Sam Welsford can be considered one of the revelations of 2023. The amiable Australian cyclist sprinted to multiple victories last year while riding for Team DSM-Firmenich. Next year, however, he will not be doing so as he is set to move to BORA-hansgrohe. In an exclusive interview with IDLProCycling.com, the sprinter discussed his transfer among other topics!
Originally a track cyclist specializing in the team pursuit, Welsford dashed to a silver medal in this event at the 2016 Olympic Games. However, he increasingly yearned to pursue his ambitions on the road. His progression was swift; now 27, the sprinter from the City of Subiaco, just a stone's throw from Perth, clinched a stage win in the Tour of Turkey in his first year as a full-time professional. He also impressively finished third in the Scheldeprijs. The year 2023 started well for the sprinter too, as he returned from the Vuelta a San Juan with two stage wins under his belt.
We spoke to Welsford back in mid-June, when he shared his excitement about starting his first-ever grand tour: the Tour de France. He managed to make his presence felt in 'La Grande Boucle', and although a tenth place was probably not quite what he had hoped for, he redeemed himself by winning a stage in the Renewi Tour in August (beating the likes of Olav Kooij and Jasper Philipsen), making his year a tremendous success. "Indeed, it was a good year for me," he states in an interview with this website. "I had the chance to raise my arms in victory several times, which is fantastic. I truly believe I have made significant progress in all aspects of sprinting."
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In the Vuelta a San Juan, Welsford beat world-class cyclists like Fabio Jakobsen and Peter Sagan
But let's go back to the Tour for a moment: in June he was very excited about it, but after all those near top ten finishes, is he still enthusiastic about it? "It was genuinely an incredibly beautiful experience, a dream come true. I have always hoped to ride that tour once. When something like that becomes a reality, it's simply amazing," he says jubilantly. "The results may not have been exactly as I expected, but continuing to learn and develop myself was probably the most important thing, especially with the coming years in mind. I now know what it's like to have a 21-stage race in my legs. I immediately noticed the benefits of that in the weeks after the Tour," he hints at his Renewi Tour triumph. "It will also come in handy in the tougher races."
At the end of August, it was announced that Welsford will be representing the colors of BORA-hansgrohe from January 1, 2024, where they were looking for a new sprinter with the departure of Sam Bennett. The powerhouse – for that is how we may characterize him – received praising words from team manager Ralph Denk. "He is a pure sprinter, with one of the highest sprint speeds in the peloton. He fits perfectly with the top sprinters on our team and has shown his potential several times this season," the mustachioed team boss said at the time in the context of the transfer.
Welsford himself is also very excited to join the ranks of BORA-hansgrohe. He is certainly not nervous. "I would call it more of a healthy excitement, although I am mostly just looking forward to it. It's a great opportunity and a new path in my career. I am extremely grateful to DSM-Firmenich for the past few years. It's great that they gave me a chance as a track cyclist, especially since many other teams did not. Moreover, I have been able to develop into the sprinter that I am now with DSM-Firmenich. And looking ahead to next year, I'm just very curious to see what that adventure will bring me. I've already spoken with a few guys from the team and based on that I can say that it feels right. They are very chill guys. I already knew some of them, so that's nice," he concludes.