The saying goes that pressure creates diamonds. It might be somewhat of an overused cliché, but it’s an idiom that can be perfectly applied to the performances of Australian sprinter Sam Welsford. The Tour Down Under is his home race, and he’s the best sprinter in his nation. He won the National Criterium Championships a few weeks ago, and backed that up by dominating the standard pre-race city-centre crit which begins proceedings in Adelaide. His Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe squad have flown a world-class lead-out train across the globe to help Welsford get their year off to a flying start. The opening stage Down Under was the 29-year-old’s to lose. Victory was an expectation.
Performing as a professional bike rider is as much about mental strength as it is physical, and shouldering the weight of pressure is something that comes with being the man who has to finish the job. Welsford understands this, and as he showed when he celebrated as he crossed the finish line in Gumeracha on Tuesday, he can handle the heat. His team had been forced to do the majority of the work to control the breakaway throughout the 150-kilometre stage through the rolling roads of South Australia, and the run-in to the finish was messy and chaotic. Still, Welsford found his way.
“I think we had a lot of eyes on us today and our backs up against the wall from the start, no one really wanted to help us out there. We expected that so we kept the break in check and eventually some other teams came up to help,” the Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe rider commented after the stage. “I’m really happy with the team and relieved.”
Those close to Welsford say that they have seen a considerable shift in the Australian’s mentality during the off-season. He’s been working with a new coach and has been able to narrow his focus now that his goals on the velodrome are out of the way (Welsford won a gold medal with the Australian team pursuit team at the Paris Olympics last summer.)
“Sam is a completely different rider to last year, especially on a finish like today. It was super hard and he has a much bigger engine. Everybody expected him to win but it’s not easy to actually do it,” Welsford’s key lead-out man, Danny van Poppel smiled after the stage. “He is a really nice guy and good to work for, really Australian so everything is very relaxed. I think he can learn from me and I can learn from him to be a bit more relaxed.”
It’s clear that a key element to Welsford’s success in sprint finales is cohesion and belief from his teammates. Trust in a lead-out train is crucial and this is made easier if those riding for a sprinter are friends as well as colleagues. Ryan Mullen, a key fixture in Bora’s squad for flat races, says that it’s Welsford’s character which makes him easy to work with.
“Sam is good. He’s like a rottweiler puppy. Super playful. The Irish, English and Aussie personalities gel quite well, we just rip the piss all the time. He’s a super chill guy, I’ve never seen him stressed or annoyed. His heart is on his sleeve and he’s a good leader, a good guy to work for who delivers,” Mullen grinned a few moments after crossing the line in Australia. “He’s worked really hard this winter, I’ve seen first-hand the stuff he’s been doing. He’s lighter, stronger, faster, more motivated and one year wiser than last year.”
Welsford himself recognises the important changes he’s made in his training this year in the hope of having a successful season where he can really announce himself as one of the best in the current crop of WorldTour sprinters. Although the 29-year-old started 2024 well with four stage wins at last year’s Tour Down Under, his focus on the Olympics meant specific training for track, so results on the road didn’t keep coming as the season progressed.
“I have a new trainer now and have been targeting a lot of hours on the bike and lots of general fitness. I think I have a lot of power from the track in the legs so working that aerobic capacity is my weakness. Improving that allows me to do my good sprint while still carrying fatigue,” Welsford commented after the stage. “It’s working on the engine and being able to handle harder days and still produce a good sprint at the finish.”
Mullen believes that in 2025, Welsford will be able to continue the momentum from Tour Down Under through the rest of the season: “Sam has got a different mindset this year, I think that will help him. The track isn’t a distraction – being Australian that was his main focus of the last few years. He ticked the Olympic box which shows what kind of athlete he is but now he’s got that medal. It's full focus on the road now and it should go smoother than last year.”
It’s still early in the season, and although the Tour Down Under is a WorldTour event, bigger goals for Welsford and his Bora sprint train lie later in the season. Winning on home turf is a good start, but stage wins in Grand Tours are what all sprinters grow up dreaming about. This is just the beginning of a big year for Sam Welsford - can he now prove that diamonds are forever?
