Sam Welsford (INEOS Grenadiers) won Stage 3 of the Santos Tour Down Under in Nairne, claiming his seventh career stage victory at the race and his first in INEOS colours after a breakaway was caught inside the final kilometre.
Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) retained the ochre jersey despite being held up by a crash inside 3km, with commissaires applying the UCI's safety protocol so his six-second lead over teammate Jhonatan Narváez was maintained.
Results
Henley Beach - Nairne • Jan 23 • 140.8km
| Pos | Rider | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🥇 |  Samuel Welsford | INEOS GRENADIERSINEOS GRENADIERS | 3:26:43 |
| 🥈 |  Tobias Lund Andresen | DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAMDECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM | +00 |
| 🥉 |  Lewis Bower | GROUPAMA-FDJ UNITEDGROUPAMA-FDJ UNITED | +00 |
| 4 |  Thomas Jake Stewart | NSN CYCLING TEAMNSN CYCLING TEAM | +00 |
| 5 | Aaron Murray Gate | XDS ASTANA TEAMXDS ASTANA TEAM | +00 |
| 6 |  Žak Eržen | BAHRAIN VICTORIOUSBAHRAIN VICTORIOUS | +00 |
| 7 | Finn Lachlan Fox Fisher-Black | RED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHERED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHE | +00 |
| 8 | Matthew Fox | LOTTO INTERMARCHÉLOTTO INTERMARCHÉ | +00 |
| 9 | Anthon Charmig | UNO-X MOBILITYUNO-X MOBILITY | +00 |
| 10 | Jensen Plowright | ALPECIN-PREMIER TECHALPECIN-PREMIER TECH | +00 |
| 11 | Christopher Hamilton | TEAM PICNIC POSTNLTEAM PICNIC POSTNL | +00 |
| 12 | Matthew Brennan | TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKETEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE | +00 |
| 13 |  Luke Lamperti | EF EDUCATION - EASYPOSTEF EDUCATION - EASYPOST | +00 |
| 14 |  Sente Sentjens | ALPECIN-PREMIER TECHALPECIN-PREMIER TECH | +00 |
| 15 | Patrick Eddy | UnknownUnknown | +00 |
| 16 | Ben Swift | INEOS GRENADIERSINEOS GRENADIERS | +00 |
| 17 |  Gonzalo Serrano Rodriguez | MOVISTAR TEAMMOVISTAR TEAM | +00 |
| 18 |  Jacopo Mosca | LIDL-TREKLIDL-TREK | +00 |
| 19 |  Stian Edvardsen-Fredheim | UNO-X MOBILITYUNO-X MOBILITY | +00 |
| 20 |  Henri François Renard Haquin | TEAM PICNIC POSTNLTEAM PICNIC POSTNL | +00 |
| 21 | Samuel Watson | INEOS GRENADIERSINEOS GRENADIERS | +00 |
| 22 |  Jhonatan Narvaez Prado | UAE TEAM EMIRATES XRGUAE TEAM EMIRATES XRG | +00 |
| 23 | Rudy Porter | TEAM JAYCO ALULATEAM JAYCO ALULA | +00 |
| 24 | Ethan Kane Vernon | NSN CYCLING TEAMNSN CYCLING TEAM | +00 |
| 25 |  Tim Marsman | ALPECIN-PREMIER TECHALPECIN-PREMIER TECH | +00 |
| 26 | Embret Svestad-Bårdseng | INEOS GRENADIERSINEOS GRENADIERS | +00 |
| 27 | Laurence Pithie | RED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHERED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHE | +00 |
| 28 |  Michal Kwiatkowski | INEOS GRENADIERSINEOS GRENADIERS | +00 |
| 29 | Gal Glivar | ALPECIN-PREMIER TECHALPECIN-PREMIER TECH | +00 |
| 30 | Pierre Gautherat | DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAMDECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM | +00 |
| 31 | Harrison Sweeny | EF EDUCATION - EASYPOSTEF EDUCATION - EASYPOST | +00 |
| 32 | Florian Samuel Kajamini | XDS ASTANA TEAMXDS ASTANA TEAM | +00 |
| 33 | Manlio Moro | MOVISTAR TEAMMOVISTAR TEAM | +00 |
| 34 |  Mauro Schmid | TEAM JAYCO ALULATEAM JAYCO ALULA | +00 |
