McEwen returns to the track

By Les Clarke

Two-time Tour de France green jersey winner Robbie McEwen will ride the Sydney Thousand track meet on November 27, nine years since last racing on the track. McEwen will ride a motor pace and scratch race at the event at Sydney's Dunc Gray Velodrome, and admits it's been "a fair while" since he's ridden on the track. Nevertheless, he says he's "looking forward to it."

"I'll treat it the same as a criterium," McEwen told Cyclingnews. "I'll follow some wheels; it'll be good racing against blokes who are good on the track."

It will definitely be unusual for the Sydney crowd to see a rider most fans see coming off wheels on the road, and McEwen's aware of this. "I'll be a novelty on the track, but it'll add something to the carnival," said McEwen, who won three stages in this year's Tour de France.

"Specialized, in conjunction with event sponsors Avanti are helping with travel costs," he said. And they'll need to be sharp - the morning of November 27 McEwen will race the Darren Smith Memorial criterium on the Gold Coast before flying to Sydney for the Sydney Thousand. McEwen knows he's not in peak condition as it's the off season, but should be fit enough to perform well in Sydney.