"I am close to my best form" - Can Caleb Ewan return to Grand Tour stage winning ways at Giro d'Italia?
CyclingFriday, 03 May 2024 at 20:30
Once considered one of the biggest bunch sprint threats in the entirety of the peloton, Caleb Ewan has suffered a difficult last couple of seasons. After a return to Team Jayco AlUla, can the Australian get back to Grand Tour stage winning ways at the upcoming Giro d'Italia?
"I think I am close to my best form again," the 29-year-old Australian, who last tasted victory at a Grand Tour on stage 7 of the 2021 Giro d'Italia, in his pre-race press conference. "I don't really have to prove anything anymore, but of course I want to win more again. Once the competition starts, I will know better where I stand, but my values in training are top. If I can reach my old level again somewhere, it is at this team.”
In his last Grand Tour outing at the 2023 Tour de France, Ewan left the race on stage 13 and was subsequently heavily criticised by his then-team boss at Lotto Dstny. This fallout is eventually what led to the 11-time Grand Tour stage winner to depart Lotto Dstny and return home to the Aussie-based Team Jayco AlUla over the off-season.
With no Tour de France on the programme this year, it's all about the Giro d'Italia for Ewan. “It was actually an easy choice to ride the Giro and miss the Tour,” he concludes. "I'm happy that I can skip the Tour and try to finish the Giro. I've wanted that for a while. The fact that there is still a sprint in the last stage is a bonus. It was actually an easy decision to do this year to go for the Giro, my main goal for 2024.”
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- it is too simple to base improvement on points alone. Quick-Step lost a lot of points but might gain more wins and are shifting their focus. Juan Ayuso might be addition by subtraction. and Ineos picked up a lot of points. Onley gets a boatload for being 4th in the Tour. but who’s racing for 4th place?!?!?mij11-01-2026
- All very sad. But you seem to be backing the journalists in generally demonising Tadej and canonising Jonas. This article is interesting though, and suggests Jonas is making very good financial decisions, acquiring luxury homes that he and his family are enjoying living in, and staying near family (also now in luxury homes) who can help with the kids. Sounds like a great lifestyle, and not a basis for critising Pog's decisions.Hills3311-01-2026
- Anyone who thinks the Giro is a training camp for the Tour, for Vingegaard, is not right in the head. First of all, he is not Pogacar and secondly, UAE will send almost A team to make Jonas life miserable and make the race difficult. If the danish fisherman competes in Giro, his chances drop from 20 to 2 percent. I also read some foolish statements that the 2026 Tour is against Pogi and I'm dying of laughter. 2026 is the most ideal Tour that Pogi will ever ride. Not a single stage is difficult except 20st. Everything else is made for UAE to control. Every mountain stage has 30-40km of easy terrain before the last climb.NikkoNicco11-01-2026
- it doesn’t matter what Jonas is doing with the houses, the article is trash. and the fact that he is buying houses in Denmark with no criticism makes everyone’s point all the stronger. it is Tadej’s life. he isn’t breaking the law. he can live where he wishes how he wishes. and his “side” isn’t quoted, which especially irks me. it makes it sound as if he is living in Monaco just to cheat taxes. maybe he is there because it is an ideal training base year round. or any other number or reasons. and, it happens to be a good financial decision.mij11-01-2026
- Unbelievably I remember people saying 2024 Pogi was avoiding Jonas by riding the Giro. Seriously why wouldn’t Jonas ride the Giro? Only GT he hasn’t won. It’s a pretty obvious and logical move.mobk11-01-2026
- it must suck to have to admit that the time to win is only going to be a result of someone else’s retirement, not improved skill or speed.mij11-01-2026
- National champs are supposed to be individual events, rider v rider not raced as teams.wipperman9511-01-2026
- National champs are supposed to be individual events, rider v rider not raced as teams.wipperman9511-01-2026
- I assume Plapp will be about as popular as a fart in a gas mask this season on the team bus. What an absolute clown shoe. Attacking his own team-mate with a lap and a half to go, bringing back his rivals with you, then fluffing it yourself to let the other guy win. You’d assume that if they had race radios, the DS would be telling Plapp to stop p*sing on Durbo’s chips, but at the same time you’d also expect a World Tour rider to understand this kind of basic racecraft. Felt like watching Dwars with Nielsen Powless and Visma. Hats off to the winner though, and him sledging his former team for giving him the boot, haha. Unreal scenes.antipodeanpedalfan11-01-2026
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🎥 VIDEO 🎥 It's almost @giroditalia time! 🩷 The weather might not be the best 🌧️ but it's always exciting to be back in Italy 🇮🇹 bring on the #Giro! 👊 Watch now 🍿⤵️
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