Caleb Ewan wins Down Under Classic

Caleb Ewan (Lotto Soudal) came away with the win at the 2019 Down Under Classic ahead of Peter Sagan (Bora-hansgrohe) and Alexander Edmondson (Mitchelton-Scott). Ewan came through a difficult final lap after a crash took down several rivals, including Italian national champion Elia Viviani.

Ewan made it through the final set of corners and was perfectly brought to the line by his teammate Roger Kluge. There was a late charge from last year's winner Peter Sagan but the three-time world champion had no answer when Ewan opened up his sprint with the Australian winning by over a bike length. Edmondson was the best of the rest and rounded out the podium.

"I knew that it was going to be a hard one to win because of the caliber of sprinter here. I went into it confident and I knew that my form was good but you never know how it's going to go. It was a very aggressive race and that made it a little bit harder," Ewan said at the finish.

"My team did a fantastic job. On a course like this with four corners on each lap, it's hard to stay together but they stayed composed and I stayed with Roger and he delivered me perfectly." 

The win marked Ewan's first major victory of the season - he won twice at the recent Bay Crits - and his first against a world class field since his move from Mitchelton-Scott to Lotto-Soudal during the winter. The Australian, who has won the Down Under Classic twice in his career, was well placed in the closing laps and was one of the first riders to come through the final set of corners, where the crash occurred. Daniel Oss held a brief gap as he attacked in the final few hundred meters but he was unable to hold his advantage as Kluge - who moved with Ewan from Mitchelton-Scott to Lotto-Soudal - brought his leader back into contention.

The early laps saw a number of attacks from within the field with Mat Hayman - riding his final race before retiring at the end of the Tour Down Under - particularly active in closing down moves. Lotto-Soudal's Thomas de Gendt was also present at the front, while Dimenson Data's Ben O'Connor was part of the first attack of the one-hour race. With the sprinters' teams unwilling to see a break gain more than thirty seconds the pace was frantic throughout.

FDJ, the new CCC Team and EF Education First all tried to create breaks but with Lotto-Soudal, Bahrain Merida, Bora and the rest of the sprinters' teams setting the pace the race quickly became a predicable battle between the fast men.

The crash in the final kilometre certainly played a huge role in the finish. By the time the remnants of the main field came through the last set of corners only a handful of riders remained in contention. However, you make your own luck and Ewan and Lotto Soudal showed cohesion and skill in making sure that their sprinter was near the front and wasn't involved in the fight for places further back in the field. 

"I'm happy with my form and I couldn't ask for a better start. This is the first time I've raced with a full team like this. To start with the win is a good feeling," Ewan added.

"This was probably the most important one today. To get the confidence of the team up. They did a perfect job and this was the first time we've done the leadout. It's such a good feeling."

Next up for Ewan is the Tour Down Under, with the first stage on Tuesday. 

