Adelaide, Australia — Jhonatan Narvaez of Ecuador successfully retained his position at the top of the general classification to secure victory at the Tour Down Under race on Sunday, with Australian sprinter Sam Welsford claiming the final stage, marking his third stage win of the event.


A significant crash occurred roughly 1.4 kilometers (900 yards) from the end of the sixth stage, which covered a distance of 90 kilometers (55 miles). This incident caused a split in the peloton; however, Narvaez skillfully navigated the chaos, ensuring he preserved his nine-second lead over Spain’s Javier Romo, thereby clinching the first World Tour stage race title of his career.


Narvaez made history as the first rider from Ecuador to triumph in the Tour Down Under, coinciding with the race’s 25th edition. The 27-year-old cyclist had previously secured second place in last year’s event. Entering the final stage with a nine-second buffer, he was well-supported by teammates from the UAE Team Emirates-XRG.


This winter, Narvaez switched teams to UAE Team and has made a remarkable start to the season, notably taking the leader’s jersey from Romo (Movistar) after his victory in Saturday’s challenging ascent up Willunga Hill in the fifth stage. Throughout the inaugural World Tour event of the year, the Ecuadorian national champion showcased his strength by finishing on the podium in three out of six stages.


Welsford’s impressive performance in the final stage was set up by his lead-out man, Danny van Poppel, from Bora Hansgrohe. The Australian Olympic gold medalist in track cycling finished ahead of French sprinter Bryan Coquard (Cofidis), who had previously claimed victory in stage four.


The concluding stage on Sunday consisted of 20 laps through scenic parkland located near downtown Adelaide in South Australia.