The Coffee Ride #81, with Reece Homfray
CALEB Ewan has seemingly put the cue in the rack after an amazing neo-pro season that can only be fully appreciated when compared to others before him.
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THAT’S A WRAP FOR EWAN
CALEB Ewan has seemingly put the cue in the rack after an amazing neo-pro season that can only be fully appreciated when compared to others before him.
The 21-year-old has won 14 races this season - 11 of which came in genuine international competition. The first three came in the Mitchelton Bay Cycling Classic before Ewan was unleashed on the rest of the world.
His 14th and most recent victory came on Grand Tour debut at the Vuelta a Espana and while he has been listed as a ‘reserve’ for Cycling Australia’s world championship team, it appears he is now done for the year.
Ewan’s progression to the WorldTour this year was met by huge anticipation and the youngster from the NSW Southern Highlands has been enormous.
He has coped with the pressure of expectation, been able to win without always getting an armchair ride to the finish via a perfect lead-out and has shown maturity beyond his years to stand up for himself when the going got tough.
Mark Cavendish won 11 races in his first full season as a professional with T-Mobile in 2007 at the age of 22.
The following year Cavendish burst onto the Grand Tour stage with two victories in the Giro d’Italia and four at the Tour de France.
Ewan riding the Tour de France next year is not out of the question but regardless, Orica-GreenEDGE would be thrilled with his progress in 2015.
Here is Ewan’s season, where the victories have come and how that compares to other riders in their first full season as a professional:
Caleb Ewan (2015)
Age: 21 Team: Orica-GreenEDGE
14 wins
Mitchelton Bay Cycling Classic, Herald Sun Tour, Tour de Langkawi, Vuelta Ciclista a La Rioja, Tour de Korea, Vuelta a Espana.
Mark Cavendish (2007)
Age: 22 Team: T-Mobile
11 wins
Scheldeprijs, 4 Jours de Dunkerque - Tour du Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Tour of Catalunya, Ster Elektro Tour, Post Danmark Rundt, Eneco Tour, Tour of Britain, Circuit Franco-Belge.
Luke Durbridge (2012)
Age: 21 Team: Orica-GreenEDGE
6 wins
National championships, Circuit cycliste Sarthe - Pays de la Loire, Criterium du Dauphine, Eneco Tour, Tour du Poitou Charentes, Duo Normand.
Baden Cooke (2002)
Age: 24 Team: Francaise des Jeux
4 wins
Dwars Door Vlaanderen, Tro-Bro Leon, Herald Sun Tour
Peter Sagan (2010)
Age: 20 Team: Liquigas-Doimo
5 wins
Paris-Nice, Tour de Romandie, Tour of California,
CADEL EVANS TO RETURN TO ADELAIDE
TOUR de France winner Cadel Evans will return to Adelaide in January for the Tour Down Under - but it won’t be a comeback.
The 38-year-old is an ambassador for his former team BMC, which last week unveiled its 2016 range headlined by the SLR01 road bike and Time Machine time trial bike in Adelaide.
More than 25 BMC dealers Australia-wide gathered at Penfolds Estate on Friday to view more than 45 bikes which will become available from October.
“Adelaide is the home of the Tour Down Under and there is an affiliation with BMC,” said Ged Collins from Advance Traders which has taken over distribution rights to BMC in Australia.
“Penfolds is an exclusive brand and a great match for BMC.”
According to Collins, “Swissness” was the buzzword associated with the latest range of BMC bikes which remained a high-end and niche part of the Australian cycling market.
In addition to Evans as an ambassador, Australia will have three riders on the BMC Racing Team in 2016 - Rohan Dennis, Richie Porte and Campbell Flakemore.
ALEX GOES UNDER THE KNIFE - AGAIN
LAST month we brought you the story of young Australian cyclist Alex Edmondson’s season being cut short by knee surgery.
Well, there’s more.
When he went for his three-week check up on the right knee of which Dr Greg Keene had repaired a torn meniscus, they found an unexpected problem with his left knee.
“I went in at 5pm on Tuesday and he checked out the knee and said everything was fine and I was ready to resume full training,” Edmondson said.
“Then I said ‘I’ve got a bit of a clunk in my left knee when I bend it’ and he did a few things and said ‘this is not good’.”
Edmondson was sent straight for a scans which the following morning revealed a tear in the meniscus in his left knee and by 6.30am the following day he was going under the knife again.
“I’m really grateful for Dr Keene to be able to fit me in around his schedule because he’s really busy,” Edmondson said
“Two surgeries in three weeks and he’s done a great job. I was given a three to six recovery period for the first one and was back on the bike in five days, and this one there is less swelling and movement already.
“It’s also a big thanks to Pat Custance the Cycling Australia physio for taking the time to help me as well.”
HERE’S TO COMMUTING BY BIKE
HERE’S an interesting stat that will spark the interest of casual cyclists - riding your bike to work makes you happier.
According to research by the University of Sydney which studied 846 inner-city commuters, those who cycled to work had better overall quality of life than those who walked, drove, caught the bus, tram or train.
The study found cycling commuters found a sense of fun in the journey and enjoyed the health benefits as well as saving money.
How many more reasons do you need to ditch the car and cruise to work on two wheels?
QUOTES OF THE WEEK ...
“It’s really nice to be back on the bike and feel like a professional rider again after the Tour de France and not really being able to animate the race.”
- Michael Matthews after winning a stage of the Tour of Alberta last week.
“What a great honour. When I reminisce about that day 11 years ago in Athens, my first reaction is that of a smile. This bronze medal gives me great satisfaction and adds something tangible to my great memories.”
- Michael Rogers after being presented with his bronze medal from the 2004 Athens Olympics. Rogers was upgraded from fourth to third in the time trial after American Tyler Hamilton was stripped of his gold medal for doping.
“I sometime wonder what kind of guy I would have been if I hadn’t had that crash.”
- American Taylor Phinney tells Cyclingnews.com of his recovery from a serious broken leg.
TWEET, TWEET
Nothing to do on Sunday in Spain except watch @Cronulla_Sharks on the laptop. #WeAreSharks #SurgetoSeptember pic.twitter.com/xOI6S0vnQ4
— Chris Sutton (@cjsutton2) September 6, 2015- Aussie Chris Sutton showing his true colours cheering on the Sharks against the Sea Eagles in the NRL on Sunday. Unfortunately for him, Cronulla went down 14-12.
Originally published as The Coffee Ride #81, with Reece Homfray
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