Stevie Williams is living his dream. At home in Andorra, deep in the mountains, the Welshman is enjoying a rare few days of respite in between travelling home from Canada and heading to Switzerland for the Road World Championships. The 28-year-old’s 2024 season has been breathless with over 63 race days so far, including some big, big wins. From a GC victory at the Tour Down Under at the start of the year, to a monumental one-day win at Flèche Wallonne and then the overall title at the Tour of Britain – Williams’ home race – it’s been a year that the Israel-Premier Tech rider admits that even he “could never have expected.”
“I knew I'd had a good winter and everyone always told me that if I had a clear run at winter, then I'd end up in a good place,” Williams admits. “Luckily, that's what happened. I never, ever really thought that I'd have this level.”
The Welshman recounts how he lived at altitude in Andorra for the entirety of last winter, putting in back-to-back training weeks and only moving when he was due to attend team training camps. Temperatures might have dropped close to freezing and snow might have been falling on the roadside as Williams pushed through his intervals, but he’s no stranger to torrid conditions – something he proved at Flèche earlier this season.
Stevie Williams wins La Flèche Wallonne 2024 (Image: Zac Williams/SWpix)
“I think I can deal with those conditions better than many can. It doesn't get into my head. I grew up training in shit weather and shit kit in Wales, perhaps that has something to do with it,” Williams laughs. “If you can get through a winter in west Wales, you have that bit of extra grit and determination to get you through a tough day. I remember someone saying to me years and years ago that sometimes when the weather's really cold you're basically racing against half the bunch anyway, so make it count.”
And on that rainy April day in south-east Belgium, when half of the peloton stepped off their bikes and into warm team buses midway through the race, Stevie Williams did make it count. Wrapped up in his black team jacket, the Welsh rider expertly dissected the Mur de Huy, celebrating with spirit as he crossed the finish line, his mouth caked in dirt and water dripping from his nose.
“I love the Ardennes Classics and I always have. You need more than good legs in those races to get a good result. The way it played out for me that day was unbelievable,” Williams remembers. “I had a mix of good legs and I also dressed properly. It was a great race. To have that on my palmarès, no matter what happens now in my career, to say I've won an Ardennes Classic is amazing.”
It’s not just during bad weather that Williams has had to exhibit determination in the face of adversity. In many ways, it has been a tortured road to the top for the Israel-Premier Tech rider. When Williams initially turned professional in 2018, he struggled with a knee injury which caused him to miss the majority of the season, then a few years later when his contract was up for renewal, Williams was victim to the closure of the B&B Hotels team after being promised a contract from the French outfit. He argues that these setbacks have helped shape him into the committed and strong-willed rider he is today.
Israel-Premier Tech celebrate after winning the Tour Down Under 2024 (Image: Zac Williams/SWpix)
“After I turned pro with Bahrain, I was hit with two really shit years with the knee injury and the surgery. We can probably count how many races I had on two hands and that was a massive setback,” Williams recalls. “Once I got healthy, I feel like I felt like I didn't want to go through a bad patch again where I would possibly be out of the sport. Then there was the collapse of B&B Hotels and generally from that moment on I knew I didn’t ever want to be in that position again.
“Any race or training day I go into now, I remind myself that it’s a fickle sport and it can fall apart at any time, so you have to take your opportunities and really dig deep. Any cyclist in the world, they've had their high moments, they've had their low moments, and they'll all tell you that you're going to have two or three as many low moments as you are high. When the high ones come, they are beautiful, whether it's supporting a teammate or winning yourself, it’s something that drives me everyday. I train to race. I don't race to train. Every time I go out there and put a number on, I’m motivated to do well.”
Williams admits that he’s had to rely on friends and family during those difficult periods of his career – the sacrifices they’ve made for him are part of what spurs him on to perform.
“My family gave me all the support to play my cards in many sports. I grew up playing cricket, playing football, doing athletics, cross-country and it wasn’t until I was 16 that I turned to a bike,” Williams says. “I think a lot about the people who have supported me up to this point and given me the chance to arrive here at this level. Every time I cross the line, I think of my closest ones, my loved ones. Maybe it's all the emotion coming out, but that's the first thing that comes into my head. People have given so much for me to reach my potential. Some have sacrificed themselves for me and if that can't give you an extra drive or extra motivation, then I'm not sure what will.”
With so much time spent away from the UK over the last few years, Israel-Premier Tech has become a second home for Williams during the two seasons he's been with the squad. The camaraderie between him and his teammates is immediately apparent when observing them in a race, and Williams attributes part of his success this season to having such a positive atmosphere within his team.
“You have the right people around you,“ he says. “This year and last year has especially has felt like I've been going to races with my mates rather than colleagues and I feel like for me, that's a massive thing.”
Williams wins the Tour of Britain (Image: Simon Wilkinson/SWpix)
At the Tour of Britain this year, when Williams beat the likes of Julian Alaphilippe and Remco Evenepoel on his grippy, rolling home roads, his team did an impressive job protecting him as a GC leader. The 28-year-old admits that there is additional pressure when riding at home, he feels a responsibility to impress British crowds.
“I think maybe because I’m known in the UK, there's a bit more of an expectation. But we never get to race in the UK that much so it's honestly a real privilege,” Williams says. “You have a lot of fans watching and supporting you on the TV every week so it's only right that we come back and race on home roads and give them a spectacle in the UK so they can come out and watch their favourite riders.”
His performance at the Tour of Britain has understandably given Williams some confidence heading to the World Championships in Zurich. He’s part of a strong British line-up on a hilly, attritional course which should suit his strengths. The risk of cold weather or tough conditions doesn’t scare him either.
“If you look back at all the World Championships in the last 10 years, they have been proper bike races and I think it’s going to be the same,” Williams explains. “It’s a proper tough route and a hard race. Hopefully we can have a good day out as GB and at least try and be competitive in the final.
“We have an unbelievable team on paper. With Simon and Adam [Yates], we have two riders that I looked up to when I was coming through as a young rider. The way they race and go about things I think is proper cool. They’ve just got it. Then obviously we have Tom [Pidcock], and what he does speaks for itself. Then we have a good mix of myself, Oscar [Onley], Mark [Donovan], Jake [Stewart] and James [Knox], so I think it's a really good team. Hopefully we can all come together and have a laugh as well.”
Despite his success this season, Williams is still as down to earth as ever. He might be heading to the World Championships as an outside favourite and co-leader of the British team, yet he still prioritises having a “laugh” with his teammates. There’s no denying that this season has been a breakthrough one for Williams, and it might have changed the trajectory of his career altogether, but it certainly hasn’t changed him as a person.
“I've proven that I can be competitive and consistent at the highest level now. That's something to try and get my head around, that I could go into the biggest races next year as leader. From my early years as a pro, it's a complete switch,” Williams says.
“Hopefully I can end this season strongly, then have a nice break and enjoy the winter. If Liverpool can be top of the table by Christmas, then we can head into 2025 in the best way possible,” he grins.
Cover image: Elliot Keen/British Cycling/via SWpix
