It's the Cadel and Caleb show - Evans and Ewan put in contrasting performances in TDU opener

TOUR de France winner Cadel Evans had a night he is unlikely to remember in the curtain-raiser to the Tour Down Under.

BMW Racing cyclist Cadel Evans signs on before the criterium curtain-raiser for the Tour Down Under.

TOUR de France winner Cadel Evans had a night he is unlikely to remember, but Australian teen star Caleb Ewan had one he will never forget after racing onto the podium against a World Tour field for the first time in the curtain-raiser to the Tour Down Under in Adelaide.

"We are all safe, that is a good thing," said a business-like Evans after a dramatic street race which saw Italian champion Giovanni Visconti taken to hopsital with a suspected broken leg and numerous riders crash early in the event.

"It's great to get the season started and great to get some team cohesion going."

In contrast, Ewan was more than a little chuffed with his third place behind German speed stars Marcel Kittel and Andre Greipel in the 50km criterium in Adelaide.

"I'm actually a little bit frightened now - they're amazing, those guys," Ewan said of going up against Kittel and Greipel in his World Tour debut.

"I tried to kick and he (Kittel) was just riding away from me. Wow - it's crazy."

While Evans has won his respect after years of toil and top results, Ewan is still to make a name for himself in cycling's elite ranks.

But the youngster hopes his podium finish will earn him respect from the men he will race in this week's Tour Down Under.

"A lot of these Europeans don't know who I am and just think I'm a little punter coming into the race," Ewan said.

"It's natural they don't give me much respect but now hopefully I've showed myself to them.

"I know I can be up there in the pointy end of the race, so it just gives me a bit more confidence for the next few days."

The six-day Tour Down Under, the opening leg of the World Tour, is due to start on Tuesday in the Barossa.