Caleb Ewan: My mind is already set on the road race

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A day removed from claiming his maiden U23 National Criterium title over a 30-lap, 33km course in downtown Ballarat, Caleb Ewan, the only NSWIS cyclist in the 65-rider field, has already put his dominating performance on Thursday behind him and is intently focused on the task at hand – taking the 2014 Australian U23 National Road Race Championship.

 "You can't really let yourself be satisfied with that," said the 19-year-old told who scored eight victories in Europe last year, before signing a pre-contract with Orica-GreenEdge in October. "My mind is already set on the road race on Saturday."

 Ewan, who finished fourth at the U23 World Road Race Championships in Florence last September, knows that capturing a second national title in as many days will be no easy task.

"I will have to approach the road race like I did the criterium," Ewan told Cyclingnews. "I can't go in the early moves as I have to conserve my energy as it will be a hard race, and the heat will not do us any favours. With three laps to go everybody will be hurting and then you have to put the hammer down. It's a lottery."

The 2012 World junior road race silver medallist was pleased with his performance following the failed defence of his 2013 Bay Cycling Classic title to start the new year. Ewan managed just one win on the final stage in Williamstown, Victoria following a nasty training fall five days prior.

"I am feeling 100 percent," said Ewan. "I was really disappointed last year with how the nationals went, especially after a really successful Bay Crits. I didn't really go as well at Bay Crits this year, but I’ve already captured a national title in 2014 so I am really happy with how things are going and I’m looking forward to seeing how things unfold tomorrow."

GreenEdge's contract with Ewan, who is riding for Jayco-AIS at the nationals, is effective from January 1 2015 to the end of the 2016 season.