Samuel Watson waited long in the hot seat: "This is really a relief"

The first leader in the Santos Tour Down Under 2026 is Samuel Watson. The Brit from INEOS Grenadiers lived up to his reputation as a prologue specialist by clocking the fastest time on the streets of Adelaide. Though he had to wait quite a while before he could celebrate.

Watson started early and spent a long time in uncertainty. "There were many riders who could still beat my time. When I got off my bike, I saw that Ethan (Vernon, ed.) was already very close to my time," he said in the post-race flash interview. "When Jay Vine finally crossed the finish line and was slower, it was truly a relief. I’m so happy to start my season with a win."

Watson is the reigning British road champion but will be riding tomorrow in the orange leader’s jersey. "I certainly won’t complain about that," he said with a smile. "It’s amazing to experience this, to kick off the season like this. Not just for myself, but also for the team."

Tomorrow, the Brit will mainly work in support of his faster teammate Sam Welsford in the finale. "Tomorrow we’re going all in for Sam. He won six stages across the last two editions of the Tour Down Under."

"I’ll serve as the penultimate or last man in the lead-out train. That also depends a bit on the conditions. Ben (Swift, ed.) is here and has a huge amount of experience. But I will definitely play my part."