau Nys who took the win with Williams just unable to come around the Belgian in the finale. "Marc Hirschi attacked with a few kilometres to go and there was a bit of a stalemate," Williams recalls of the thrilling finale to the day. "In the end, it came back and I kind of got jumped at the bottom a bit. In hindsight I wish I came from the back a little more but there we are. I came second and sometimes, that's just how it goes. I'm really proud of how we rode and it's a good day so I'm happy!"

2024 Tour de Suisse stage 3 results: