Lotto-Soudal Cycling Team (Australia) - Press Release: Three days earlier he was wondering if cycling at the highest level really suited him, but on the final day of the Santos Tour Down Under Lotto Soudal’s Matthew Holmes won the queen stage on Willunga Hill, ahead of Overall winner Richie Porte. For Lotto Soudal it was the end of a more than successful week with three stage wins as well as the win of Caleb Ewan in the Schwalbe Classic. For Holmes it was the perfect weekend. One day earlier, his girlfriend Josie Knight has won the elite individual as well as team pursuit title at the British National Track Championships.
 
Matthew Holmes was part of a 26-strong breakaway group but he was the only breakaway rider Richie Porte couldn't drop on the second and final climb up Willunga Hill. Porte was overtaken by Holmes in the final stretch who took his first-ever professional win in what was his first WorldTour race.

“I was always waiting, waiting, waiting for the sprint but slowly I realised they were all on the limit”, said Matthew Holmes. “Then Richie came but I did not panic. All I thought was It’s great, he’s not gonna slow down and he’s just gonna take me to the finish, as he was obviously riding his own race for the GC. All I had to do was beat him and that was quite simple. As a team we had no real plan for this stage. Team Director Herman Frison gave us all a free role. So, I went in the breakaway. Also Jonathan Dibben was in the break and he did a perfect team job. I sat on, and he didn’t miss one turn all day.”