Caleb Ewan wins Australian men's criterium championship

For the third year running, Caleb Ewan reigned supreme in the Australian national criterium championships, taking the elite men's title with a powerful and perfectly executed sprint. Steele von Hoff returned to the podium for silver while Brenton Jones started his Delko-Marseille career with bronze.

Despite the best efforts of the peloton to tire and disrupt the Mitchelton-Scott train, Luke Durbridge in particular kept the race together and ensured the sprint finale. Lucas Hamilton, Cam Meyer and last man Alex Edmondson were also instrumental in ensuring an armchair ride for Ewan.

In prime position for the gallop to the line thanks to his teammates, there was no catching Ewan once he unleashed his powerful, aero-tuck sprint.

"It feels good. The feeling of winning never gets old so it is good to get the year off to a good start again," Ewan said after adding another green and gold jersey to his palmarès.

"I think this is the strongest team we’ve had since I turned pro and I have been racing the elite crit. I was confident in them and it was always going to be harder to beat some of the bigger number teams. They do it so well and they were so strong."

Although the traditional season opening Bay Crits was absent from the 2018 calendar due to a date clash with the nationals, Ewan was straight back into his racing ways for an important confidence boost ahead of Sunday’s national road race and the Tour Down Under later this month.

"To be honest they are all pretty even," he said of his three national criterium titles. "It is not the biggest race I do for the year but it's just really good to get the confidence boost at the start of the season going forward. It is really important as I need that confidence boost going into the season. I think my form is good again and hopefully I can take it on into the season in Europe."

Although Von Hoff missed the chance to make it a treble and add to his 2014 and 2015 wins, the 30-year-old showed no signs of disappointment post-race.

"It is fantastic to be back with such a fantastic squad in Bennelong-SwissWellness, to be able to race with the guys again and be under the guidance of Andrew Christie-Johnston," von Hoff said. "It is such an honour and I am so happy to be back."

For Von Hoff the race was also an important moment to pay tribute to Jason Lowndes, who was tragically killed in a training ride accident late last year.

"All my respect to his family. I hope this can never happen again. It is just devastating," he said. "My last meal in Girona was with him. We are good friends. It is just such a loss for cycling."

Jones likewise paid tribute to his former teammate and friend.

"He was a tremendous young talent who would have been racing here tonight. It is a tragedy for the sport," he said. "You have to make the most of everyday and love your loved ones. Cherish every day and most the most of everything."