| 35 |  Natnael Tesfatsion | MOVISTAR TEAMMOVISTAR TEAM | +00 |
| 36 | Maikel Zijlaard | TUDOR PRO CYCLING TEAMTUDOR PRO CYCLING TEAM | +00 |
| 37 | Andrea Raccagni Noviero | SOUDAL QUICK-STEPSOUDAL QUICK-STEP | +00 |
| 38 | Alberto Dainese | SOUDAL QUICK-STEPSOUDAL QUICK-STEP | +00 |
| 39 | Guillaume Martin Guyonnet | GROUPAMA-FDJ UNITEDGROUPAMA-FDJ UNITED | +00 |
| 40 | Matthew Dinham | TEAM PICNIC POSTNLTEAM PICNIC POSTNL | +00 |
| 41 | Matteo Sobrero | LIDL-TREKLIDL-TREK | +00 |
| 42 | Filippo Zana | SOUDAL QUICK-STEPSOUDAL QUICK-STEP | +00 |
| 43 | Jay Vine | UAE TEAM EMIRATES XRGUAE TEAM EMIRATES XRG | +00 |
| 44 |  Marco Brenner | TUDOR PRO CYCLING TEAMTUDOR PRO CYCLING TEAM | +00 |
| 45 | Georg Zimmermann | UnknownUnknown | +00 |
| 46 | Darren van Bekkum | XDS ASTANA TEAMXDS ASTANA TEAM | +00 |
| 47 | Simone Velasco | XDS ASTANA TEAMXDS ASTANA TEAM | +00 |
| 48 | Florian Stork | TUDOR PRO CYCLING TEAMTUDOR PRO CYCLING TEAM | +00 |
| 49 | Rémi Cavagna | GROUPAMA-FDJ UNITEDGROUPAMA-FDJ UNITED | +00 |
| 50 | Oliver Bleddyn | UnknownUnknown | +00 |
| 51 | Francesco Busatto | ALPECIN-PREMIER TECHALPECIN-PREMIER TECH | +00 |
| 52 | Christopher Harper | UnknownUnknown | +00 |
| 53 | Nicolas Prodhomme | DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAMDECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM | +00 |
| 54 |  Marco Schrettl | XDS ASTANA TEAMXDS ASTANA TEAM | +00 |
| 55 | Nicholas Schultz | NSN CYCLING TEAMNSN CYCLING TEAM | +00 |
| 56 |  Michael Shea Leonard | EF EDUCATION - EASYPOSTEF EDUCATION - EASYPOST | +00 |
| 57 |  Petr Kelemen | TUDOR PRO CYCLING TEAMTUDOR PRO CYCLING TEAM | +00 |
| 58 | Reuben Thompson | UnknownUnknown | +00 |
| 59 | Andrea Bagioli | LIDL-TREKLIDL-TREK | +00 |
| 60 | Pascal Eenkhoorn | SOUDAL QUICK-STEPSOUDAL QUICK-STEP | +00 |
| 61 | Jefferson Alveiro Cepeda Hernandez | MOVISTAR TEAMMOVISTAR TEAM | +00 |
| 62 | Tord Gudmestad | DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAMDECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM | +00 |
| 63 | Javier Romo Oliver | MOVISTAR TEAMMOVISTAR TEAM | +00 |
| 64 | Anton Schiffer | TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKETEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE | +00 |
| 65 |  Santiago Buitrago Sanchez | BAHRAIN VICTORIOUSBAHRAIN VICTORIOUS | +00 |
| 66 | Sam Oomen | LIDL-TREKLIDL-TREK | +00 |
| 67 | Baptiste Veistroffer | LOTTO INTERMARCHÉLOTTO INTERMARCHÉ | +00 |
| 68 | Matthew Greenwood | UnknownUnknown | +00 |
| 69 | Oliver Peace | TEAM PICNIC POSTNLTEAM PICNIC POSTNL | +00 |
| 70 | Ben O'Connor | TEAM JAYCO ALULATEAM JAYCO ALULA | +00 |
| 71 | Hamish Mckenzie | TEAM JAYCO ALULATEAM JAYCO ALULA | +00 |
| 72 | Damien Craig Howson | UnknownUnknown | +00 |
| 73 |  Kévin Geniets | GROUPAMA-FDJ UNITEDGROUPAMA-FDJ UNITED | +00 |
| 74 | Robert Stannard | BAHRAIN VICTORIOUSBAHRAIN VICTORIOUS | +00 |
| 75 | Lucas Plapp | TEAM JAYCO ALULATEAM JAYCO ALULA | +00 |
| 76 | Callum Thornley | RED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHERED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHE | +00 |
| 77 | Per Strand Hagenes | TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKETEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE | +00 |
| 78 | Pavel Novák | MOVISTAR TEAMMOVISTAR TEAM | +00 |
