The Swiss champion also won the queen stage and the points jersey thanks to incredible support from her EF Education-Oatly teammates. Noemi and the squad have had some time to rest and go to the beach since the race wrapped up. We caught up with Noemi before her Australian racing block continues on Sunday with the Schwalbe Women’s One Day Classic.

The race finished on Sunday. Has it sunk in yet that you won a WorldTour stage race?
I think it’s not truly sunk in yet. I still wake up every morning and then I check my phone and I look at my gallery to see all the pictures and then I realize, ok, it really happened. It’s weird. I still feel a bit like I’m in a dream.

What were your expectations going into the race for yourself and for the team?
My big goal was to go for a stage win. I actually targeted stage three. I knew I had great form so my coach was telling me to really go for a stage win. We did the recon of stage two before the race and I realized that it suited me pretty well also so we made a goal that either Kim or I would go for that stage. We had two different cards to play with either Kim attacking at the bottom of Willunga Hill if she was feeling good or me attacking later. And it turned out that I attacked later and took the stage.

With Tour Down Under being the first race of the year and with half of our roster here new to the team, the pressure before the race was not super high. We were here to learn and have a great experience and build on this for the future and the upcoming season. It was also about getting to ride together and getting to know each other. But we were clear in the pre-race meeting that we wanted to go for a stage win. We set a high goal for the team but at the same time we knew everything needed to really come together if we wanted to make this work, so it was difficult but we pulled it off.

What role did your teammates play in this win?
My teammates were amazing. They were such a big part of this win and I hope they know that I couldn't have done it without them. This was truly a team effort from the first minute of stage one. We were riding so well together. We found each other really well. The communication throughout the race was super good. They did everything to keep me safe, to keep me out of the wind, to give me bottles, to switch bikes with me when I had a flat, so they were a big part of this success. Sarah was super good as a team captain. She calmed us down in the hectic race situations. There were a few moments on stage three where I got a bit nervous and I had Sarah with me and she was checking in with me, seeing if I was alright, and that calmed me down as well. I knew I could trust her.

Does winning the Tour Down Under change anything going forward?
Yeah, probably. On the one hand, I hope it really doesn’t because I still want to be the same Noemi that I’ve always been. But the biggest thing is that it’s changed my confidence going into the season and really knowing that I did everything right and that I can win these races. I think I always knew deep down that I had it in me and that one day it would all work out, but now I have the proof. I know that I achieved something big so I know that I can do this again. I know what I had to do to get to this place and that gives me confidence. I know I can repeat this.

What does this win mean for the whole EF Education-Oatly squad?
The rest of my teammates are all at camp in Mallorca right now. They were super excited with our result in Australia. They sent me messages and I think it really motivates them as well to really go for it at the races in Mallorca. We set the bar high but I think that’s good for them. They saw our teamwork and I think we were a good example for them. They’re going for the same goal as we are.

Did all of your preparations go smoothly for the Tour Down Under?
Yes and no! My training all went well but the night before I was supposed to fly to Australia, I could not find my passport. I was totally in a panic. I thought, oh no, now I cannot travel to Australia, because of course you cannot enter without a passport. I turned my whole apartment upside down. I searched everywhere and I couldn't find it. I went to the airport and had to get an emergency passport there. I had to change my visa as well because the visa is linked to my passport number. Fortunately, the team was able to change my visa but we weren’t sure how long it would be for it to take effect. I flew to Barcelona first to travel with the whole team and spent the night there and about five hours before our departure from Barcelona, I got my new visa. It was the most stressful pre-travel day I’ve ever had and I actually didn’t see myself going to Australia at one point. I had my old passport with me for the camp in November but I don’t know what happened to it. Maybe I lost it on the way home. I really have no idea where it is.