Tour de France winner Cadel Evans praises young gun Caleb Ewan's TDU effort

HE'S been the talk of the peloton and now Cadel Evans has joined the chorus of praise for teen sensation Caleb Ewan.

Cadel Evans and Caleb Ewan chat before the People's Choice Criterium. Picture: Tina McCarthy

HE'S been the talk of the peloton and now Australian great Cadel Evans has joined the chorus of praise for teen sensation Caleb Ewan who survived his first World Tour stage on Tuesday.

Evans, in the twilight of his career, has lauded the teenage Australian who has already turned heads with a podium finish in a lead-up race to the Tour Down Under.

The recently crowned under 23 road race and criterium champion eclipsed some of the biggest names in world sprinting to finish behind German duo Marcel Kittel and Andre Greipel, winners of multiple Tour de France stages, in Sunday night's street race in Adelaide.

"I think his result was a great start,'' Evans praised.

"I think he raced well (on Sunday) all things considered. And that's a great starting point for him to build on.

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"At his age, to go from third to winning against Greipel and Kittel, it's not actually that far to go and he has plenty of time.

"I see it as a great starting point for him. He is doing everything right. His mentality, his work ethic is someone far beyond his age.

"If he can continue going on like that the results will come without the need for any pressure or expectation.''

Ewan, who will join forces with Australian Professional team Orica GreenEDGE later this year, finished near the rear of the field in his first ever stage of a World Tour race yesterday.

But the 19-year-old was unconcerned with his rear placing in the tough 135km stage through the Barossa Valley.

"I was just in a bad position when it came to the (Mengler) climb, " he said.

"I tried to move up but then there was a crash so I was behind that as well. I just didn't have the legs to be up the front.

"But it was really good experience racing with these guys " Now I know what it is like and where I have to be."