Pro-cycling thread

Top level sprinter.......caleb Ewan.

Does not compute

I thought his issue was that he wanted to race the Tour, but Jayco management preferred to take Groenewegen, so he was looking for a team that would give him a Tour ride. Retirement seems premature, but then he has been racing at the highest level for a long time, so maybe he’s had enough.

Ah shame for him, ok Bol Ballerini Gate isn't an amazing lead out but it's not terrible

Just the 63 wins, including multiple stage wins in all three grand tours.

Yeah fair, but he's still in the second tier to my mind and good enough to win 1.1 / score points that a team like Astana sorely needs - firmly in relegation zone

Just the 63 wins, including multiple stage wins in all three grand
tours

Since 2021 he's won a grand total of 1 WT-level races.

My ancedotal evidence suggests he's had bad luck / bad bike handling in the past 3/4 years as in some high-profile sprints when he's either binned it or missed the move, and then possibly not been in the right programme to place in him where he needs to be. I remember back when he was hot shit and winning loads and it's possible he still 'has it' but then again maybe not #insight

Caleb Ewan will win MSR 2025 as a privateer on a Winspace.

Lotto weren’t part of the WT for at least one of those seasons. Plus he had a very public falling out with the team management there.

I don’t know if he can continue to be a prolific winner, but his track record says that if he is on a team that trusts and supports him, then he’ll win races and earn lots of points.

Binny for MSR 25

except that Pogacar bloke could probably solo it from the Cipressa, it's only 22km to the finish

2023 Season Lotto were ProTeam. Ewan had 51 race days, 31 of which were at WT level, so I'm not sure the team status had a huge impact on his program.

I think in the right atmosphere he probably could be more competitive, but from an outside perspective it doesn't appear to be just a case of the teams holding him back.

Caleb = Cav 2.0

With the fall off and redemption arc.

Caleb is fast, he needs a better team around him. Unfortunately, Alpacein don't want him.

yeah but how many ppl actually like their job?

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I don't think one becomes a wc in the madison without enjoying the discipline itself.

Dark Truth? Nah mate, that would be the bags of drugs or whatever. Hating your profession is totes normale.

Yeah, I was thinking that if Caleb took Philipsen's place, he would be prolific.

I think sprints have been way more chaotic and unpredictable since 2020 which probably don't suit him. Or Sam Bennett, who also hasn't won much since around then.

I don't think we'll see any sprinters have the same sort of revival / redemption as Cav though. No-one currently has the combination of his sprinting brain, charisma, leadership, business/contract/brand negotiation skill and pathological amount of self belief.

I think Ewan has been poor at positioning for a while now. Would be better on a proper sprint train but never as good as Philipsen. He can really fight for a wheel