Stevie Williams has revealed he will miss the Tour de France and the British national championships in Wales due to a knee problem.
"Since the start of my season in Australia, I’ve had an issue with my right knee, a quadriceps tendinopathy, which is very tricky to manage, and it hasn’t resolved," said Williams in a statement shared by his team on social media.
"I was able to come back for Giro d’Abruzzo and the Ardennes, but since then, things still aren’t completely right."
Williams had a flying start to 2024, winning the Santos Tour Down Under in January and then La Flèche Wallonne in April, but while he managed to line up at both events in 2025 there was no sign that there would be any replicating his success.
After taking time out between Australia and Il Giro d'Abruzzo to treat his problem, Williams had warned that he would be returning without the same form. After the four-day Italian race he struggled at La Flèche Wallonne, Liège-Bastogne-Liège and Eschborn-Frankfurt before putting his racing on pause once again.
"As a cyclist, the only thing you want to do is race, so this season has been incredibly frustrating, but I know that these things can’t be rushed," said Williams.
The 29-year-old has had plenty of experience with the recovery process, having had to hit the pause button for more than a year when he suffered a serious knee injury soon after starting his WorldTour career with Bahrain Merida in 2019.
His last race at Eschborn-Frankfurt was on May 1 but he will miss more of the season as the hiatus is set to continue.
"Unfortunately, this means I won’t be able to race the national championships in Wales or the Tour De France," said Williams.
"I’m gutted to miss them, especially racing Nationals in front of a home crowd. But, I’m working really hard to get back to full fitness with the support of the team and I hope I’ll be back on the start line soon."
