Caleb Ewan didn’t leave Mitchelton-Scott for Lotto Soudal just to win the Down Under Classic, but there was a sense of both vindication and relief when he skipped clear to claim his third edition of the race on Sunday. The Australian was in the right place at the right time when a number of his sprint rivals fell or were held up in a run of late crashes, and there was enough evidence on show to suggest that Ewan and his relatively new lead-out train are on the right track. Ewan was not only the best placed sprinter in the final kilometre, but he was also clearly the fastest, a fact demonstrated when he showed last year’s winner Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) a clean pair of heels in the finishing straight. “I knew that it was going to be a hard one to win because of the calibre 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 after his victory.ADVERTISEMENT The win was built in phases. First Lotto ensured that a number of threatening breaks were kept within reach, with Thomas De Gendt instrumental in hunting down several attacks. In the finishing laps, Ewan’s lead-out train kicked in with Roger Kluge – who also made the journey from Mitchelton – playing a pivotal role. The German held his nerve and allowed Ewan back onto his wheel after a late crash disrupted the pair’s pace through the last run of corners. Kluge then brought back a dangerous move from Daniel Oss before Ewan finished off the job. “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,” Ewan said. “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.
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