Race Report – Health Partners Men’s Stage 2

Tanunda to Tanunda

Start: Tanunda

Finish: Tanunda 

Distance: 128.8km 

Sam Welsford moved a step closer to being crowned the unofficial king of Tanunda after winning back-to-back Santos Tour Down Under stages in the Barossa town on Wednesday. 

The Health Partners Stage 2 victory saw Welsford retain the Santos Ochre Leader’s jersey, which he will proudly wear during Thursday’s potential general classification challenging efex Stage 3 from Norwood to Uraidla. 

Welsford conquered Tanunda in 2024 to secure his first UCI WorldTour win in his home race but was made to work much harder to claim his fifth stage win of the Santos Tour Down Under after yesterday’s victory at Gumeracha. 

The West Australian star looked to be in serious trouble early in the race. 

He crashed after a touch of wheels about one kilometre from the Health Partners Stage 2 start.

The Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe gun bravely closed out the 128.8km ride with gravel rash across his bottocks and legs and torn knicks before winning a bunch sprint ahead of Arne Marit (Intermarché-Wanty) and Bryan Coquard of Cofidis. 

“That was bloody tough out there today, they didn’t make it any easier for me on that (final Menglers Hill) climb,” Welsford said. 

“They (rivals) started launching attacks harder than expected but we had a good chase to get back on. My team worked hard. 

“I said to them, ‘Let’s just get to the line and if I'm in front I’m sure I can have a good sprint.’ 

“The boys did a mega job bringing me back and still did a lead out which is pretty impressive today.”                

Welsford’s Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe team was controlling the main peloton at the end of the first lap into Tanunda, unfazed by a three-man breakaway that had a 1 min 42 sec gap. 

The main peloton seemingly agreed to slow down with 75.3km before the finish line, in a bid to conserve energy as it appeared the stage was predictably heading towards a bunch sprint finish in Tanunda.     

Sensing Welsford was strained following the first kilometre crash and after the last efex King of the Mountain climb, his team pushed hard to ensure the big sprinter was in peak condition for another fast finale. 

Welsford made contact with the back of the peloton about 13km from the Tanunda finish line. 

 After today’s win he holds the Ziptrak sprint jersey too. 

ARA Australia’s Fergus Browning keeps the efex King of the Mountain jersey he worked hard for on Tuesday. 

Browning, 21, sits on 41 KOM points, 36 ahead of teammate Zac Marriage. 

Great Britain’s impressive teenager Matthew Brennan (Team Visma-Lease a Bike) held on to the Zwift Young Rider jersey. 

The 19-year-old sits third in the general classification, just 14 seconds away from Welsford.   

Georg Zimmerman (Intermarché-Wanty) claimed the Yamaha Most Competitive title after a superb day where the German wasn’t afraid to continually attack. 

The race 

efex King of the Mountain #1 — Menglers Hill 1 6.9% 12.2% 2.73km 8.0km 

With the race just 8km old, ARA Australia’s Fergus Browning continued to put himself in the UCI WorldTour shop window after shining brilliantly during Ziptrak Stage 1 on Tuesday. 

Browning, 21, gratefully pocketed maximum efex King of the Mountain points at Menglers Hill in the coveted mountains jersey. 

Austria’s Patrick Konrad (Lidl-Trek) came in second ahead of Intermarché-Wanty’s Georg Zimmerman. Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe’s Filip Maciejuk and Declathon AG2R La Mondiale’s Noa Isidore picked up the last point. 

Ziptrak® Sprint 

Ziptrak® Sprint #1 — Murray Street, Greenock at Old Telegraph Station B&B 31.2km 

The three riders leading the breakaway picked up all the bonuses at Greenock.

Konrad beat Zimmerman in a sprint to claim the biggest bonus while Browning banked the final bonus.

efex King of the Mountain #2 — Menglers Hill 1 6.9% 12.2% 2.73km 57.3km 

The trio diced hard to get up Menglers Hill, but Browning’s KOM jersey was unchallenged.

Zimmerman and Konrad kept their distance in a sporting gesture for Australia’s 2024 under 23 national road champion.     

Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe teammates Ben Zwiehoff and Danny Van Poppel earned the points bonuses. 

Ziptrak® Sprint #2 — Murray Street, Greenock at Old Telegraph Station B&B 80.5km 

Zimmerman just pipped Konrad for the second intermediate sprint of the day. Browning wasn’t about to contest pole position but picked up a bonus for third place.     

efex King of the Mountain #3 — Menglers Hill 1 6.9% 12.2% 2.73km 106.7km 

It got very serious at this point of the race with teams trying hard to break up the peloton.

There was attack after attack along the gruelling 2.73km climb.

Ineos Grenadiers’ Connor Swift was the first to break away but Team Jayco AlUla’s Luke Plapp wouldn’t let him get far.

Spain’s Juan Pedro Lopez (Lidl-Trek) was the next man before Movistar’s Javier Romo was the first to cross the line atop Menglers Hill. 

SANTOS OCHRE LEADER’S JERSEY – SAM WELSFORD (RED BULL-BORA-HANSGROHE)

ZIPTRAK SPRINT JERSEY LEADER – SAM WELSFORD (RED BULL-BORA-HANSGROHE)

EFEX KING OF THE MOUNTAIN LEADER – FERGUS BROWNING (ARA AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL TEAM)

ZWIFT YOUNG RIDER’S JERSEY LEADER – MATTHEW BRENNAN (TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE)

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