STEVIE Williams, from Capel Dewi, produced a stunning performance to take the overall win in the first European Under 23s stage race of the season, the famous Ronde de l’Isard, in the Midi-Pyrénées.

Four days of hard racing and steep long climbs awaited the riders, and it was the impressive Welsh rider who notched back-to-back wins on the first two stages, which both had mountain-top finishes.

The third day was lighter going in terms of altitude, before the race wrapped up with three categorized climbs, and Williams held his nerve to take the overall win on the long descent to the finish.

“I am over the moon at winning Ronde de l’Isard,” said Williams, a former pupil at Ysgol Penweddig, Aberystwyth, and a member of the SEG Racing Academy.

“I want to thank my teammates, who were amazing during the whole race. We controlled it perfectly, and they set me up for every finish in the best possible way.

“On the last day, we had to battle against the elements, but we were strong enough to get through everything. It means a lot to be able to win a race like this, and it gives me nothing but confidence to keep on working and building from here.”

The race had kicked off with a hard stage that featured none other than the Col du Portet d’Aspet and an uphill finish to Eycheil, and Williams stuck with the front group at all times, before launching his attack with three kilometers to go.

He quickly bridged the gap to the front group, and after following the pace set for half a kilometre, he went solo all the way to the finish for his first win of the season.

“Ronde de l’Isard was in my goal-list at the beginning of the season, so it was amazing to kick it off like this,” he said. “On the last climb, I felt good, so I just went and never looked back. My teammates did an amazing job all day in keeping me safe, and in a good position.”

Wearing the leader’s jersey, and with a 12 second lead over the second classified rider, Williams faced another tough stage the following day, with almost eight kilometres at a nine percent average gradient.

He kept well-placed in the bunch and kept his legs fresh for the hard final push, and as the slopes over 10 per cent made it an elimination race, Williams launched his attack with 500m to go and rode clear, taking his second win in two stages and thereby extending his overall lead.

After back-to-back wins, Williams now held a 29-second margin to his closest rival, and also took the lead in the KOM jersey after dominating two uphill finishes.

“My teammates rode incredibly, not only keeping me safe, but controlling the race and setting the pace uphill,” he said.

“In the end, it was just an elimination race as the toughness of the climb dropped riders that were not that strong. In the final part, I just felt that I had that bit extra, so I went and it worked.”

A flatter but tricky parcour on the third stage took the riders through a 153 km long loop. The bunch quickly broke into two big groups, with four Academy riders keeping Williams safe in the front.

Williams safely crossed the line, keeping the yellow jersey on his shoulders, and went into the final day with a 23-second margin over the second rider in the overall classification - and also as the leader of the King of the Mountains classification.

The four-day day event ended in an epic way, as three first category climbs awaited the riders on their way to Saint Girons.

Protected by his teammates, Williams was smoothly advancing - until a first flat tyre in the second climb of the day - but with the help of fellow SEG rider Dan Hoole, he quickly got back to the bunch.

The Welshman punctured again with 15 kilometres to go and the race wide open, but again the help of a teammate helped him to save a very difficult situation.

Jan Maas gave his back wheel to the Welshman, after pulling in front of the group of favourites for several kilometres. Both riders came back into the main group, and limited Williams’ loses to take the prestigious 2018 Ronde de l’Isard title.