Orica-BikeExchange have announced a two-year contract extension for 22-year-old Caleb Ewan that will see the Australian remain with the team to at least the end of the 2018 season.
"I'm really excited to be able to stay with the team, I feel like I have progressed really well here," Ewan said of the announcement. "I'm definitely getting stronger and I'm thankful for all the help and support the team has given me to get even better."
Ewan started his season with two stage wins at the Tour Down Under, and a stage at the Jayco Herald Sun Tour but is yet to win on European soil in 2016. Ewan has placed top-ten in each stage race he's started this season and explained he is confident of landing another win to repay the team's faith in his ability.
"We are really starting to get everything in place for the sprints and I want to pay back the trust the team shows me by delivering as well," he said.
Ewan turned professional with the team at the start of 2015, after first appearing with the team as a stagiaire in 2014, and enjoyed a successful debut neo-pro season with 11 wins, including a stage of the Vuelta a Espana ahead of John Degenkolb and Peter Sagan. He made his Giro d'Italia debut this year and explained that he sees his future involving more three-week racing.
"In terms of goals, I'm happy to continue my development, to get even more Grand Tour experience and go up against the big names there."
Orica-BikeExchange sports director Matt White explained that Ewan's decision to extend with the team is confirmation of a fruitful relationship.
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"Caleb is still young, but we are well aware that he is ready to take the next steps in his career and we are happy to be part of that. It is really exciting to work with such a great talent who has already won significant races for us at a very young age," White said.
"We take great pride in creating the best possible environment for our riders and with Caleb we have seen that he is progressing really well within our framework. Time will tell how far he can take his great abilities, but there is certainly no indication that he won't be able to be amongst the great sprinters in the coming years,"
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