Caleb Ewan says it was an 'all or nothing' sprint to win Hatta Dam stage of UAE Tour

The Australian takes his first WorldTour win after he was relegated at the Tour Down Under

(Image credit: Yuzuru SUNADA)

Caleb Ewan said it was an 'all or nothing' sprint as he took his first WorldTour stage victory of 2019 at the UAE Tour.

The Australian powered past rivals on his way to the top of the 17 per cent Hatta Dam climb.

Ewan’s win in the Middle East is redemption, after he was stripped of victory at the Tour Down Under last month for headbutting in the final.

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Speaking after stage four of the UAE Tour, the 24-year-old Lotto-Soudal rider said: “I was in really good position at the bottom of it and I guess I was a man on a mission. I felt good sprinting up there.

“I knew the team were backing me to get up there today and there wasn’t anyone else in the team wanting to go for victory, so it was all or nothing for me.”

Ewan has never ridden the brutal 400m ascent near the Oman border, but said he suspected it could suit his combination of size and power.

Trek-Segafredo’s Matteo Moschetti looked to be making a break as the riders hit the final bend, but Ewan paced his effort and went well clear to take the win.

He said: “A lot of the guys I was sprinting against were 80 kilos plus and I’m 67 kilos. I’m probably a lot smaller than a lot of them and I guess my power to weight ratio is better for when the climb is 17 per cent.

“I knew coming into this tour that this could potentially suit me well. It’s hard to tell on TV how steep it really is. It is pretty steep.

"Looking back at the guys that have won before, it’s really more like climber sprinters that do well here.”

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The Hatta Dam stage was not the first time this season Ewan has crossed the line first in a WorldTour event however.

He won stage five of the Tour Down Under last month, but was later relegated for head-butting Jasper Philipsen (UAE Team Emirates).

Ewan said: “It was pretty annoying getting the relegation, but I think if I could take a positive out of that, I still won the bunch kick with all those good guys there.

“I still could take confidence out of that, I just don’t have that win to my name.

“It’s nice to officially get a WorldTour win.

“You don’t really get much bigger than that, so I’m happy with that stage.”

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Alex Ballinger

Alex Ballinger is editor of BikeBiz magazine, the leading publication for the UK cycle industry, and is the former digital news editor for CyclingWeekly.com. After gaining experience in local newsrooms, national newspapers and in digital journalism, Alex found his calling in cycling, first as a reporter, then as news editor responsible for Cycling Weekly's online news output, and now as the editor of BikeBiz. Since pro cycling first captured his heart during the 2010 Tour de France (specifically the Contador-Schleck battle) Alex covered three Tours de France, multiple editions of the Tour of Britain, and the World Championships, while both writing and video presenting for Cycling Weekly. He also specialises in fitness writing, often throwing himself into the deep end to help readers improve their own power numbers.  Away from the desk, Alex can be found racing time trials, riding BMX and mountain bikes, or exploring off-road on his gravel bike. He’s also an avid gamer, and can usually be found buried in an eclectic selection of books.