"The team has made it clear that they would prefer me to leave" - Caleb Ewan's future remains in the dark

Caleb Ewan's future continues to be a question. Recently it had been rumoured he was pondering retiring from pro cycling, although the Australian says he's eager to resume competition. Whether that will be at Lotto Dstny or not however is still a question, as his contract remains under discussion.

"I really want to compete. Otherwise I would be idle from July to January and that is far too long. I want to keep the peloton feeling to start the season well next year. Regardless of where that is," Ewan told Het Nieuwsblad. "As we speak, I assume that I will still be riding for the team next year. But I don't know what's going to happen. The team has made it clear that they would prefer me to leave, but I still have a contract (until the end of 2024, ed.)."

The situation is not easy, and deteriorated significantly at the Tour de France. There Ewan abandoned the race on stage and was heavily criticized by Stéphane Heulot. Within the team there were riders that supported him and others that didn't look as keen. With Arnaud De Lie surging as the new team leader and by far best UCI point scorer, the 'Pocket Rocket's ability to maneuver the situation in his favour is also quite different currently.

"The discussions with Caleb's management are correct and positive," team CEO Stephane Heulot said, although not sounding overly positive in whether the team has changed it's approach and looks to keep him. "What happened happened. What's said is said. Sometimes those things happen in professional sports. It is what it is. As team leader, I said what I wanted to say. But we're both professionals, it's not like we're at war with each other. The intention is not to further damage Caleb's career. We both want Caleb to end up in the best possible situation."