Caleb Ewan's lead-out train might have been decimated by crashes at this year's Tour de France, but the Australian is edging ever closer to a sixth career win at Le Grand Boucle.
The Lotto-Dstny leader followed up a third place in Bayonne on Monday with a narrow loss to Jasper Philipsen on the Circuit Paul Armagnac in Nogaro on Tuesday, surfing wheels before shooting through a gap in the closing metres to come through for second place.
Ewan had seen main lead-out man Jasper De Buyst rendered out of action in the sprints following a crash on the second stage to San Sébastián, while another key sprint squad member, Jacopo Guarnieri, was among multiple fallers on the technical run-in on the motor racing circuit.
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"Jasper crashed in the second stage and now Jacopo," Ewan said outside the Lotto-Dstny team bus in the pit lane at Nogaro after the stage. "They're the last two guys in front of me usually.
"We already had to adapt our tactic a bit not having Jasper so I think we're going to have to adapt again, but the way I'm sprinting now kind of on my own the last part of the race, you have to have luck on your side.
"I don't have a guy to follow me and take me to 150 metres to go for. Hopefully, when Jasper gets better, we can go back to a more traditional lead-out. For now, I have to follow the right wheels and know which ones are going to be good."
Despite the setbacks, Ewan said that his sprint to the line was almost perfect. After finding a gap among the fast men and shifting onto Philipsen's wheel in the closing metres, he was closing in on the stage winner to the last but didn't quite have the speed to get past.
The win may have been achieved by slightly foul means – Philipsen's lead-out man Mathieu van der Poel was later relegated after barging Biniam Girmay in order to make his way to the front – but that doesn't change the result for the winner or for Ewan.
"I almost did a perfect sprint today. I got myself right where I need to be, but I didn't have the legs to come around him the end. It's nice knowing that you know I had the legs to win. But like I said before, I need everything to go right for me," he said.
"Surfing wheels is one of my specialities so I'm happy to do it but I also know that it's not the best way. You have to have a lot of luck and have the door open for you a lot of times."
While Ewan has been forced to adapt and improvise following the loss of De Buyst and Guarnieri, Philipsen, in contrast, has enjoyed the best lead-out in the peloton courtesy of a superstar in Van der Poel.
Usually it's the Soudal-QuickStep train led by Michael Mørkøv that takes the Tour de France sprint headlines, but so far in 2023 the Classics star has taken all the headlines.
"Philipsen has one of the best riders in the world leading him out – not just the best lead-out rider but just in general, one of the strongest riders there is," Ewan said of the Milan-San Remo and Paris-Roubaix champion.
"So, of course it's a benefit having him, but Jasper is also flying. He's climbing super good and in the last year and a half he's stepped up so much. He's definitely the one to beat at the moment because he's strong, he's fast, and he also has a really good team as well. I think it's a combination of everything and that's why we've seen him win the first two sprints."
But sprinters are never unbeatable at the Tour, despite the Philipsen-Van der Poel duo looking close to that at the moment. There are plenty more sprint chances left in the race, meaning Ewan has every chance to come through and take a win that would mean the world, especially after his troubled opening to the season.
"I guess if you're going to take the positives from it then I'm getting closer," he said. "I feel fast and I know I've got the speed to take a win. But I just need everything to go perfect. I almost pulled it off today. It would have been nice to get the win and just take the pressure off straight away, but I'll keep trying.
"I guess [second] is a relief but it'd be a huge relief if I got one of these first two stage wins. There are more opportunities to come. I'm positive and the team's positive that we can do it."
