Stephen Williams won the sprint from a small group to claim a shock victory on stage one of the Tour de Suisse.
The 26-year-old Welshman edged out German Maximilian Schachmann after a hilly stage to earn the leader’s jersey for day two.
Ineos Grenadiers’ Adam Yates finished 11th with team-mate and Williams’ compatriot Geraint Thomas 14th.
“I don’t think it’s sunk in yet, to be honest,” said Williams of his first WorldTour victory.
“It’s been a strange few years – to come here and win a stage, I am over the moon.
“To win the first stage, in a group like that, is really special.”
Seven more stages follow in the race that ends on Sunday, 19 June.
Sunday’s opening stage over 177.6km included three climbs, Team Bahrain Victorious’ Williams’ speciality.
However, the Aberystwyth-born rider had enough energy to be in the diminishing leading pack as the day came to a close before he won the sprint on the circuit south of Zurich.
Dane Casper Pedersen and American Quinn Simmons were four minutes ahead after their early breakaway, but were overhauled on the final lap.
Williams’ win marks another success after having knee surgery and returning to full training in early 2020.
In 2018 Williams was one of the most sought-after young climbers in the world, having won the Ronde l’Isard and winning a stage and finishing fifth at the ‘Baby Giro’ – the Junior Tour of Italy.
But after signing a WorldTour contract with the then Bahrain-Merida team, Williams started suffering pain in his left knee.
He was able to race just eight days in 2019 and was forced to have surgery before returning to proper training the following year.
