Caleb Ewan is having quite a busy start to the season. He won the criterium national championships in Australia, but fell ill only days before the Tour Down Under. He did make it to the race start and was in contention for victory on the first stage, however he did not have the legs ultimately.
"It was hot, phew. I thought it was a strange day, because they held it together for so long before the sprint. My legs were fine, but my heart rate was constantly very high," Ewan admit in a post-race interview. "That's normal with the heat, but I hope I can improve as the race progresses." The heat was present on a day where the pace was calm. Team Jayco AlUla had strong positioning over the last 10 kilometers with Luke Plapp putting in a big stint at the front, but the team was then swarmed in the key locations.
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However, with no technical features present, Ewan managed to find a great position in the wheel of Sam Welsford ahead of the final sprint. He was the first to kick it to the finish and seemed to have the speed initially, however he sat up a few meters from the line, unable to maintain the speed. At the end, a fourth place for the 'Pocket Rocket'.
"I can't blame my teammates, they helped me perfectly," Ewan thanks. However, it is not a result that satisfies Ewan, even if his presence in the race was at risk until very recently. "I was on Sam's wheel, but I simply couldn't get out. I knew that could be the case, but I can take positive things with me to the next sprint stage"
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A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
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Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
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- Thibau Nys does exactly what Iserbyt is calling for
Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - i did not see it. was the relegation justified or an overly hard decision? and don‘t cross riders deviate from straight lines all the time? bumping into each others when they cut corners, etc … why being more strict with the rules on the finish sprint?Ketterechts08-11-2026
- seems like we are advertising the website with pointless comments…Ketterechts08-11-2026
- So?Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- The UCI do have their favorites.
Front24208-11-2026 - On a positive note, you maybe notice turning this topic into a discussion has the benefit of eliminating certain participants who do not see how they can turn it back to their sole interest ;-)Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
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- And we, what are we doing?Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
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🏁 FINISH 🏁 1️⃣ Stage 1 🇦🇺 #TourDownUnder 4️⃣th place
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