"He will certainly perform at Jayco AlUla, I have not the slightest doubt about that" - No hard feelings for Stéphane Heulot after public Caleb Ewan spat

Following Caleb Ewan's much-publicised departure from Lotto Dstny, it seems as if tensions between the Australian sprint star and team boss Stéphane Heulot have now cooled somewhat.

"Caleb is a great rider, we know that. Now, it's been two or three years since he won in an interesting way. From the moment you have this status, it gives you rights, but also duties. This is what I emphasized," Heulot says in conversation with Cyclism'Actu. "Again, I don't have a direct problem with Caleb, but I am speaking out for a group of riders. You know, when the sprints take place at 70 km/h, it is important to have your train and your teammates around you, which they did perfectly well. Except that trust must be shared."

With Ewan being granted a fresh start back in the team of homeland with Team Jayco AlUla, Heulot believes the Aussie is more than capable of returning to top form. "I think that today he will certainly perform at Jayco AlUla, I have not the slightest doubt about that," he insists. "He has character and pride, he will want to prove that."

"But it's clear that if we had continued together, it would have been more or less a failed season for us from an accounting point of view, and for him probably the end of his career," Heulot concludes. "You have to be respectful and intelligent, when two parties can no longer work together, you have to find the best separation solution. I wish him the best."