Long-awaited Tour de France victory lifts pressure off Caleb Ewan
The Australian sprinter had reached the podium four times before finally getting a win


Caleb Ewan took a long-awaited stage victory to take the pressure off his shoulders in his first Tour de France.
Having come close in the previous days, Lotto-Soudal sprinter Ewan topped Dylan Groenewegen (Jumbo-Visma) by centimetres to win stage 11 in Toulouse.
"It was disbelief, and a huge weight off my shoulders," Ewan said.
"I came to my first Tour de France as a leader for my team. The team basically hired me cause they had faith I could win at the high level and up until now I haven't been able to do it for them.
"That's a lot of pressure, to come here and win. I'm so happy that they put the faith in me and I could repay them with the victory."
>>> George Bennett accepts sacrificing his own GC chances to support team aims at Tour de France
The Australian left home team Mitchelton-Scott to have a chance to race the Grand Tours, as Mitchelton had not taken him to a three-week race since the 2017 Giro d'Italia, instead focusing on its general classification riders Adam and Simon Yates, and Esteban Chaves.
Lotto-Soudal took him back to the Giro d'Italia in May, where he won twice, and to the Tour for the first time. He now counts wins in all three Grand Tours.
"This shouldn't have been my first Tour de France, I believe I was ready three to four years ago. I finally got my chance after feeling like I was held back, and I've done it. This is a dream come true," Ewan said.
"Now if I go home with just this one win, the Tour has been a success for me. I'm not going to stop now, I'm going for the next two opportunities full gas and try to win. But now this is a weight off my shoulders, and I didn't want to carry that through the Pyrenees and Alps to come, I'm happy to have it off my mind."
Ewan did it all without his lead-out man Jasper De Buyst, who was lost to a crash just outside the final 10km. Instead, he made sure he was on Dylan Groenewegen's wheel.
"Quick-Step came up and tried to take the wheel off me. I fought them off, I knew I was on the right wheel," he explained.
"I ended up on Dylan's wheel coming out of the right corner, where I needed to be. It's hard to beat Dylan, he goes long, his team led him out well, his team was on the front for 20km. It wasn't going to be easy to beat him.
"I had to use some sprint tactics. I let him start a little before me and get a gap, and I could sprint in to his slipstream and come past him quite quick."
>>> Egan Bernal aiming to limit his losses in Tour de France stage 13 time trial
Former Australian sprinter Robbie McEwen, now a race commentator, came in to congratulate behind the podium. Ewan now rides in the team where another famous Australian, Cadel Evans, began his rise as a stage racer.
"There's no other race that I've dreamt of winning since I was a young kid. The Tour de France was something that was so distant, from Australia, something we just watched on TV," continued Ewan.
"I can't believe I'm even here, and to win a stage is a real dream come true for me."
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
Gregor Brown is an experienced cycling journalist, based in Florence, Italy. He has covered races all over the world for over a decade - following the Giro, Tour de France, and every major race since 2006. His love of cycling began with freestyle and BMX, before the 1998 Tour de France led him to a deep appreciation of the road racing season.
-
-
Best bicycle insurance, including what you need to know and how to compare
Wondering how to protect your pride and joy? Our helpful guide tells you all you need to know about bicycle insurance
By Hannah Bussey • Published
-
Five talking points from stage eleven of the Giro d’Italia 2022
The Cycling Weekly highlights package from the stage which finally saw an Italian win at the home race this year
By Luke Friend • Published
-
Caleb Ewan will continue at Giro d'Italia despite stage one crash, says team
Australian will take to the start of short individual time trial on stage two
By Richard Windsor • Published
-
Racing every race like it's the last of the season: how smaller teams are overperforming this year
Lotto-Soudal and Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux have won 11 races between them in 2022 after just 21 in all of last year, so what's going on?
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Meet Florian Vermeersch, the history student and local councillor who finished second at Paris-Roubaix
The Lotto Soudal rider on living up to new expectations, the new approach of his team, and how time trialling helps in the Classics
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Paris-Roubaix runner-up Florian Vermeersch posts incredible ride to Strava
The 22-year-old Belgian put in an astonishing ride on his 'Hell of the North' debut
By Tim Bonville-Ginn • Published
-
'Straight away I felt a lot of pain': Caleb Ewan reacts to Tour de France crash
The Australian will no longer be able to complete his trio of Grand Tour stage wins in one year but is already looking toward the Vuelta a España
By Jonny Long • Published
-
Caleb Ewan out of Tour de France 2021 with collarbone fracture
The Australian crashed in the final stretch of stage three, bringing down Peter Sagan with him
By Richard Windsor • Published
-
Lotto-Soudal rider sent off course as he led solo in final kilometre at Ronde van Limburg
Brent Van Moer looked in with a chance of taking his first pro victory before he as sent off course
By Richard Windsor • Published
-
Lotto-Soudal down to just two riders at the Giro d'Italia 2021 after Thomas De Gendt abandons
The team have struggled with injuries since Caleb Ewan left the race
By Tim Bonville-Ginn • Published