Stephen Williams thrilled with double Tour Down Under triumph on Mount Lofty: "It's so hard to win races"

Stephen Williams has been growing within the world of cycling and into the Tour Down Under he was an outsider for the overall classification. However after a strong set of performances he got himself in the race lead ahead of the final day, and ended his race with a golden note after winning the final day of racing.

"I'm over the moon. It's incredible what the team has done for me in recent days, I can't thank them enough. Staff, soigneurs, mechanics, the riders, the communication... everyone, it's great.," Williams thanked in a post-race interview. "I am so proud to be able to start the season in this way. Now I return to Europe, where I want to continue this line." The Welshman was the winner of the Arctic Race of Norway and Cro Race in the past, but now snatches the biggest triumph of his career.

"This finish is perfect for me, it's so punchy. All I had to do was hook up my cart and read the situation, after which all I had to do was sprint with 250 meters to go," he said. Doing so was not easy by any means, but the 27-year old managed to follow the accelerations of Isaac Del Toro and Jhonatan Narváez and then had the kick when it was needed the most. "Everyone was terrified at that moment, so if I had another jump I knew I had a good chance."

He sprinted to victory ahead of the two, not only winning the stage but sealing the overall classification. "When I crossed the line, all kinds of things were going through my head," he admits. "It's so hard to win races and to do that now in the first WorldTour race of the season, here in Australia, feels fantastic. It's time for a great party."