Race finish highlights

Results

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#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Caleb Ewan (Aus) Lotto Soudal1:03:59
2Peter Sagan (Svk) Bora-HansgroheRow 1 - Cell 2
3Alex Edmondson (Aus) Mitchelton-ScottRow 2 - Cell 2
4Roger Kluge (Ger) Lotto Soudal0:00:02
5Daniel Oss (Ita) Bora-Hansgrohe0:00:04
6Owain Doull (GBr) Team Sky0:00:05
7Luke Rowe (GBr) Team Sky0:00:09
8Luis León Sánchez (Spa) Astana Pro TeamRow 7 - Cell 2
9Marco Haller (Aut) Katusha-AlpecinRow 8 - Cell 2
10Francisco Ventoso (Spa) CCC TeamRow 9 - Cell 2
11Davide Ballerini (Ita) Astana Pro TeamRow 10 - Cell 2
12Mikkel Frølich Honore (Den) Deceuninck - Quick-StepRow 11 - Cell 2
13Tobias Ludvigsson (Swe) Groupama-FDJ0:00:17
14Dylan van Baarle (Ned) Team SkyRow 13 - Cell 2
15Lluís Guillermo Mas Bonet (Spa) Movistar TeamRow 14 - Cell 2
16Max Walscheid (Ger) Team SunwebRow 15 - Cell 2
17Tadej Pogacar (Slo) UAE Team EmiratesRow 16 - Cell 2
18Michael Woods (Can) EF Education First Pro CyclingRow 17 - Cell 2
19Clement Chevrier (Fra) AG2R La MondialeRow 18 - Cell 2
20Hermann Pernsteiner (Aut) Bahrain-MeridaRow 19 - Cell 2
21Daniel Hoelgaard (Nor) Groupama-FDJRow 20 - Cell 2
22Johannes Fröhlinger (Ger) Team Sunweb0:00:22
23Dries Devenyns (Bel) Deceuninck - Quick-Step0:00:27
24Michael Valgren Andersen (Den) Dimension Data0:00:32
25Lars Ytting Bak (Den) Dimension DataRow 24 - Cell 2
26Diego Ulissi (Ita) UAE Team EmiratesRow 25 - Cell 2
27Jasper Philipsen (Bel) UAE Team EmiratesRow 26 - Cell 2
28Manuele Boaro (Ita) Astana Pro TeamRow 27 - Cell 2
29Hubert Dupont (Fra) AG2R La MondialeRow 28 - Cell 2
30Ruben Guerreiro (Por) Katusha-AlpecinRow 29 - Cell 2
31Carl Fredrik Hagen (Nor) Lotto SoudalRow 30 - Cell 2
32Lukasz Owsian (Pol) CCC TeamRow 31 - Cell 2
33Max Kanter (Ger) Team SunwebRow 32 - Cell 2
34Kiel Reijnen (USA) Trek-Segafredo0:00:41
35Kristoffer Halvorsen (Nor) Team SkyRow 34 - Cell 2
36Gediminas Bagdonas (Ltu) AG2R La MondialeRow 35 - Cell 2
37Adam Blythe (GBr) Lotto Soudal0:00:55
38Adam Hansen (Aus) Lotto SoudalRow 37 - Cell 2
39Rafael Valls (Spa) Movistar TeamRow 38 - Cell 2
40Rubén Fernandez (Spa) Movistar TeamRow 39 - Cell 2
41Jan Polanc (Slo) UAE Team EmiratesRow 40 - Cell 2
42Koen de Kort (Ned) Trek-SegafredoRow 41 - Cell 2
43Yukiya Arashiro (Jpn) Bahrain-MeridaRow 42 - Cell 2
44Chris Hamilton (Aus) Team Sunweb0:00:59
45Lucas Hamilton (Aus) Mitchelton-ScottRow 44 - Cell 2
46Nans Peters (Fra) AG2R La MondialeRow 45 - Cell 2
47Daryl Impey (RSA) Mitchelton-ScottRow 46 - Cell 2
48Jai Hindley (Aus) Team SunwebRow 47 - Cell 2
49Dylan Sunderland (Aus) UniSA-AustraliaRow 48 - Cell 2
50Cees Bol (Ned) Team SunwebRow 49 - Cell 2
51Jakub Mareczko (Ita) CCC TeamRow 50 - Cell 2
52Remi Cavagna (Fra) Deceuninck - Quick-StepRow 51 - Cell 2
53Robert Gesink (Ned) Team Jumbo-VismaRow 52 - Cell 2
54Michael Hepburn (Aus) Mitchelton-ScottRow 53 - Cell 2
55Nicholas Dlamini (RSA) Dimension DataRow 54 - Cell 2
56Maciej Bodnar (Pol) Bora-HansgroheRow 55 - Cell 2
57Neil van der Ploeg (Aus) UniSA-Australia0:01:17
58Michael Potter (Aus) UniSA-AustraliaRow 57 - Cell 2
59Héctor Carretero (Spa) Movistar TeamRow 58 - Cell 2
60Marcel Sieberg (Ger) Bahrain-Merida0:01:19
61Nico Denz (Ger) AG2R La MondialeRow 60 - Cell 2
62Kilian Frankiny (Swi) Groupama-FDJRow 61 - Cell 2
63Jay McCarthy (Aus) Bora-Hansgrohe0:01:21
64Lukas Pöstlberger (Aut) Bora-HansgroheRow 63 - Cell 2
65Gregor Mühlberger (Aut) Bora-HansgroheRow 64 - Cell 2
66Szymon Sajnok (Pol) CCC TeamRow 65 - Cell 2
67Oscar Gatto (Ita) Bora-HansgroheRow 66 - Cell 2
68Leo Vincent (Fra) Groupama-FDJRow 67 - Cell 2
69Jason Lea (Aus) UniSA-Australia0:01:24
70Tomasz Marczynski (Pol) Lotto SoudalRow 69 - Cell 2
71Peter Stetina (USA) Trek-Segafredo0:01:26
72Jaime Castrillo (Spa) Movistar TeamRow 71 - Cell 2
73Steve Morabito (Swi) Groupama-FDJRow 72 - Cell 2