Results

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#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Caleb Ewan (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott1:00:43
2Steele von Hoff (Aus) Bennelong SwissWellnessRow 1 - Cell 2
3Brenton Jones (Aus) Delko Marseille Provence KTMRow 2 - Cell 2
4Nicholas Yallouris (Aus) Brisbane Continental Cycling TeamRow 3 - Cell 2
5Jay McCarthy (Aus) Bora-HansgroheRow 4 - Cell 2
6Ryan Thomas (Aus) Brisbane Continental Cycling TeamRow 5 - Cell 2
7Theodore Yates (Aus) Drapac EF p/b Cannondale Holistic Development Team0:00:02
8Anthony Giacoppo (Aus) Bennelong SwissWellnessRow 7 - Cell 2
9Zakkari Dempster (Aus) Israel-Cycling Academy0:00:03
10Shannon Johnson (Aus)Row 9 - Cell 2
11Sean Whitfield (Aus) Oliver's Real Food RacingRow 10 - Cell 2
12Alexander Edmondson (Aus) Mitchelton-ScottRow 11 - Cell 2
13Neil Van der Ploeg (Aus)0:00:08
14Liam White (Aus) Drapac EF p/b Cannondale Holistic Development Team0:00:10
15Aaron Watts (Aus) GPMRow 14 - Cell 2
16Sascha Bondarenko-Edwards (Aus) Drapac EF p/b Cannondale Holistic Development TeamRow 15 - Cell 2
17Toby Stewart (Aus) Phoenix Cycling CollectiveRow 16 - Cell 2
18Craig Hutton (Aus) GPM0:00:12
19Thomas Robinson (Aus) Brisbane Continental Cycling TeamRow 18 - Cell 2
20Jack Sutton (Aus) Oliver's Real Food RacingRow 19 - Cell 2
21Cameron Ivory (Aus) GPMRow 20 - Cell 2
22Joel Walsh (Aus) GPM0:00:14
23Daniel Bucknall (Aus)0:00:17
24Ben Van Dam (Aus) Nero KOM RacingRow 23 - Cell 2
25Rylee Field (Aus) St George Continental Cycling TeamRow 24 - Cell 2
26Ayden Toovey (Aus) Bennelong SwissWellness0:00:21
27Scott Bowden (Aus) Bennelong SwissWellnessRow 26 - Cell 2
28Thomas Kaesler (Aus) Drapac EF p/b Cannondale Holistic Development TeamRow 27 - Cell 2
29Todd Satchell (Aus)Row 28 - Cell 2
30Oliver Martin (Aus) Brisbane Continental Cycling TeamRow 29 - Cell 2
31Ivan Michelin-Beard (Aus)Row 30 - Cell 2
32Tasman Nakervis (Aus) GPM0:00:23
33Karl Michelin-Beard (Aus) Oliver's Real Food RacingRow 32 - Cell 2
34Jackson Mawby (Aus)Row 33 - Cell 2
35Stuart Smith (Aus)0:00:26
36Cameron Meyer (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott0:00:31
37Nicholas Leonard (Aus)0:00:34
38Mathew Upton (Aus)Row 37 - Cell 2
39Chris Harper (Aus) Bennelong SwissWellness0:00:42
40Cameron Roberts (Aus) GPM0:00:45
41Timothy Roe (Aus) Bennelong SwissWellness0:00:54
42Michael Freiberg (Aus) Bennelong SwissWellness0:00:57
43Nicholas Graham-Dawson (Aus)Row 42 - Cell 2
44Ollie Kent-Spark (Aus) Drapac EF p/b Cannondale Holistic Development Team0:01:00
45Lucas Hamilton (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott0:01:06
46Luke Durbridge (Aus) Mitchelton-ScottRow 45 - Cell 2
47Allan Satchell (Aus)0:01:08
48Mitchell Docker (Aus) EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale0:01:09
49Nathan Elliott (Aus) Bennelong SwissWellnessRow 48 - Cell 2
50Tristain Ward (Aus) Bennelong SwissWellnessRow 49 - Cell 2
51Adam Lloyd (Aus)0:01:17
52Jesse Featonby (Aus) Drapac EF p/b Cannondale Holistic Development Team0:01:21
53Sam Crome (Aus) Bennelong SwissWellness0:01:39
54Ben Marshall (Aus)0:01:46
DNFCameron Bayly (Aus) Bennelong SwissWellnessRow 54 - Cell 2
DNFPatrick Lane (Aus) InForm TineliRow 55 - Cell 2
DNFDaniel Taylor (Aus)Row 56 - Cell 2
DNFSamuel Volkers (Aus) Memil - CCN Pro CyclingRow 57 - Cell 2
DNFDylan Newbery (Aus) mobius BridgeLaneRow 58 - Cell 2
DNFMitchell Neumann (Aus) Brisbane Continental Cycling TeamRow 59 - Cell 2
DNFJoshua Sek (Aus)Row 60 - Cell 2
DNFGilbert Gutowski (Aus)Row 61 - Cell 2
DNFCallan Douglas (Aus)Row 62 - Cell 2
DNFHal Hunter (Aus)Row 63 - Cell 2
DNFKelly Carter (Aus)Row 64 - Cell 2
DNFAshleigh Key (Aus)Row 65 - Cell 2
DNSNathan Booth (Aus) Phoenix Cycling CollectiveRow 66 - Cell 2
DNSRussell Gill (Aus)Row 67 - Cell 2
DNSSean Lake (Aus) Bennelong SwissWellnessRow 68 - Cell 2
DNSScott Sunderland (Aus)Row 69 - Cell 2
DNSTroy Herfoss (Aus)Row 70 - Cell 2

 

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