VIDEO | Sam Welsford wins Down Under Classic following high-speed crash on the final corner
CyclingSaturday, 18 January 2025 at 11:03
Sam Welsford opened up his season by winning the Australian criterium national championships and continues his good run of form with another victory. Before the start of the Tour Down Under, the riders tackled another criterium with the Down Under Classic, and the Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe rider succeeded again.
What we've witnessed may be a warm up to the World Tour's opening race next week, where Welsford was the dominant sprinter last year. The German team delivered a perfect leadout and Welsford delivered a spotless sprint, taking the win ahead of Henri Uhlig and Matthew Brennan.
The finale however was marked by a nasty crash in the final corner at high speed, where a few riders collided and led to what can be considered as the first mass crash of the season. Quite a few riders went down and into the barriers.
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Le champion d'Australie du critérium Sam Welsford (Red Bull Bora Hansgrohe) s'est imposé au sprint sur le Villawood Men's Classic, le critérium inaugural au 🇦🇺 #TourDownUnder #cycling #cyclisme pic.twitter.com/V4EzeSfmCa
— 🚴 Les Rois du Peloton 🚲 (@LRoisDuPeloton) January 18, 2025
| 01 | Welsford Sam | Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe | 01:04:07 |
| 02 | Uhlig Henri | Alpecin-Deceuninck | + 00 |
| 03 | Brennan Matthew | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | + 00 |
| 04 | Scott Cameron | ARA Australia Cycling | + 00 |
| 05 | Watson Sam | INEOS Grenadiers | + 00 |
| 06 | Teutenberg Tim Torn | Lidl-Trek | + 00 |
| 07 | Oliveira Rui | UAE Team Emirates XRG | + 00 |
| 08 | Stannard Robert | Bahrain Victorious | + 00 |
| 09 | Canal Carlos | Movistar Team | + 00 |
| 10 | Walls Matthew | Groupama-FDJ | + 00 |
| 11 | Marit Arne | Intermarché-Wanty | + 00 |
| 12 | Strong Corbin | Israel-Premier Tech | + 00 |
| 13 | Coquard Bryan | Cofidis | + 04 |
| 14 | Swift Ben | INEOS Grenadiers | + 05 |
| 15 | van Poppel Danny | Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe | + 09 |
| 16 | Grondin Donavan | ARKEA-B&B HOTELS | + 09 |
| 17 | Vendrame Andrea | Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale | + 09 |
| 18 | Withen Philipsen Albert | Lidl-Trek | + 09 |
| 19 | Pescador Diego | Movistar Team | + 09 |
| 20 | Smith Dion | Intermarché-Wanty | + 09 |
| 21 | Johansen Julius | UAE Team Emirates XRG | + 09 |
| 22 | Godon Dorian | Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale | + 09 |
| 23 | van Belle Loe | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | + 09 |
| 24 | Huising Menno | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | + 09 |
| 25 | Tronchon Bastien | Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale | + 09 |
| 26 | De Pooter Dries | Intermarché-Wanty | + 09 |
| 27 | Mosca Jacopo | Lidl-Trek | + 09 |
| 28 | Torres Pablo | UAE Team Emirates XRG | + 09 |
| 29 | Konrad Patrick | Lidl-Trek | + 09 |
| 30 | Kwiatkowski Michal | INEOS Grenadiers | + 09 |
| 31 | Busatto Francesco | Intermarché-Wanty | + 09 |
| 32 | Gate Aaron | XDS Astana Team | + 15 |
| 33 | Bettiol Alberto | XDS Astana Team | + 15 |
| 34 | Lund Andresen Tobias | Team Picnic PostNL | + 15 |
| 35 | Holmes Wil | Team Jayco-AlUla | + 15 |
| 36 | Huby Antoine | Soudal Quick-Step | + 15 |
| 37 | Walsh Liam | ARA Australia Cycling | + 15 |
| 38 | Clarke Simon | Israel-Premier Tech | + 15 |
| 39 | Rodriguez Cristian | ARKEA-B&B HOTELS | + 15 |
| 40 | Sheffield Magnus | INEOS Grenadiers | + 15 |
| 41 | Porter Rudy | ARA Australia Cycling | + 15 |
| 42 | Mulubrhan Henok | XDS Astana Team | + 15 |
| 43 | Norsgaard Mathias Sunekær | Movistar Team | + 15 |
| 44 | Verre Alessandro | ARKEA-B&B HOTELS | + 15 |
| 45 | Mullen Ryan | Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe | + 15 |
| 46 | Eenkhoorn Pascal | Soudal Quick-Step | + 15 |
| 47 | Maas Jan | Cofidis | + 15 |
| 48 | Ermakov Roman | Bahrain Victorious | + 15 |
| 49 | Edmondson Alex | Team Picnic PostNL | + 15 |
| 50 | Marriage Zac | ARA Australia Cycling | + 15 |
| 51 | Chaves Esteban | EF Education-EasyPost | + 15 |
| 52 | Mahoudo Nolann | Cofidis | + 15 |
| 53 | Pedersen Casper | Soudal Quick-Step | + 15 |
| 54 | Glivar Gal | Alpecin-Deceuninck | + 15 |
| 55 | Conci Nicola | XDS Astana Team | + 15 |
| 56 | Graat Tijmen | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | + 15 |
| 57 | Higuita Sergio | XDS Astana Team | + 15 |