| 79 | Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier | LIDL-TREKLIDL-TREK | +00 |
| 80 | Patrick Konrad | LIDL-TREKLIDL-TREK | +00 |
| 81 | Davide Toneatti | XDS ASTANA TEAMXDS ASTANA TEAM | +00 |
| 82 | Alessandro Romele | XDS ASTANA TEAMXDS ASTANA TEAM | +00 |
| 83 | Filippo Fiorelli | TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKETEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE | +00 |
| 84 | Edoardo Zambanini | BAHRAIN VICTORIOUSBAHRAIN VICTORIOUS | +00 |
| 85 | Alastair Mackellar | EF EDUCATION - EASYPOSTEF EDUCATION - EASYPOST | +00 |
| 86 | Tim Torn Teutenberg | LIDL-TREKLIDL-TREK | +00 |
| 87 | Erik Nordsaeter Resell | UNO-X MOBILITYUNO-X MOBILITY | +00 |
| 88 | Luke Durbridge | TEAM JAYCO ALULATEAM JAYCO ALULA | +00 |
| 89 | Enzo Paleni | GROUPAMA-FDJ UNITEDGROUPAMA-FDJ UNITED | +00 |
| 90 |  Fran Miholjević | BAHRAIN VICTORIOUSBAHRAIN VICTORIOUS | +00 |
| 91 | Fabio van den Bossche | SOUDAL QUICK-STEPSOUDAL QUICK-STEP | +1:00 |
| 92 | Andreas Lorentz Kron | UNO-X MOBILITYUNO-X MOBILITY | +00 |
| 93 | Anders Skaarseth | UNO-X MOBILITYUNO-X MOBILITY | +00 |
| 94 | Kelland O’Brien | TEAM JAYCO ALULATEAM JAYCO ALULA | +1:10 |
| 95 | Adam Richard Yates | UAE TEAM EMIRATES XRGUAE TEAM EMIRATES XRG | +00 |
| 96 |  Ivo Emanuel Alves Oliveira | UAE TEAM EMIRATES XRGUAE TEAM EMIRATES XRG | +00 |
| 97 | Jefferson Cepeda Ortiz | EF EDUCATION - EASYPOSTEF EDUCATION - EASYPOST | +00 |
| 98 | Max Walker | EF EDUCATION - EASYPOSTEF EDUCATION - EASYPOST | +1:23 |
| 99 | Lucas Stevenson | UnknownUnknown | +1:23 |
| 100 | Casper Cornelis van Uden | TEAM PICNIC POSTNLTEAM PICNIC POSTNL | +00 |
| 101 | Brady Gilmore | NSN CYCLING TEAMNSN CYCLING TEAM | +1:34 |
| 102 | James Knox | TEAM PICNIC POSTNLTEAM PICNIC POSTNL | +00 |
| 103 | Pietro Mattio | TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKETEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE | +1:45 |
| 104 | Titouan Fontaine | GROUPAMA-FDJ UNITEDGROUPAMA-FDJ UNITED | +1:45 |
| 105 | Simon James Clarke | NSN CYCLING TEAMNSN CYCLING TEAM | +1:45 |
| 106 | George Bennett | NSN CYCLING TEAMNSN CYCLING TEAM | +1:45 |
| 107 | Callum Scotson | DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAMDECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM | +1:45 |
| 108 | Antoine L'Hote | DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAMDECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM | +1:45 |
| 109 | Storm Ingebrigtsen | UNO-X MOBILITYUNO-X MOBILITY | +1:45 |
| 110 | Casper Pedersen | SOUDAL QUICK-STEPSOUDAL QUICK-STEP | +2:01 |
| 111 | Juan Sebastian Molano Benavides | UAE TEAM EMIRATES XRGUAE TEAM EMIRATES XRG | +2:05 |
| 112 | Albert Torres Barcelo | MOVISTAR TEAMMOVISTAR TEAM | +2:05 |
| 113 | Tom Donnenwirth | GROUPAMA-FDJ UNITEDGROUPAMA-FDJ UNITED | +2:09 |
| 114 | Maurice Ballerstedt | ALPECIN-PREMIER TECHALPECIN-PREMIER TECH | +2:09 |
| 115 | Haimar Etxeberria Ansalas | RED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHERED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHE | +2:21 |
| 116 | Luke Tuckwell | RED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHERED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHE | +2:21 |
| 117 | Jarrad Eriks Drizners | RED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHERED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHE | +2:43 |
