Arne Marit (Intermarché-Wanty) took second place, while Bryan Coquard (Cofidis) completed the podium.
The stage began on a challenging note for Welsford, who hit the tarmac early and had to continue with ripped shorts. His team, however, proved pivotal in keeping him in contention. After managing the early breakaway, they rallied around Welsford during a critical moment on the third ascent of Menglers Hill. Dropped from the peloton with 25 kilometres remaining, Welsford clawed his way back into the group 10 kilometres later, thanks to his teammates’ efforts.
“Bloody hell – it was bike off in the first 5k to the race, and that was less than ideal. It was a pretty hard day out there,” Welsford said. “The break of three came back quite early, and then everyone started getting quite nervous. Then last time up the climb I was on my limit.”
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Welsford praised his teammates, particularly his final leadout man Danny van Poppel, who delivered a flawless setup in the closing moments.
“Oh, man, I don’t think I can describe how that was,” Welsford said. “He pulled me back on after the climb, and then still managed to do that 20-second lead out at God knows what power. That was amazing. I’m just happy to finish it off for him, and Laurence [Pithie] – Ben [Zwiehoff], Ryan [Mullen] – all the guys came back on the climb and tried to help me get back on.”
Van Poppel’s manoeuvres in the final sprint blocked competitors, forcing Tobias Lund Andresen (Picnic PostNL) and Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain-Victorious) to adjust their lines. This opened the way for Welsford to power through in the last 100 metres.
Marit, who missed out on the stage 1 sprint due to a puncture, also faced difficulties on Menglers Hill but rejoined the pack with 10 kilometres to go.
“I came back, but I gambled so much. It was full gas, but actually I still had some legs, so I didn’t do any pulls in the back,” Marit admitted. “In the end, I found my teammates. I was actually not quite sure about my legs, but as a sprinter, you can always do something more when you see the line.”
Welsford retained his ochre leader’s jersey, with Marit and Matthew Brennan (Visma-Lease A Bike) tied at 14 seconds behind. Welsford also leads the points classification. Meanwhile, Fergus Browning (ARA Australia) extended his lead in the mountains classification, and Brennan kept hold of the best young rider jersey.
After two stages favouring sprinters, stage 3 will shift the focus to climbers and overall contenders. The 147.5-kilometre route from Norwood to Uraidla includes Norton Summit and the new punishing Knott’s Hill climb, with gradients reaching 22.2%. This stage promises significant shifts in the general classification.
“It’s always hard to win again – everyone looks at you even more,” Welsford reflected. “The parcours didn’t suit us as well as yesterday, but we made it our race. I think it’s a really dream start for us here.”
