Caleb Ewan wins Down Under Classic
Huge crash takes out several sprinters in final
Caleb Ewan (Lotto Soudal) came away with the win at the 2019 Down Under Classic ahead of Peter Sagan (Bora-hansgrohe) and Alexander Edmondson (Mitchelton-Scott). Ewan came through a difficult final lap after a crash took down several rivals, including Italian national champion Elia Viviani.
Ewan made it through the final set of corners and was perfectly brought to the line by his teammate Roger Kluge. There was a late charge from last year's winner Peter Sagan but the three-time world champion had no answer when Ewan opened up his sprint with the Australian winning by over a bike length. Edmondson was the best of the rest and rounded out the podium.
"I knew that it was going to be a hard one to win because of the caliber of sprinter here. I went into it confident and I knew that my form was good but you never know how it's going to go. It was a very aggressive race and that made it a little bit harder," Ewan said at the finish.
"My team did a fantastic job. On a course like this with four corners on each lap, it's hard to stay together but they stayed composed and I stayed with Roger and he delivered me perfectly."
The win marked Ewan's first major victory of the season - he won twice at the recent Bay Crits - and his first against a world class field since his move from Mitchelton-Scott to Lotto-Soudal during the winter. The Australian, who has won the Down Under Classic twice in his career, was well placed in the closing laps and was one of the first riders to come through the final set of corners, where the crash occurred. Daniel Oss held a brief gap as he attacked in the final few hundred meters but he was unable to hold his advantage as Kluge - who moved with Ewan from Mitchelton-Scott to Lotto-Soudal - brought his leader back into contention.
The early laps saw a number of attacks from within the field with Mat Hayman - riding his final race before retiring at the end of the Tour Down Under - particularly active in closing down moves. Lotto-Soudal's Thomas de Gendt was also present at the front, while Dimenson Data's Ben O'Connor was part of the first attack of the one-hour race. With the sprinters' teams unwilling to see a break gain more than thirty seconds the pace was frantic throughout.
FDJ, the new CCC Team and EF Education First all tried to create breaks but with Lotto-Soudal, Bahrain Merida, Bora and the rest of the sprinters' teams setting the pace the race quickly became a predicable battle between the fast men.
The crash in the final kilometre certainly played a huge role in the finish. By the time the remnants of the main field came through the last set of corners only a handful of riders remained in contention. However, you make your own luck and Ewan and Lotto Soudal showed cohesion and skill in making sure that their sprinter was near the front and wasn't involved in the fight for places further back in the field.
"I'm happy with my form and I couldn't ask for a better start. This is the first time I've raced with a full team like this. To start with the win is a good feeling," Ewan added.
"This was probably the most important one today. To get the confidence of the team up. They did a perfect job and this was the first time we've done the leadout. It's such a good feeling."
Next up for Ewan is the Tour Down Under, with the first stage on Tuesday.
