Caleb Ewan wins People's Choice Classic ahead of Tour Down Under
21-year-old Australian sprinter lives up to expectation by winning criterium race in Adelaide, Australia. Adam Blythe third, Ben Swift fourth - Photos by Graham Watson

Burgeoning Australian sprinter Caleb Ewan proved he is the fast-man to beat at the Tour Down Under with a convincing victory at the annual prelude criterium, the People's Choice Classic, on Sunday.
The 21-year-old navigated a messy sprint to finish about a bike length ahead of Giacomo Nizzolo (Trek-Segafredo) and British pair Adam Blythe (Tinkoff) and Ben Swift (Sky).
Ewan entered the 51km event in Adelaide, South Australia as the outright favourite with previous champions in Andre Greipel and Marcel Kittel absent this season.
The recently crowned national criterium champion took the newfound expectation in his stride and worked seamlessly with Orica-GreenEdge team-mates and final lead-out man Daryl Impey to mark his sixth victory of the year.
“It’s always hard going into a race as a favourite and especially when there is such a tough field here,” Ewan said post-race. “I was probably more nervous for today than I have been for any of the other race so far.
“My team just rode perfectly. We sat back for a lot of the race and cruised around. And they were awesome. Once you need to go to the front, they kept me up there and led me out perfectly.”
Watch: Tour Down Under 2016 preview
Blythe was aggressive in what was his first race with Tinkoff following a year at Orica-GreenEdge.
The 26-year-old said he is motivated ahead of season in which he is set to support world champion Peter Sagan.
Blythe is the only British rider at Tinkoff, though has found a compatriot in sports director Sean Yates. “I get on with him really well. He’s dead cool,” he said.
Sky come to the fore late in the race, leading the stretched peloton single file for no less than three laps, however, lost fire power leaving Swift to navigate the final.
The more versatile sprinter will have another shot at line honours when the Tour Down Under officially commences on Tuesday with an undulating 130.8km run from Prospect to Lyndoch,
>>> Caleb Ewan is the man to beat in Tour Down Under sprints as big names opt out
Result
People's Choice Classic 2016
1. Caleb Ewan (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge in 1-02-25
2. Giacomo Nizzolo (Ita) Trek Factory Racing
3. Adam Blythe (GBr) Tinkoff
4. Ben Swift (GBr) Team Sky
5. Marko Klump (Slo) Lampre-Merida
6. Reinardt Janse van Rensburg (RSA) Dimension Data
7. Davide Martinelli (Ita) Etixx-QuickStep
8. Matteo Pelucchi (Ita) IAM Cycling
9. Wouter Wippert (Ned) Cannondale
10. Patrick Shaw (Aus) Australia-AIS all same time
Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Sophie Smith is an Australian journalist, television reporter and presenter, who has provided coverage for Cycling Weekly from races across the world. She has covered eight Tours de France, as well as reporting for national and international newspapers as well as other magazines.
Follow Sophie Smith on Twitter and Instagram:
Instagram: sophiesmith86
Twitter: @SophieSmith86
-
-
Five talking points from stage six of the Giro d'Italia 2022
What we learned from the peloton's first day on the Italian mainland
By Ryan Dabbs • Published
-
'Just perfect' — Arnaud Démare on a roll at the Giro d'Italia with two wins in a row
French sprinter triumphs for second day running on stage six
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Extinction Rebellion planning to disrupt Santos Festival of Cycling
Activists will blockade routes on the race in protest against the title sponsor of the Adelaide-based event
By Ryan Dabbs • Published
-
Postponed Tour Down Under and Cadel Evans races may take place ahead of September Worlds
The races, if the rumour is true, will be taking place before the UCI World Championships in Wollongong, Australia
By Tim Bonville-Ginn • Published
-
Tour Down Under TV guide 2020
Here's how and where to watch live video of the Tour Down Under
By Cycling Weekly • Published
-
Tour Down Under 2019 route: Willunga Hill remains the pivotal stage amongst a host of sprints
A stage by stage guide to the 2019 Tour Down Under, the opening race of the UCI WorldTour (January 15-20), around Adelaide and South Australia.
By Michelle Arthurs-Brennan • Published
-
Richie Porte wins on Willunga Hill again, but Daryl Impey leads Tour Down Under on countback
Richie Porte won the Tour Down Under's Queen stage on Willunga Hill for the fifth time in as many years, but Daryl Impey moved into the race's lead with just one stage remaining.
By Chris Marshall-Bell • Published
-
Peter Kennaugh on Bora-Hansgrohe: 'I’m so much happier here'
Manxman Peter Kennaugh says that he is riding into top form with new team Bora-Hansgrohe at the Tour Down Under so that he can contest the Cadel Evans Road Race
By Sophie Smith • Published
-
'A wheel ain't gonna cut it': Riders borrowing fans' bikes and other stories from the Tour Down Under through the years
We've cast our eye back through the archives to remember some of the best and most popular stories from the Tour Down Under in last few years.
By Henry Robertshaw • Published
-
Elia Viviani: Everything clicked into place at Quick-Step Floors to take Down Under stage win
Italian sprinter Elia Viviani took his first victory for new team Quick-Step Floors at the Tour Down Under, after a few adjustments were made to his lead-out train
By Sophie Smith • Published