Caleb Ewan adamant on winning Champs - Elysées sprint

Caleb Ewan will start his fourth Tour de France tomorrow, with the goal of taking a stage win in the sprints, with a special interest in winning on the Champs - Elysées where he won in 2019.

His team will not include his traditional leadout. A surprise to most, and a novelty to the Australian who will have Reinardt Janse van Rensburg, Florian Vermeersch and Brent van Moer. "They are very strong. It's the best team that we can bring, but we have to change our tactics a little bit. The most important thing my teammates have to do is to put me in a good position at one from the finish, and I can handle it from there," Ewan said.

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"So, they don't necessarily have to drop me at 200 metres to go. If they can keep me out of the wind in the last 10km and get me in good position under the flamme rouge, I can finish it myself," he said of his expected leadout. The team will be focused on stage wins in different terrains, but Ewan remains Lotto Soudal's best option.

"I haven't completed a Grand Tour since 2020, so just for my legs it would be good to finish. I've been focusing a lot on the climbing to really get through it. If I stay healthy, I want to make it to Paris for sure. And to win the sprint there – every sprinter wants to be first," he concluded convincingly. There will be seven stages that are expected to end in a bunch sprint, two of those with some climbing that may prove an issue if Ewan doesn't have his best legs. In Denmark he'll have two opportunities.