Jhonatan Narváez looks set to become the first Ecuadorian to claim the prestigious Santos Tour Down Under UCI WorldTour title after a commanding victory on Willunga Hill.
The UAE Team Emirates rider launched a perfectly timed attack near the top of the legendary climb, surging ahead in the final 300 metres to clinch the stage win. His triumph propelled him to the top of the general classification, putting him in the coveted Ochre Leader’s Jersey heading into Sunday’s final Schwalbe Stage 6 through the streets of Adelaide.
Narváez, 27, revealed that his team had set their sights on overall victory from the outset, targeting either himself or his Australian teammate, Jay Vine, who won the race in 2023.
“I was feeling strong throughout the race, but Jay had a setback with his crash on Friday,” Narváez said. “Our strategy was always to go for the win with either of us.”

With a nine-second lead over Spain’s Javier Romo Oliver, who had controlled the race since winning efex Stage 3 from Norwood to Uraidla, Narváez is now in pole position to secure overall victory. Romo Oliver had started the day four seconds ahead of the Ecuadorian, but the battle on Willunga Hill changed the race dynamics.
Fireworks on Willunga
Saturday’s action-packed stage saw five-time Tour Down Under stage winner Sam Welsford suffer a second crash, but the Red Bull-BORA-Hansgrohe sprinter dusted himself off and continued, determined to add another stage win to his growing palmarès in Sunday’s finale.
Heading towards the coastal Snapper Point at Aldinga, a four-man breakaway fought for valuable Ziptrak Sprint points. Ineos Grenadiers’ Ben Swift claimed the first intermediate sprint, followed by Michael Hepburn (Jayco AlUla) and Oliver Bleddyn (ARA Australia).
As the peloton closed in on the second sprint, teams began preparing for the legendary Willunga Hill showdown. After a blistering descent through Willunga township, the climbers took centre stage, battling for efex King of the Mountain points and a shot at victory on the famous ascent.
Swiss rider Mauro Schmid (Jayco AlUla), who had claimed the Yamaha Most Competitive Rider title on Friday, outpaced teammate Chris Harper to take top honours on the first climb. However, the defining moment came in the final 300 metres of the last ascent when Narváez used his explosive climbing ability to power past Romo Oliver and secure a historic victory.
Picnic PostNL’s Oscar Onley finished second, with Red Bull-BORA-Hansgrohe’s Finn Fisher-Black rounding out the podium.
With just one stage remaining, all eyes are on Narváez as he aims to make history in Adelaide as the Stage 6 Schwalbe Classic unfolds.
Key Leaders:
- Santos Ochre Leader’s Jersey – Jhonatan Narváez (UAE Team Emirates)
- Ziptrak Sprint Jersey – Sam Welsford (Red Bull-BORA-Hansgrohe)
- efex King of the Mountain Jersey – Fergus Browning (ARA Australian National Team)
- Zwift Young Rider’s Jersey – Albert Withen Philipsen (Lidl-Trek)