"That belief meant everything" - Sam Welsford thankful for INEOS support as he returns to winning ways in Australia

Stage 3 into Nairne ended up having a finale that was raced harder than expected, with the breakaway's Enzo Paleni forcing the peloton to go all-out just to be able to make the catch. This took Sam Welsford to the limit on the small climbs, but, with perfect timing, INEOS Grenadiers brought him back to the front and led him out to his first stage win in the British team's colours.

“I really wanted to start the year well with a new team. They see what I can do, and I think I have maybe lost that belief in myself a little bit. To get it back like this and to show what we can do together as a team is really special. I am honestly over the moon," Welsford said in a post-race interview. He will have gotten a sour taste in his mouth after finishing third in Tanunda, where he was blocked against the barriers. Before we learnt that tomorrow's Willunga stage has been changed and is now another opportunity, today's stage was on paper the last where Welsford stood a chance. But even the small climbs proved to be very difficult for the Australian.

“That was unbelievably hard. We were in a lot of trouble at the back at one point, and on the last climb, I was absolutely on my limit. I just had guys around me telling me to be patient, that we would get there. That belief meant everything," he explains. Calm and patience paid off, as Ben Swift brought him to the front within the final 500 meters, as other leadouts who had been towards the front faded. It was perfect timing, but of course, also a perfect execution from Welsford on the final sprint to take a victory with a commanding lead, which saves his race and also kickstarts his time with INEOS, besides being a victory that gives him important confidence.

“To win on a day that did not really suit me makes it even more special. After such a tough year, to have the team believe in me like this and to repay that trust straight away is massive," he adds. "It gives you confidence and those little brownie points that you build on through the season.”