After a disappointing year in the saddle, Caleb Ewan finally has what his heart and his legs desire: a new team, their complete support and, most importantly, a fresh start. At the Lotto Soudal training camp in Mallorca, Spain, the Australian sprinter sat down with Cyclingnews to give a frank and honest assessment of his 2018 campaign, and spoke about filling the shoes of Andre Griepel, and about his fractured relationship with certain members of the Mitchelton-Scott management team.
By his own admission, 2018 was not the season Caleb Ewan was hoping for. The year had started promisingly, with a stage win at the Tour Down Under in January, followed by another victory at the Clasica de Almeria in February. Everything appeared to be on track as the 24-year-old gradually moved towards his two main goals of the season in Milan-San Remo and the Tour de France.
However, by the end of June, the Australian was off the roster for the Tour and at war with his Mitchelton directors, who appeared convinced that a move to Lotto Soudal had already been sealed. As the season petered out, Ewan found himself struggling for races, dislodged from the WorldTour schedule and without even a shot at the Vuelta a España to keep him occupied. A win on the last stage of the Tour of Britain would be his final act in Mitchelton colours, and a sad end to his time on the Australian team.
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"Results-wise, it was disappointing, but I feel like I stepped up a level, physically. I struggled to get a win in the second half of the season, though, and I missed the Tour as well, when I was at my peak form. I was wasted then, and from there it was a bit messed up," Ewan tells Cyclingnews.
"I felt like I could never find my rhythm. I'm not looking back with too much worry, because I was still getting podiums, and there were times when we just didn't catch the break. The Tour was my main focus of the season. But I didn't even get to do it, or any other Grand Tour, and I don't think I deserved that. I've won stages in the Vuelta and the Giro, so it's not like I'm not capable of doing a Grand Tour. It was a pity to see the team treat it like that in the end, but I wanted to still do well before getting the season finished. I didn't want to just throw away the rest of the season, because, in the end, it's my career. I kept training and luckily I got the win on the last stage of the Tour of Britain."
Hangin' tough
Summertime
Step-by-step
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via Cyclingnews Latest Interviews and Features http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/caleb-ewan-new-kid-on-the-lotto-block
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