Orica-GreenEDGE’s Caleb Ewan wins first race of the summer season

CALEB Ewan christened his first full year as a professional cyclist with elite team Orica-GreenEDGE when he won the first race of the summer season.

Last two men standing. Orica Green Edge's Caleb Ewan celebrates his first stage win as a pro against New Zealand National Team's Greg Henderson at the conclusion of stage one of the Mitchelton Bay Cycling Classic elite mens race at Ritchie Boulevard. Picture: Leanne Kelly

CALEB Ewan christened his first full year as a professional cyclist with elite team Orica-GreenEDGE when he won the first race of the summer season in Geelong last night.

Ewan, 20, who moved from a development role to fully-fledged team member three months ago, prevailed in a long two-man duel with New Zealand veteran Greg Henderson, who is 18 years older and vastly more experienced, as the annual Bay Classic criteriums got off to a hot start in every sense.

The young Sydneysider’s performance was all the more impressive as he had been battling a chest infection for and had to combat 40 degree heat, which left him feeling the effects at the end of the hourlong hit-out.

Ewan won the Bay Classic overall two years ago and was second last year after hurting himself in a training crash, and went on to take out the time trial and road race under 23 double at the national championships a week later and a silver medal at the junior worlds.

He and Henderson, an accomplished performer in Europe for many years, broke away with about 20 minutes to go and were 39 seconds, or nearly a lap, ahead when the commissaire ordered the peloton not to race the final three laps.

“I feel so good, there is a lot of pressure on my shoulders every time I race here,” Ewan said.

Ewan said he expected today’s forecast 41 degrees to be a major factor _ and so do organisers.

Victoria’s two-day heatwave has already had an impact on the aptly-named Summer of Cycling with today’s second race starting an hour earlier to try to avoid the worst of it.

The weather gods seem to have it in for veteran race director John Trevorrow.

He was dismayed when the final stage of last summer’s last race, the Herald Sun Tour, which he also oversees, had to be cancelled because authorities needed to deploy their firefighting resources in places other than the race venue at Arthur’s Seat.

It could happen again today, not that anyone is expecting bushfires in Geelong.

Cycling Victoria’s rules say racing should not proceed if the temperature tops 40 and according to Trevorrow, who lives locally, the City of Geelong bans any public event continuing when it reaches 41.

“The cyclists are tough and can handle it _ it’s more to protect everyone else,” said Trevorrow. Minutes after he spoke, a spectator collapsed, apparently from heat stress.

When the women’s race began at 5pm, mobile phones were saying it was 42. However, phones aren’t official _ and racing proceeded as it became clear the mercury was dropping slightly.

Pocket dynamo Chloe Hosking, 24, celebrated her first race with the Wiggle team by outsprinting four others members of a bunch that dominated most of the race, with Lauren Kitchin (Roxsolt), Lizzie Williams (Orica-AIS), Peta Mullens (individual) and Miranda Grffiths (Holden) following her across the line.

Today the women will race at noon and the men at 1pm, with the event moving to Portarlington tomorrow _ when it will be much cooler _ before being decided, as usual, in Williamstown on Monday.

Twitter: @Reedrw

Originally published as Orica-GreenEDGE’s Caleb Ewan wins first race of the summer season