Race finish highlights
Results
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Caleb Ewan (Aus) Lotto Soudal | 1:03:59 |
2 | Peter Sagan (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe | Row 1 - Cell 2 |
3 | Alex Edmondson (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott | Row 2 - Cell 2 |
4 | Roger Kluge (Ger) Lotto Soudal | 0:00:02 |
5 | Daniel Oss (Ita) Bora-Hansgrohe | 0:00:04 |
6 | Owain Doull (GBr) Team Sky | 0:00:05 |
7 | Luke Rowe (GBr) Team Sky | 0:00:09 |
8 | Luis León Sánchez (Spa) Astana Pro Team | Row 7 - Cell 2 |
9 | Marco Haller (Aut) Katusha-Alpecin | Row 8 - Cell 2 |
10 | Francisco Ventoso (Spa) CCC Team | Row 9 - Cell 2 |
11 | Davide Ballerini (Ita) Astana Pro Team | Row 10 - Cell 2 |
12 | Mikkel Frølich Honore (Den) Deceuninck - Quick-Step | Row 11 - Cell 2 |
13 | Tobias Ludvigsson (Swe) Groupama-FDJ | 0:00:17 |
14 | Dylan van Baarle (Ned) Team Sky | Row 13 - Cell 2 |
15 | Lluís Guillermo Mas Bonet (Spa) Movistar Team | Row 14 - Cell 2 |
16 | Max Walscheid (Ger) Team Sunweb | Row 15 - Cell 2 |
17 | Tadej Pogacar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates | Row 16 - Cell 2 |
18 | Michael Woods (Can) EF Education First Pro Cycling | Row 17 - Cell 2 |
19 | Clement Chevrier (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | Row 18 - Cell 2 |
20 | Hermann Pernsteiner (Aut) Bahrain-Merida | Row 19 - Cell 2 |
21 | Daniel Hoelgaard (Nor) Groupama-FDJ | Row 20 - Cell 2 |
22 | Johannes Fröhlinger (Ger) Team Sunweb | 0:00:22 |
23 | Dries Devenyns (Bel) Deceuninck - Quick-Step | 0:00:27 |
24 | Michael Valgren Andersen (Den) Dimension Data | 0:00:32 |
25 | Lars Ytting Bak (Den) Dimension Data | Row 24 - Cell 2 |
26 | Diego Ulissi (Ita) UAE Team Emirates | Row 25 - Cell 2 |
27 | Jasper Philipsen (Bel) UAE Team Emirates | Row 26 - Cell 2 |
28 | Manuele Boaro (Ita) Astana Pro Team | Row 27 - Cell 2 |
29 | Hubert Dupont (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | Row 28 - Cell 2 |
30 | Ruben Guerreiro (Por) Katusha-Alpecin | Row 29 - Cell 2 |
31 | Carl Fredrik Hagen (Nor) Lotto Soudal | Row 30 - Cell 2 |
32 | Lukasz Owsian (Pol) CCC Team | Row 31 - Cell 2 |
33 | Max Kanter (Ger) Team Sunweb | Row 32 - Cell 2 |
34 | Kiel Reijnen (USA) Trek-Segafredo | 0:00:41 |
35 | Kristoffer Halvorsen (Nor) Team Sky | Row 34 - Cell 2 |
36 | Gediminas Bagdonas (Ltu) AG2R La Mondiale | Row 35 - Cell 2 |
37 | Adam Blythe (GBr) Lotto Soudal | 0:00:55 |
38 | Adam Hansen (Aus) Lotto Soudal | Row 37 - Cell 2 |
39 | Rafael Valls (Spa) Movistar Team | Row 38 - Cell 2 |
40 | Rubén Fernandez (Spa) Movistar Team | Row 39 - Cell 2 |
41 | Jan Polanc (Slo) UAE Team Emirates | Row 40 - Cell 2 |
42 | Koen de Kort (Ned) Trek-Segafredo | Row 41 - Cell 2 |
43 | Yukiya Arashiro (Jpn) Bahrain-Merida | Row 42 - Cell 2 |
44 | Chris Hamilton (Aus) Team Sunweb | 0:00:59 |
45 | Lucas Hamilton (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott | Row 44 - Cell 2 |
46 | Nans Peters (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | Row 45 - Cell 2 |
47 | Daryl Impey (RSA) Mitchelton-Scott | Row 46 - Cell 2 |
