The week at the Tour Down Under is still sinking in. Adelaide is never an easy place to race, the heat is relentless, the racing is aggressive, and everyone arrives flying after the winter.
To come away with the overall victory, and to feel like we truly controlled the race, is incredibly satisfying.
From the first uphill finish, I knew the legs were there, but more importantly, the team was completely dialled in. When form, teamwork, and timing all line up like that, it makes for a really special week.
Winning with this team always means a lot but doing it in Australia takes it to another level. I grew up watching Tour Down Under on TV, dreaming about being part of it one day.
To cross the line in the ochre jersey, surrounded by Aussie flags and the home fans shouting my name, honestly gave me goosebumps. You feel the whole country behind you. It’s emotional, in the best possible way, and it’s a moment I’ll carry with me for a long time.
Stage 2 was marked as a key day from very early on. Corkscrew Road is brutal. Short, steep, and it always splits the race. We knew that if we fully committed, it could shape the general classification.
The plan was never to sit back and wait; it was to make it hard from the bottom and force the race open. Once we hit that climb full gas, I knew it was going to be one of the defining moments of the week.
The work the guys did that day was unbelievable. Adam [Yates] rode himself completely inside out on the lower slopes, setting a relentless tempo that blew the group apart. When Jhony [Narvaez] and I made our move, the rest of the team committed fully to locking the race down behind us.
Setting a new record up Corkscrew is cool, but what mattered most was how perfectly executed the teamwork was. That stage doesn’t happen without every single rider buying in one hundred percent.
Then came one of the most surreal moments of my career. Only in Australia, right? One second everything’s calm, the next there’s a kangaroo right in front of me and I’m sliding down the road. At first, your mind goes straight to damage control, make sure nothing’s broken, make sure the bike still works. Then it was straight into chase mode.
The boys were incredible. Dropping back, pacing me, keeping me calm. Without them, I probably lose the jersey that day. That moment summed up what this team is about, and it secured us the win.
Earlier in the season, claiming the National Time Trial title is something I’m hugely proud of. The time trial is such a pure discipline - no tactics, no hiding, just you against the clock. Pulling on the green and gold skinsuit on home roads meant a lot to me. It gave me a huge confidence boost heading into Tour Down Under and confirmed that the work done over the winter was paying off.
That winter work was built at our camp in Spain, which was massive for us as a group. It’s not just about kilometres in the legs, it’s about building rhythm, trust, and understanding how everyone rides.
Long climbs, hard training blocks, and sitting down together in the evenings talking through goals and races, that’s where a team really comes together. You could see it in Australia. Everyone knew their role, and everyone executed it perfectly.
Knowing I’d be leading the team at Tour Down Under gave me extra motivation and structure. Last year was about rebuilding and finding consistency; this off-season was about being sharper, stronger, and ready from January.
We focused on climbing power, time trial work, and heat preparation. I treated it like a true GC leader’s winter, and I think that showed when it mattered most.
Starting the season with wins brings confidence, not just for me, but for the whole team. It reinforces that we’re on the right path. Cycling keeps you grounded though, so you enjoy it, reset, and keep working. Still, carrying this momentum forward is huge for us.
Looking ahead, there are already some big targets on the horizon. Stage races where climbing and time trials really matter, key World Tour weeks, and later in the year, bigger GC opportunities. Wearing the national colours at Worlds is always a dream, but for now it’s about building steadily and peaking at the right moments.
And finally, to all the fans in the UAE, back home in Australia, and around the world - thank you. We feel it every race, every message, every cheer on the roadside. It means more than you probably realise. We’re proud to represent you and we’ll keep giving everything this season.
