Nice Britain’s Stevie Williams is aiming to be “aggressive” in a tricky males’s highway race on the World Championships in Zürich this Sunday, as a part of a “actually sturdy group”.
The 28-year-old Welshman has loved his finest yr thus far, attaining two WorldTour degree wins on the Tour Down Beneath and La Flèche Wallonne initially of the yr, earlier than taking victory on the Tour of Britain Males in early September. With a spot in Nice Britain’s squad confirmed, Williams says he’s now trying to carry his successful kind into his elite worlds debut in Zurich on Sunday.
“I’d prefer to go there and be aggressive,” Williams advised Biking Weekly on the current Grand Prix Cyclistes de Québec and Montréal in Canada. “It is a goal of mine to go there with good legs, however I’m underneath no phantasm that it’s one of many hardest races of the yr.”
“It is going to be extraordinarily tough to get into the ultimate and attempt to race for the victory,” he added. “But when I’ve a superb day then I will strive my finest to be there and provides it a superb shot. On the finish of the day it’s the World Championships. In case you can’t get motivated for that then what are you able to? We’ll be taking a extremely sturdy group and hopefully as GB we will actually present our colors properly.”
Williams flew straight to Canada on the Monday after successful the Tour of Britain Males. As a result of fatigue and minor sickness, he didn’t end the GP Montréal which was ultimately received by the new favorite for the boys’s highway world title, Tadej Pogačar.
The Aberystwyth-born rider nonetheless made the worlds choice for Nice Britain and can line up alongside Tom Pidcock, Adam and Simon Yates, Oscar Onley, Jake Stewart, James Knox and Mark Donovan within the highway race in Zurich.
Regardless of his success this yr, Williams was hesitant to say that he felt he may lead the British group in Switzerland. As a substitute, the 28-year-old was diplomatic and mentioned that he would merely accept any position within the group that got here his approach.
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“I feel with GB now we’ve a number of energy in depth in climbing and punching,” he mentioned. “We’ve got a stacked pool of riders who’re world class. So whether or not I am going there and try and race the ultimate, or I am going there and help another person deep into the race, that is additionally okay.
“It’s going to be one thing we discuss nearer to the time as soon as we’re there, which is after we’ll begin to make selections and take a look at how we will do our greatest.”
Retaining the religion
(Picture credit score: SWpix.com)
Reflecting on his finest yr thus far, Williams mentioned that his success had at instances felt surreal. The Welshman is a rider that has all the time proven monumental potential, along with his finest outcomes starting to reach after a transfer to Israel-Premier Tech on the finish of 2022.
Williams took his first stage race victory on the 2023 Arctic Race of Norway but it surely was this yr the place he made an enormous step. His kind did not go unnoticed and resulted in a prolonged contract extension coming his approach through the Tour de France, which can preserve him with the group till 2028.
“I do not assume I may have advised you initially of the yr or in winter final yr, that I might have the ability to be sitting right here now as a winner of those races,” Williams mentioned as he mirrored on his breakthrough yr. “Generally I actually must pinch myself and attempt to work out if it is actual or not. In order that’s tremendous particular for me, particularly after all of the s**t up to now.
“It simply actually reveals that anybody who’s struggling with accidents or going by way of a nasty second simply preserve the religion, after which hopefully you may come out the opposite facet and be even higher for it. That definitely labored for me.”
A eager sportsman away from biking, Williams admitted that he was now trying ahead to the off season and an opportunity to immerse himself in different sports activities throughout a uncommon spell away from the bike.
“I can not wait to have the ability to sit down and watch some soccer and watch Liverpool,” he mentioned. “They’re taking part in rather well now so I will observe them for many of the winter as I do now, however hopefully I will truly get to a few soccer video games and simply get pleasure from all of it.
“In any other case it’s going to be good to spend time with family and friends, spend time with my girlfriend, and simply overlook concerning the bike for a couple of weeks till we step by step construct all of it up once more.”
