Sam Watson won the first WorldTour race of 2026, taking victory for Ineos Grenadiers in the Tour Down Under prologue.
British national champion on the road, the 24-year-old swapped the red, white and blue bands for his team’s new orange jersey on Tuesday, but then swapped it again for the ochre leader’s jersey at the end of the stage.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
“There were quite a lot of guys [to watch for],” Watson said post-race. “Just as I climbed off the bike, Ethan Vernon came across the line. He was 0.5 behind me. I knew he’d be a contender, and maybe I wouldn’t have even made it to the hot seat.
“Obviously then it was a big sigh of relief for myself,” he said of when Vine finished last, clearly behind himself. “I’m so happy to start the season with a win.
“I’m not complaining [of changing jersey], I’m leading the race now. It’s great for myself and the team to start the season like this.”
Ineos Grenadiers will attempt to make it two from two WorldTour races on Tuesday, with a bunch sprint finish in Tanunda on the menu. The British team will target the win with their new Australian sprinter Sam Welsford, who has won the points competition in the last two editions.
“We go 100% for him,” Watson explained. “He’s won here six times in the last two years, so it’s all for him.
“[I’m the] last or second-last leadout guy. It depends how it is on the day, we’ve got Swifty [Ben Swift] too, who has a lot of experience. Whatever Sam prefers, but I’ll be up there towards the end.”
Ineos Grenadiers waited until February for their first win of 2025, Egan Bernal’s victory in the TT at the Colombian National Championships. This season, things have got off to a flier early.
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