74Jens Debusschere (Bel) Katusha-AlpecinRow 73 - Cell 2
75Alex Dowsett (GBr) Katusha-AlpecinRow 74 - Cell 2
76Yevgeniy Gidich (Kaz) Astana Pro TeamRow 75 - Cell 2
77Alberto Bettiol (Ita) EF Education First Pro Cycling0:01:29
78Lachlan Morton (Aus) EF Education First Pro CyclingRow 77 - Cell 2
79Daniil Fominykh (Kaz) Astana Pro TeamRow 78 - Cell 2
80Vyacheslav Kuznetsov (Rus) Katusha-AlpecinRow 79 - Cell 2
81Dmitry Strakhov (Rus) Katusha-AlpecinRow 80 - Cell 2
82Wout Poels (Ned) Team SkyRow 81 - Cell 2
83Jarlinson Pantano (Col) Trek-SegafredoRow 82 - Cell 2
84Kenny Elissonde (Fra) Team SkyRow 83 - Cell 2
85Jasha Sütterlin (Ger) Movistar TeamRow 84 - Cell 2
86Rory Sutherland (Aus) UAE Team EmiratesRow 85 - Cell 2
87Sven Erik Bystrøm (Nor) UAE Team EmiratesRow 86 - Cell 2
88Nathan Haas (Aus) Katusha-Alpecin0:01:33
89Lennard Hofstede (Ned) Team Jumbo-VismaRow 88 - Cell 2
90Bert-Jan Lindeman (Ned) Team Jumbo-VismaRow 89 - Cell 2
91Michael Storer (Aus) Team Sunweb0:01:35
92Christian Knees (Ger) Team SkyRow 91 - Cell 2
93Thomas Scully (NZl) EF Education First Pro CyclingRow 92 - Cell 2
94Phil Bauhaus (Ger) Bahrain-MeridaRow 93 - Cell 2
95Ryan Mullen (Irl) Trek-Segafredo0:01:38
96Patrick Bevin (NZl) CCC TeamRow 95 - Cell 2
97Joey Rosskopf (USA) CCC TeamRow 96 - Cell 2
98Miles Scotson (Aus) Groupama-FDJRow 97 - Cell 2
99William Clarke (Aus) Trek-SegafredoRow 98 - Cell 2
100George Bennett (NZl) Team Jumbo-VismaRow 99 - Cell 2
101Matthieu Ladagnous (Fra) Groupama-FDJRow 100 - Cell 2
102Pierre Latour (Fra) AG2R La MondialeRow 101 - Cell 2
103Thomas De Gendt (Bel) Lotto Soudal0:01:41
104Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) Bahrain-MeridaRow 103 - Cell 2
105James Whelan (Aus) EF Education First Pro Cycling0:01:44
106Tom Leezer (Ned) Team Jumbo-Visma0:01:48
107Scott Davies (GBr) Dimension Data0:01:50
108Ryan Gibbons (RSA) Dimension DataRow 107 - Cell 2
109Ben O'Connor (Aus) Dimension DataRow 108 - Cell 2
110Laurens De Vreese (Bel) Astana Pro Team0:01:51
111Richie Porte (Aus) Trek-Segafredo0:02:00
112Tom Jelte Slagter (Ned) Dimension DataRow 111 - Cell 2
113Ayden Toovey (Aus) UniSA-AustraliaRow 112 - Cell 2
114Chris Harper (Aus) UniSA-AustraliaRow 113 - Cell 2
115Mathew Hayman (Aus) Mitchelton-ScottRow 114 - Cell 2
116Maarten Wynants (Bel) Team Jumbo-VismaRow 115 - Cell 2
117Benoit Cosnefroy (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale0:02:11
118Rohan Dennis (Aus) Bahrain-MeridaRow 117 - Cell 2
119James Knox (GBr) Deceuninck - Quick-Step0:02:25
120Fabio Sabatini (Ita) Deceuninck - Quick-Step0:02:34
121Elia Viviani (Ita) Deceuninck - Quick-StepRow 120 - Cell 2
122Ivo Oliveira (Por) UAE Team Emirates0:02:36
123Michael Mørkøv (Den) Deceuninck - Quick-Step0:02:47
124Cameron Meyer (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott0:03:01
125Danny van Poppel (Ned) Team Jumbo-Visma0:03:33
126Heinrich Haussler (Aus) Bahrain-Merida0:04:26
DNFMitchell Docker (Aus) EF Education First Pro CyclingRow 126 - Cell 2
DNFDaniel McLay (GBr) EF Education First Pro CyclingRow 127 - Cell 2
DNFEduard Prades Reverte (Spa) Movistar TeamRow 128 - Cell 2
DNFVictor de la Parte (Spa) CCC TeamRow 129 - Cell 2
DNFNick White (Aus) UniSA-AustraliaRow 130 - Cell 2

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Daniel Benson

Daniel Benson was the Editor in Chief at Cyclingnews.com between 2008 and 2022. Based in the UK, he joined the Cyclingnews team in 2008 as the site's first UK-based Managing Editor. In that time, he reported on over a dozen editions of the Tour de France, several World Championships, the Tour Down Under, Spring Classics, and the London 2012 Olympic Games. With the help of the excellent editorial team, he ran the coverage on Cyclingnews and has interviewed leading figures in the sport including UCI Presidents and Tour de France winners.

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