| 118 | Danny van Poppel | RED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHERED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHE | +2:43 |
| 119 | Jack Haig | INEOS GRENADIERSINEOS GRENADIERS | +2:43 |
| 120 | Niklas Märkl | TEAM PICNIC POSTNLTEAM PICNIC POSTNL | +2:43 |
| 121 | Joel Suter | TUDOR PRO CYCLING TEAMTUDOR PRO CYCLING TEAM | +2:43 |
| 122 | Lionel Taminiaux | LOTTO INTERMARCHÉLOTTO INTERMARCHÉ | +2:43 |
| 123 | Menno Huising | TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKETEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE | +2:43 |
| 124 | Pepijn Reinderink | SOUDAL QUICK-STEPSOUDAL QUICK-STEP | +2:56 |
| 125 | Tim Rex | TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKETEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE | +2:56 |
| 126 | Martin Bugge | UNO-X MOBILITYUNO-X MOBILITY | +3:12 |
| 127 | Liam Walsh | UnknownUnknown | +00 |
| 128 | Oscar Chamberlain | DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAMDECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM | +3:36 |
| 129 | Corbin John Strong | NSN CYCLING TEAMNSN CYCLING TEAM | +3:36 |
| 130 | Michael Gogl | ALPECIN-PREMIER TECHALPECIN-PREMIER TECH | +3:36 |
| 131 | Lucas Hamilton | INEOS GRENADIERSINEOS GRENADIERS | +5:35 |
| 132 | Oliver Stockwell | BAHRAIN VICTORIOUSBAHRAIN VICTORIOUS | +5:35 |
| 133 | Mikkel Norsgaard Bjerg | UAE TEAM EMIRATES XRGUAE TEAM EMIRATES XRG | +5:35 |
| 134 | Luc Wirtgen | TUDOR PRO CYCLING TEAMTUDOR PRO CYCLING TEAM | +5:35 |
| 135 | Vegard Stake Laengen | UAE TEAM EMIRATES XRGUAE TEAM EMIRATES XRG | +5:35 |
| 136 | Jardi Christiaan van der Lee | EF EDUCATION - EASYPOSTEF EDUCATION - EASYPOST | +5:35 |
Image credits: Zac Williams/SWpix.com
The 140.8km stage from Henley Beach featured the Category 1 Wickham Hill early, its 3km at 7% with ramps to 11% testing whether sprint teams could keep their leaders in contact. A three-man breakaway featuring Martin Urianstad Bugge (Uno-X Mobility), Baptiste Veistroffer (Lotto Intermarché) and Enzo Paleni (Groupama-FDJ United) established a maximum advantage of 2:30.
Urianstad Bugge consolidated his mountains classification lead before cramping with 16km remaining. Veistroffer dropped at 3km, leaving Paleni alone as the peloton tried to close the gap.
INEOS delivered Welsford through the narrow finishing circuit, with Ben Swift guiding him into position before he launched his sprint, with Tobias Lund Andresen (Decathlon CMA CGM Team) and Lewis Bower (Groupama-FDJ United) unable to keep up.
As discussed in our pre-race analysis, Welsford's win carries weight for the sprint priorities for INEOS for the rest of the 2026 season.
Heat concerns mount - Willunga ascent cancelled
Stage 3 temperatures reached 34°C, but attention turned quickly to Saturday's forecast of 42°C for the Queen stage featuring three ascents of Willunga Hill. Race organisers confirmed on Friday evening that they would be removing the ascent altogether. "The Willunga Hill component of the stage will be removed from the route entirely," organisers said in an official statement. The course will now cover only 131km.
Vine and Narváez hold a 1-2 for UAE, with Mauro Schmid (Team Jayco AlUla) third at 1:05. The shortened Willunga stage on Saturday is followed by Sunday's Stirling circuits, the final day of the race.