48 | Jai Hindley (Aus) Team Sunweb | Row 47 - Cell 2 |
49 | Dylan Sunderland (Aus) UniSA-Australia | Row 48 - Cell 2 |
50 | Cees Bol (Ned) Team Sunweb | Row 49 - Cell 2 |
51 | Jakub Mareczko (Ita) CCC Team | Row 50 - Cell 2 |
52 | Remi Cavagna (Fra) Deceuninck - Quick-Step | Row 51 - Cell 2 |
53 | Robert Gesink (Ned) Team Jumbo-Visma | Row 52 - Cell 2 |
54 | Michael Hepburn (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott | Row 53 - Cell 2 |
55 | Nicholas Dlamini (RSA) Dimension Data | Row 54 - Cell 2 |
56 | Maciej Bodnar (Pol) Bora-Hansgrohe | Row 55 - Cell 2 |
57 | Neil van der Ploeg (Aus) UniSA-Australia | 0:01:17 |
58 | Michael Potter (Aus) UniSA-Australia | Row 57 - Cell 2 |
59 | Héctor Carretero (Spa) Movistar Team | Row 58 - Cell 2 |
60 | Marcel Sieberg (Ger) Bahrain-Merida | 0:01:19 |
61 | Nico Denz (Ger) AG2R La Mondiale | Row 60 - Cell 2 |
62 | Kilian Frankiny (Swi) Groupama-FDJ | Row 61 - Cell 2 |
63 | Jay McCarthy (Aus) Bora-Hansgrohe | 0:01:21 |
64 | Lukas Pöstlberger (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe | Row 63 - Cell 2 |
65 | Gregor Mühlberger (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe | Row 64 - Cell 2 |
66 | Szymon Sajnok (Pol) CCC Team | Row 65 - Cell 2 |
67 | Oscar Gatto (Ita) Bora-Hansgrohe | Row 66 - Cell 2 |
68 | Leo Vincent (Fra) Groupama-FDJ | Row 67 - Cell 2 |
69 | Jason Lea (Aus) UniSA-Australia | 0:01:24 |
70 | Tomasz Marczynski (Pol) Lotto Soudal | Row 69 - Cell 2 |
71 | Peter Stetina (USA) Trek-Segafredo | 0:01:26 |
72 | Jaime Castrillo (Spa) Movistar Team | Row 71 - Cell 2 |
73 | Steve Morabito (Swi) Groupama-FDJ | Row 72 - Cell 2 |
74 | Jens Debusschere (Bel) Katusha-Alpecin | Row 73 - Cell 2 |
75 | Alex Dowsett (GBr) Katusha-Alpecin | Row 74 - Cell 2 |
76 | Yevgeniy Gidich (Kaz) Astana Pro Team | Row 75 - Cell 2 |
77 | Alberto Bettiol (Ita) EF Education First Pro Cycling | 0:01:29 |
78 | Lachlan Morton (Aus) EF Education First Pro Cycling | Row 77 - Cell 2 |
79 | Daniil Fominykh (Kaz) Astana Pro Team | Row 78 - Cell 2 |
80 | Vyacheslav Kuznetsov (Rus) Katusha-Alpecin | Row 79 - Cell 2 |
81 | Dmitry Strakhov (Rus) Katusha-Alpecin | Row 80 - Cell 2 |
82 | Wout Poels (Ned) Team Sky | Row 81 - Cell 2 |
83 | Jarlinson Pantano (Col) Trek-Segafredo | Row 82 - Cell 2 |
84 | Kenny Elissonde (Fra) Team Sky | Row 83 - Cell 2 |
85 | Jasha Sütterlin (Ger) Movistar Team | Row 84 - Cell 2 |
86 | Rory Sutherland (Aus) UAE Team Emirates | Row 85 - Cell 2 |
87 | Sven Erik Bystrøm (Nor) UAE Team Emirates | Row 86 - Cell 2 |
88 | Nathan Haas (Aus) Katusha-Alpecin | 0:01:33 |
89 | Lennard Hofstede (Ned) Team Jumbo-Visma | Row 88 - Cell 2 |
90 | Bert-Jan Lindeman (Ned) Team Jumbo-Visma | Row 89 - Cell 2 |
91 | Michael Storer (Aus) Team Sunweb | 0:01:35 |
92 | Christian Knees (Ger) Team Sky | Row 91 - Cell 2 |
93 | Thomas Scully (NZl) EF Education First Pro Cycling | Row 92 - Cell 2 |
94 | Phil Bauhaus (Ger) Bahrain-Merida | Row 93 - Cell 2 |
95 | Ryan Mullen (Irl) Trek-Segafredo | 0:01:38 |
96 | Patrick Bevin (NZl) CCC Team | Row 95 - Cell 2 |
97 | Joey Rosskopf (USA) CCC Team | Row 96 - Cell 2 |
