Caleb Ewan wrapped up his professional career earlier this year after what seemed like a successful comeback with INEOS Grenadiers. The now-retired Australian is nevertheless present at the Tour de France as an expert and analyst. From his position, he shared his opinion on today's controversial stage.
"I don't think there was too much risk taken," says Ewan to Wieler Revue at the finish in Dunkerque. "It's just an unfortunate racing incident. I've seen much worse in the past. This is just part of cycling, unfortunately. It's a shame for Jasper because he rode incredibly well and gave his team a flying start in Lille. Very disappointing for him."
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"It wasn't ideal indeed. If they had moved the finish line a bit, they could have sprinted in a straight line. With a final like this you know it's going to be a bloodbath," the experienced sprinter said about the course design.
Ewan could tell the outcome from just one look: "I walked the last 500 meters this morning and I knew straight away that it was going to be very difficult. Many boys are pressed against the barriers because the group is swinging from left to right. It is actually very logical that something goes wrong somewhere."
Dylan Groenewgen
Dylan Groenewegen is yet to enter the top-10 after mere 13th place in Dunkerque. But former colleague and teammate Ewan trusts that the Dutchman will be able to make the dots connect at some point this week.
"I think Dylan is still very good. Maybe a little worse compared to sprinters like Milan and Merlier. Together with Philipsen, they are the three best sprinters in the peloton. But that does not mean that Dylan can no longer win. If he is set up well, he can still win stages in the Tour."
Does Ewan miss racing after ending his career at the Itzulia Basque Country? "No, I don't miss it. The first days of the Tour were very hectic. I love sprinting but it's so dangerous that I'm glad I'm on the other side of the barriers now."
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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- There really was nothing in it. Schreiber was so much faster, and Brand was fighting to stay in the wheel in the sprint. Schreiber did move a bit, but to say she closed the door doesn't make sense because Brand couldn't enter it anyway, abd she wasn't impeded.
Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - He should have been allowed to go to Movistar. Right now both arent a good fit for each other and are just wasting each other's time and effortabstractengineer08-11-2026
- Thibau Nys does exactly what Iserbyt is calling forRafionain-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
- People see what they want to. I am actually the opposite of your accusation, probably more of a rebel than most of you who don’t get the big picture. The difference is, I don’t go moaning publicly about the consequences of my transgressions, I understand the need for rules and I take my OWN responsibility when deciding to ignore or break them or doing so involuntarily. I will also not hesitate to state my case or argue vehemently when relevant, sometimes it works, sometimes it makes things worse but that’s the price to pay for principles and having character.Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- That may be but that was unknown to others and nothing says that’s the whole truth. Again, don’t try to misinterpret, it is a call and technically it is correct. Besides, even if there is a valid reason, that does not disqualify the ruling or punishment as far as the rules have been developed. I don’t think they’re as far as in football where for handball there is a distinction (in some ways and specific cases) between intentional or not. And football can be just as harsh and people live with it, eg the offside rule, also judged to within tiny fractions but often wrong or ignored. It’s the nature of every collective organisation and sometimes I wonder if our rebellion against it isn’t seated in the feelings we carry from the injustices we’ve felt personally, like being flashed driving 1km/h too fast when we are explained limits are just a security measure but we are absolutely certain not to have endangered anyone with our transgression. The problem is, nobody has better solutions and no 2 people have the same interpretation of where a limit should be.Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
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