CAPEL Dewi’s finest Stevie Williams has endured a lot of ups and downs, his early career blighted by a plague of knee injuries.
Such setbacks could have caused a lesser soul to call it a day, but Stevie battled on and was rewarded with his biggest win to date when he became the first Brit to win the prestigious La Flèche Wallone back in April with an incredible attack up the infamous Mur de Huy ascent to cross the line in first place.
A late addition to Israel - Premier Tech’s 2023 rider roster, their collaboration is bearing fruit with Williams, who turns 28 on Thursday, targeting more success.
After trying his hand at football, cricket and running the young Williams took up cycling in 2011 with friends in Aberystwyth.
He soon made strides and started racing as an amateur with JLT-Condor and SEG Racing Academy.
His talent was spotted and he joined Bahrain-Merida as a stagaire (an amateur cyclist temporarily riding for a professional team) and became a full member of the team in 2019.
But after suffering a number of injuries his pro career was put on hold for 18 months when he suffered a serious knee problem, undergoing surgery to remove the small fabella bone from his left knee in November 2019.
He had planned to join B&B Hotels-KTM for the 2023 season but the team collapsed before the season began.
With an uncertain future ahead, Williams was given a lifeline, along with Australians Simon Clarke and Nick Schultz, with the offer of a one-year contract by Israel-Premier Tech.
All three seized the opportunity and have since proven to be valuable assets to the team and made a significant impact to their success.
Williams has thrived and notched the two biggest wins of his career.
He won the final stage to seal the overall win at the Tour Down Under in January and followed that up with an even bigger achievement when he won the toughest edition of La Flèche Wallone in recent memory and became the first British male rider to win the Belgian Classic.
Specialist climber Williams said: “For some reasons a team folded and I was left without a ride.
“It was a time to find a solution so that I could carry on racing and ultimately the team was here (Israel-Premier Tech) and ready to give me a ride and put my career back on track.
“It’s been great, obviously starting in Australia. It was my first time at the Down Under and to come away from there with a win was a wonderful start.
“I really enjoy racing with this group of people and also being around the staff as well.
“It’s a great culture and atmosphere and that’s shown this year with the result we’ve had as a team, The trajectory we’re going in as a team is progressing very nicely and long may it continue.
“Coming to races with these guys is so great, it’s literally just like racing bikes with your mates.
“I think that having that atmosphere and support around you on the bike and off the bike is something that compliments each other so well and I think that’s why the results have been so good this year.”
Israel-Premier Tech team owner Sylvan Adams is delighted with his recruits: “All three had a similar story.
“We signed them for one year each and after that one year saw how well they fit into the team and really earned their spot. They’ve all been renewed.
“Stevie has just won Fleche. He’s had an amazing start to the season and won Tour Down Under.
“Nick won a fantastic stage win in Catalunya and Simon won a stage at the Tour de France.
“We’ve been rewarded with amazing performances by these three guys, but more importantly their character.
“They‘ve become part of the team’s DNA. They’re leaders on the team in different ways, they have different personalities.
He added: “I’m proud to say that we had an image, and it was not a nice image, as a retirement home for washed up riders.
“I believe we have changed that image and I would like to believe that we can be considered a team that will offer an opportunity to riders who have been abandoned. Good riders who deserve a contract who have been abandoned and I’m proud of that reputation.”
La Flèche Wallonne is the first of two Belgian Ardennes Classics and a race that Williams dreamt of winning as a child.
“The Ardennes Classics are very picturesque races. They are iconic, if you win there it can change your career and life.
“They are very difficult races but they fit riders similar to me who can climb and sprint.
“When I was growing up it was race I looked at to try to do well.”
Williams rode brilliantly in atrocious conditions at Flèche, attacking on the third of four ascents of the Mur de Huy to form part of a short-lived chase group that ultimately helped reel in a lone rider in the closing 10 kilometers.
He kicked with 275 meters remaining the final time up the Mur and crossed the line with enough time to celebrate.
Having claimed Israel-Premier Tech’s first UCI WorldTour stage race victory at the Tour Down Under in January, the Welshman now has the team’s maiden win in a UCI WorldTour one-day race to his name.
He said after the race: “What a day, what a day, I’m so happy right now.
“I just can’t believe I just won Flèche. I’ve been watching this race for years and I’ve always wanted to come here with decent legs to try and win it. Today, with the weather, I enjoy racing in these conditions, and I’m just over the moon.
“The boys backed me all day and they gave me the best chance to try and do a result today. Everybody was waiting [on the Mur de Huy] with about 300 [meters] to go, so I thought if I could get a jump here and put five or 10 seconds into the group, it could give me a good chance to hold on.
“I was looking around a bit because the legs were empty, but I’m really happy to hold on. I’m exhausted, lost for words, and a bit emotional really. To win bike races is hard, especially here at the Classics.”
Williams, who joined Clwb Beicio Ystwyth Cycling Club after taking up the sport, made his breakthrough in the 2018 Ronde de l’Isard, an under-23 event in France where he secured victory in the general and mountain classifications. He also won stage five of the Giro Ciclistico d’Italia, or ‘Baby Giro’.
His first professional victory was stage five of the 2021 CRO Racee, a result that also gave him the lead of the race. He rode to the line in a three-rider breakaway on the sixth and final stage, finishing second on the day but sealing overall victory by 17 seconds.
He achieved his first victory at UCI WorldTour level on stage one of the 2022 Tour de Suisse and claimed his second overall professional victory at the 2023 Arctic Race of Norway.