Caleb Ewan takes on Giro d’Italia

Imagine this: You’re considered one of Australia’s brightest young cycling talents, you work your way via the NSWIS into Australia’s only UCI world ranked team, get selected for one of three grand tour events (Italy’s Giro d’Italia, Le Tour de France and Spain’s Vuelta a Espana) and ride to a stage win on debut. 

That was the reality for NSWIS cyclist Caleb Ewan when he won stage five of the 2015 Vuelta a Espana while riding in his very first grand tour for Aussie team Orica-GreenEdge. 

Fast forward to 2016 and Ewan has already raced the Australian national titles, Tour Down Under, Herald Sun Tour, Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, Tirreno-Adriatico, Tour de Yorkshire and is now a week into his second ever grand tour, but first Giro d’Italia.  

The 2016 Giro began with three stages in the Netherlands, an individual time trial followed by two sprint stages, both of which Ewan was considered a chance of winning. History will show that Ewan, nor anyone else, could hold the wheel of strong German sprinter Marcel Kittel in those two stages as he simply rode away from the pack.  

But that isn’t to say all was lost for Ewan. He will no doubt have learned plenty from his attempts to stay with Kittel to the finish, and there are still three sprint stages (read, three chances for Ewan to strike) in the last 11 stages, all on Italian soil. 

Even if Ewan doesn’t lead the pack over the line before the end of this major race, his Colombian teammate Esteban Chaves is shaping up as a contender in the overall general classification. 

In his relatively short time on the world tour, Ewan has already built up a plethora of experience, and there is more to come. 

UPDATE:
Caleb Ewean raced to fourth place in the seventh stage of the 2016 Giro d’Italia. 

Enjoying a strong leadout from his Orica-GreenEdge team, Ewan looked the favourite to clinch the stage on the home stretch, however his run wasn’t good enough to match the experience of German sprinter André Greipel. 

Orica-GreenEdge team sporting director Matt White was upbeat with the result, despite Ewan missing the podium. 

"Unfortunately Caleb just ran out of steam over the last few metres but everyday is more experience for him and these situations will continue to help his development," White told Eurosport. 

The Giro d’Italia has a second rest day before stage 10 commences on Tuesday. 

Updates on Ewan’s Giro d’Italia will come over the remaining two weeks of the grand tour. 

Giro d’Italia results so far: 

Stage 1 (Individual Time Trial): 191st 

Stage 2: 7th

Stage 3: 12th

Stage 4: 158th

Stage 5: 9th

Stage 6: 190th 

Stage 7: 4th

Stage 8: 180th

Stage 9 (Individual Time Trial): 155th