| 58 | Van den Bossche Fabio | Alpecin-Deceuninck | + 15 |
| 59 | Ourselin Paul | Cofidis | + 15 |
| 60 | Askey Lewis | Groupama-FDJ | + 15 |
| 61 | Le Huitouze Eddy | Groupama-FDJ | + 15 |
| 62 | Davy Clément | Groupama-FDJ | + 15 |
| 63 | Mühlberger Gregor | Movistar Team | + 15 |
| 64 | Pithie Laurence | Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe | + 15 |
| 65 | Narvaez Jhonatan | UAE Team Emirates XRG | + 15 |
| 66 | Van Der Lee Jardi | EF Education-EasyPost | + 24 |
| 67 | Bennett George | Israel-Premier Tech | + 24 |
| 68 | Gloag Thomas | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | + 24 |
| 69 | Woods Michael | Israel-Premier Tech | + 24 |
| 70 | Skerl Daniel | Bahrain Victorious | + 24 |
| 71 | Rochas Rémy | Groupama-FDJ | + 24 |
| 72 | Bauhaus Phil | Bahrain Victorious | + 24 |
| 73 | Renard Alexis | Cofidis | + 29 |
| 74 | Paquot Tom | Intermarché-Wanty | + 29 |
| 75 | Nerurkar Lukas | EF Education-EasyPost | + 33 |
| 76 | Herregodts Rune | UAE Team Emirates XRG | + 33 |
| 77 | Arndt Nikias | Bahrain Victorious | + 33 |
| 78 | Hamilton Lucas | INEOS Grenadiers | + 33 |
| 79 | Thomas Geraint | INEOS Grenadiers | + 33 |
| 80 | Epis Giosue | ARKEA-B&B HOTELS | + 37 |
| 81 | Pacher Quentin | Groupama-FDJ | + 40 |
| 82 | Zwiehoff Ben | Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe | + 40 |
| 83 | Maciejuk Filip | Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe | + 40 |
| 84 | Browning Fergus | ARA Australia Cycling | + 40 |
| 85 | Bagioli Andrea | Lidl-Trek | + 40 |
| 86 | Mackellar Alastair | EF Education-EasyPost | + 40 |
| 87 | Vermote Julien | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | + 40 |
| 88 | Bouchard Geoffrey | Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale | + 40 |
| 89 | Serry Pieter | Soudal Quick-Step | + 40 |
| 90 | van Baarle Dylan | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | + 40 |
| 91 | Koerdt Bjoern | Team Picnic PostNL | + 40 |
| 92 | Onley Oscar | Team Picnic PostNL | + 40 |
| 93 | Zimmermann Georg | Intermarché-Wanty | + 40 |
| 94 | Romo Javier | Movistar Team | + 40 |
| 95 | Labrosse Jordan | Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale | + 40 |
| 96 | Rouland Louis | ARKEA-B&B HOTELS | + 40 |
| 97 | Eddy Patrick | Team Picnic PostNL | + 40 |
| 98 | Schultz Nick | Israel-Premier Tech | + 40 |
| 99 | Schelling Ide | XDS Astana Team | + 40 |
| 100 | Beloki Markel | EF Education-EasyPost | + 40 |
| 101 | Soler Marc | UAE Team Emirates XRG | + 40 |
| 102 | Isidore Noa | Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale | + 50 |
| 103 | Lapeira Paul | Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale | + 50 |
| 104 | Harper Chris | Team Jayco-AlUla | + 50 |
| 105 | Lopez Juan Pedro | Lidl-Trek | + 50 |
| 106 | Walker Max | EF Education-EasyPost | + 52 |
| 107 | Dehairs Simon | Alpecin-Deceuninck | + 52 |
| 108 | Todome Yuhi | EF Education-EasyPost | + 55 |
| 109 | Paasschens Mathijs | Bahrain Victorious | + 55 |
| 110 | van den Berg Julius | Team Picnic PostNL | + 55 |
| 111 | Herrada Jesus | Cofidis | + 58 |
| 112 | Izagirre Ion | Cofidis | + 58 |
| 113 | López Martin | XDS Astana Team | + 01:00 |
| 114 | Lecerf William Junior | Soudal Quick-Step | + 01:05 |
| 115 | Mollema Bauke | Lidl-Trek | + 01:05 |
| 116 | Vine Jay | UAE Team Emirates XRG | + 01:05 |
| 117 | Tjøtta Martin | ARKEA-B&B HOTELS | + 01:20 |
| 118 | Bystrøm Sven Erik | Groupama-FDJ | + 01:27 |
| 119 | Bleddyn Oliver | ARA Australia Cycling | + 01:33 |
| 120 | Scotson Miles | ARKEA-B&B HOTELS | + 01:54 |
| 121 | Fisher-Black Finn | Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe | + 01:56 |
| 122 | Hepburn Michael | Team Jayco-AlUla | + 02:00 |
| 123 | Stewart Campbell | Team Jayco-AlUla | + 02:03 |
| 124 | Durbridge Luke | Team Jayco-AlUla | + 02:04 |
| 125 | O'Brien Kelland | Team Jayco-AlUla | + 02:04 |
| 126 | Williams Stephen | Israel-Premier Tech | + 02:05 |
| 127 | Bayer Tobias | Alpecin-Deceuninck | + 02:05 |
| 128 | van der Hoorn Taco | Intermarché-Wanty | + 02:05 |
| 129 | Raccagni Noviero Andrea | Soudal Quick-Step | + 02:05 |
| 130 | Schmid Mauro | Team Jayco-AlUla | + 02:10 |
| 131 | Swift Connor | INEOS Grenadiers | + 02:10 |
| 132 | Knox James | Soudal Quick-Step | + 02:17 |
| 133 | Boven Lars | Alpecin-Deceuninck | + 02:32 |
| 134 | Tesfazion Natnael | Movistar Team | + 03:16 |
| DNF | Howson Damien | ARA Australia Cycling | |
| DNF | Moro Manlio | Movistar Team |
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