Who Is? 02.12.2017/1,60/70: Sprinters are often rather tall and strong. Caleb Ewan definitely doesn't fit that description. The Australian is just over 23 m tall and weighs nowhere near 2018 kg. Nevertheless, he has blossomed into a top sprinter in a very short time. The only XNUMX-year-old has even won stages at Grand Tours. He is still waiting for success at the Tour de France. It could work out in XNUMX. Reason enough for us to take a closer look at the up-and-coming Sprinter.
Name | Caleb ewan | |
Birthday | July 11, 1994 | |
Place of Birth | Sydney | |
Nationality | Australia | |
Size | 165 cm | |
Weight | 61 kg | |
Current team | Orica Scott | |
specialization | Sprinter | |
Active as an amateur | since 2013 | |
Active as a professional | since 2014 | |
Greatest successes | Stage win at the Vuelta a Espana 2015 Winner of the Hamburg Cyclassics 2016 Stage win at the 2017 Giro d'Italia |
Beginnings on the track
Like so many pros, Caleb Ewan started his career on the track. Track cycling is held in high esteem in his native Australia. In 2011, Ewan secured the Junior World Champion Omnium title. He also triumphed three times at the Commonwealth Youth Games on the road. He's still mostly on the road there today, even if he shows up on the train from time to time. In 2013 and 2014 he rode for the Jayco-AIS World Tour Academy. In this jersey he won stages at the U23 Thuringia Tour and the Tour de l'Avenir. After he secured the Australian U23 championship and finished second at the Junior World Championships, WorldTour teams took notice of him. Unsurprisingly, Orica-GreenEdge won the race. With this top Australian team, he was first given the chance to prove himself as a stagiaire. The firm commitment was announced at the end of 2014.
Ewan beats Sagan & Degenkolb at the Vuelta
2015 was to be his first professional season. Although Orica-GreenEdge belonged to the WorldTour, Caleb Ewan was mainly used in smaller races. He should first gain the necessary race toughness in order to have enough strength for the sprints at the end. Surprisingly, Ewan got good results straight away. He won the overall standings of the Tour de Korea and the Mitchelton Wines Bay Classic, as well as multiple stages of the Tour of Langkawi and the Herald Sun Tour. At the Australian Championships right at the beginning of the year, he was beaten only by Heinrich Haussler. Because of his top results, the team management nominated him for the Vuelta a Espana. Since experience has shown that there are hardly any good sprinters at the start, a surprising success of the youngster was hoped for. The plan worked out perfectly, because Caleb Ewan crossed the finish line on the 5th stage in front of John Degenkolb and Peter Sagan. Particularly impressive: It wasn't a flat sprint, but a very demanding home stretch.
Further victories at the Giro, the Tour Down Under and the Cyclassics Hamburg
Ewan gained international fame with his stage win at the Vuelta. From now on, certain expectations weighed on the little Australian. Especially at home, there was talk of the upcoming sprint star. He lived up to this expectation right at the beginning of 2016. Back home, he won two stages at the Tour Down Under and the People's Choice Classic, as well as a stage at the Herald Sun Tour. After so many positive impressions, it had to go through a low in the middle of the year. At the Giro d'Italia he only sprinted onto the podium once, there was no victory. Only in Hamburg at the Cyclassics did it work again. Although Nacer Bouhanni actually crossed the line in front of him, the win was subsequently awarded to Ewan. With four stage wins at the Tour Down Under 2017 and further successes at the Tour de Pologne and the Giro d'Italia, he finally rose to become one of the top sprinters.
Caleb Ewan resembles Mark Cavendish
Caleb Ewan can primarily be compared to Mark Cavendish. Just like the Brit, the Australian also crouches extremely in the sprint. That's why his fans call him - because he looks even smaller than he already is - Pocket Rocket. His head is almost at the front under the handlebars, giving the impression that he is about to tip over. The resulting aerodynamic position allows Cavendish and Ewan to make up for the physical disadvantages that come with being shorter and lighter. As a result, the sprints of the rather weaker professionals - like Cavendish and Ewan - always look a bit more spectacular and dangerous. An exciting duel for the sprinter crown between Fernando Gaviria and Caleb Ewan is expected for the coming years. So it certainly won't be boring.
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