Teenage sprint sensation Caleb Ewan admits to pre-Tour Down Under nerves

HE is known for his fearlessness in a sprint but Australian teenager Caleb Ewan has admitted to a pre-race bout of nerves.

Caleb Ewan wins the under-23 men's road race. Picture: Cycling Australia

HE is known for his fearlessness in a sprint but Australian teenager Caleb Ewan has admitted to a pre-race bout of nerves as he limbers up for his debut against the top cyclists in the world in Sunday's curtain-raiser to the Santos Tour Down Under.

The 19-year-old sprint sensation will make his maiden appearance in a World Tour field when he lines up with the UniSA wildcard team in the People's Choice 50km circuit race in Adelaide.

The high-speed criterium is the lead-in to the six-day Tour Down Under where Ewan will for the first time race alongside riders of the ilk of Tour de France winner Cadel Evans and multiple Tour de France stage winner Marcel Kittel.

It's a task the teenager from the NSW Southern Highlands is relishing but also has him nervous pre-race.

"Once I am racing they will be gone but before, yes, I have some nerves,'' Ewan said.

"It's good to be nervous though sometimes. It keeps you on your toes.

Caleb Ewen with fans Nicole Bannan (left) and Luca D'Aloia. Picture: Tricia Watkinson.

"I might also have a little trouble sleeping.''

Ewan said he is unsure how he will perform in the six-day tour or tonight's circuit race give the calibre of the company he will be keeping for the next week.

"It's hard to figure out how I will go because I have never ridden anything like this before,'' he said. "I'm looking forward to finding out.''

Ewan, who last weekend won both the Australian road and time trial title in Victoria, is the youngest rider in this year's race in South Australia but one with a heavy weight of expectation on his shoulders for the future.

While racing with UniSA in the Tour Down Under, Ewan's talent has already caught the eye of Australian professional cycling team Orica GreenEDGE which has signed the youngster to neo-pro contract from October 1.

"We're excited to be part of his development and growth,'' said GreenEDGE general manager Shayne Bannon.

"His success to date indicates that he's one of the classiest riders in the next generation of cyclists."