McEwen to participate in Revolution

Three-time Tour de France green jersey winner Robbie McEwen will return to the velodrome on Wednesday December 17 in Melbourne for the Revolution 4. McEwen will ride the derny race, which was won by Stuart O'Grady last year, and he is likely to line-up in the 25km Madison. It will be the first time McEwen has raced on the track for three years.

"The last time I raced the track was in 2005 at the Dunc Gray Velodrome in Sydney where I got paced out of the derny race because my pacer wanted to win but I couldn't keep up behind the motorbike," McEwen said. "But in 2005, I also rode at the Tempe velodrome and won the points race and finished second in the scratch race after leading out a little too early."

The 12-time Tour de France stage winner won't have it all his own way when he lines up against a world class field including dual Athens Olympic gold medallist Graeme Brown and rising track star Cameron Meyer, who finished fourth in the points race at the Beijing Games.

Known for his competitive spirit McEwen plans on coming to Melbourne well prepared. "I enjoy getting on the track now and then and I don't want to come down to Melbourne and make a fool of myself," McEwen said. "I've just been sent a brand spanking Ridley Piste for the event so I'm going to get out and train on the track at least once a week, maybe even twice a week before I come to Melbourne." McEwen thinks the Revolution will be good preparation for some upcoming European Six Days that he is considering racing.

"Last year Revolution didn't fit into my program. This time around I've had a good solid off-season without any injury interruptions plus it fits in fine with preparation for next season," said McEwen, who is from Queensland.

The 36-year-old signed a two-year contract beginning in 2009 with Katusha and said riding the track event in Melbourne will play an important part in helping him achieve his objectives for 2009. "I want to get off to a good start at the Tour Down Under," he said. "I'm not saying that I can win it but I would like to win some stages and the track intensity helps get me ready for that.

With his eye on 2009, he said, "I'd really like to focus on getting a stage at the Giro and the Tour, where it will be good to have team support, and I'll play it by ear for another green jersey at the Tour de France. Although this year I had some good team support, with Jurgen Roelandts and Greg Vanavermaet, they weren't with me at the bigger tours and rightly so because the team put everything around Cadel.

"Next year (at Katusha) it will be a different situation. We'll have more focus on the sprints at the important times, which doesn't add any extra pressure. In fact it takes some off because I'll have someone to lead me out rather than having to lead myself out. Plus I want to have another crack at Milan-San Remo (Italy's biggest one day race) where I finished fourth a couple of years ago after getting boxed in the sprint."

Last year's Revolution 2, held just prior to the end of December, was a sell-out – something expected again for this year's edition.

For more information on the Revolution 4, visit www.cyclingrevolution.com.au.