British rider Williams to defend Tour Down Under title

Welshman Stephen Williams confirmed Friday he will defend his Tour Down Under title at the UCI WorldTour season opener in Adelaide next month, with 2023 champion Jay Vine also locked in.

Williams stormed to victory at Mount Lofty earlier this year, bursting past his rivals in the final few hundred metres to hold onto the ochre jersey and top spot.

It helped launch him into a successful season that also saw victory at the Tour of Britain in September and a four-year contract extension with his Israel-Premier team.

"Winning my first Tour Down Under was an unbelievable moment for me," said Williams ahead of the 25th anniversary of the race from January 21-26.

"It put into motion a terrific year for me. I'm chasing another strong result to kickstart my 2025 season, and, hopefully, it will lead to another breakthrough year."

Fellow Welshman and 2018 Tour de France winner Geraint Thomas will also be in contention as he looks to better his third place in 2013.

Australia's Vine is aiming to wrest back the title as part of a wider comeback.

There were fears the UAE Team Emirates rider would never compete again after a horrific crash at this year's Tour of the Basque Country.

But he bounced back to win the King of the Mountains classification at the Vuelta a Espana and is determined to taste victory again on home soil.

"We're expecting to have a great battle on our hands in January," he said.

"I've had some very positive results since returning from injury during the year, and we're hoping for a good showing with a very strong team in Adelaide."