98 | Miles Scotson (Aus) Groupama-FDJ | Row 97 - Cell 2 |
99 | William Clarke (Aus) Trek-Segafredo | Row 98 - Cell 2 |
100 | George Bennett (NZl) Team Jumbo-Visma | Row 99 - Cell 2 |
101 | Matthieu Ladagnous (Fra) Groupama-FDJ | Row 100 - Cell 2 |
102 | Pierre Latour (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | Row 101 - Cell 2 |
103 | Thomas De Gendt (Bel) Lotto Soudal | 0:01:41 |
104 | Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) Bahrain-Merida | Row 103 - Cell 2 |
105 | James Whelan (Aus) EF Education First Pro Cycling | 0:01:44 |
106 | Tom Leezer (Ned) Team Jumbo-Visma | 0:01:48 |
107 | Scott Davies (GBr) Dimension Data | 0:01:50 |
108 | Ryan Gibbons (RSA) Dimension Data | Row 107 - Cell 2 |
109 | Ben O'Connor (Aus) Dimension Data | Row 108 - Cell 2 |
110 | Laurens De Vreese (Bel) Astana Pro Team | 0:01:51 |
111 | Richie Porte (Aus) Trek-Segafredo | 0:02:00 |
112 | Tom Jelte Slagter (Ned) Dimension Data | Row 111 - Cell 2 |
113 | Ayden Toovey (Aus) UniSA-Australia | Row 112 - Cell 2 |
114 | Chris Harper (Aus) UniSA-Australia | Row 113 - Cell 2 |
115 | Mathew Hayman (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott | Row 114 - Cell 2 |
116 | Maarten Wynants (Bel) Team Jumbo-Visma | Row 115 - Cell 2 |
117 | Benoit Cosnefroy (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | 0:02:11 |
118 | Rohan Dennis (Aus) Bahrain-Merida | Row 117 - Cell 2 |
119 | James Knox (GBr) Deceuninck - Quick-Step | 0:02:25 |
120 | Fabio Sabatini (Ita) Deceuninck - Quick-Step | 0:02:34 |
121 | Elia Viviani (Ita) Deceuninck - Quick-Step | Row 120 - Cell 2 |
122 | Ivo Oliveira (Por) UAE Team Emirates | 0:02:36 |
123 | Michael Mørkøv (Den) Deceuninck - Quick-Step | 0:02:47 |
124 | Cameron Meyer (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott | 0:03:01 |
125 | Danny van Poppel (Ned) Team Jumbo-Visma | 0:03:33 |
126 | Heinrich Haussler (Aus) Bahrain-Merida | 0:04:26 |
DNF | Mitchell Docker (Aus) EF Education First Pro Cycling | Row 126 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Daniel McLay (GBr) EF Education First Pro Cycling | Row 127 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Eduard Prades Reverte (Spa) Movistar Team | Row 128 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Victor de la Parte (Spa) CCC Team | Row 129 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Nick White (Aus) UniSA-Australia | Row 130 - Cell 2 |
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Daniel Benson was the Editor in Chief at Cyclingnews.com between 2008 and 2022. Based in the UK, he joined the Cyclingnews team in 2008 as the site's first UK-based Managing Editor. In that time, he reported on over a dozen editions of the Tour de France, several World Championships, the Tour Down Under, Spring Classics, and the London 2012 Olympic Games. With the help of the excellent editorial team, he ran the coverage on Cyclingnews and has interviewed leading figures in the sport including UCI Presidents and Tour de France winners.
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