Ewan frustrated with his time at Jayco: "In the Giro, my own lead-out man was sprinting against me—That was just bizarre"
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Follow us on GoogleCaleb Ewan and team changes seem inseparable. The Australian sprinter had a challenging stint at Jayco AlUla, which ended abruptly in January when he was unexpectedly removed from the Tour Down Under start list. Now, at INEOS Grenadiers, Ewan hopes for a fresh start and to rediscover his passion for cycling. In the Geraint Thomas Cycling Club podcast, he opened up about his move.
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"It’s one of the biggest teams in the world, and that definitely made the decision easier," Ewan began. "I’ve been approached by big teams before, but I’ve never actually ridden for a top-tier squad. When I was seventeen, my plan was always to turn pro with Team Sky when I turned twenty. That was already agreed upon with the team. But by the time I reached that age, they thought I wouldn’t develop further."
At the time, not making the jump to the British squad was disappointing, but fourteen years later, Ewan finally gets his chance. "To be honest, I wasn’t sure if I even wanted to continue. I was in a tough situation and had no idea what the future held. It was a stressful period, but now I’m incredibly happy to be riding for INEOS."
Ewan hopes to finally sprint "normally" again at INEOS after struggles at Jayco
But is there even room for a pure sprinter in the INEOS Grenadiers squad? The British team isn’t exactly known for building a squad around a sprinter. "I think I can get enough support in the sprints. We definitely have riders in the team who fit well into a sprint train. Even though it’s not really part of the team’s culture, I’m convinced I’ll get good lead-outs."
"At Jayco AlUla, I barely had any sprint support," Ewan continues. "At Lotto, I had an amazing lead-out that believed in me. When I moved to Jayco, I didn’t feel that at all. Of course, it’s always difficult to build a strong connection right away. But in the Giro, my own lead-out man was sprinting against me—that was just bizarre to me. I was not used to that at all."
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Ewan still managed to regularly compete for the win in his Lotto era
Ewan set to make INEOS debut in Italy, hopes for Tour de France selection
His first chance to sprint for victory will likely come in Italy. "I’ll start my season at Coppi e Bartali and then head to the Tour de Romandie. Italy will be my first race in six months, so it’ll mostly be about getting used to everything and seeing how things go. In Romandie, I hope to be better and really show myself again."
But Ewan’s ultimate goal remains the Tour de France. "We’ll have to see how everything goes, but I really hope to make the Tour squad. There’s still a lot of work to do, and everything needs to go well, but I think I’ll get a chance from the team. I just hope to be at my best again, like in the years when I was competing for big wins."
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Ewan dreams of someday sprinting to victory in Milan-Sanremo, too
"Winning Milan-Sanremo is my big dream"
Still, the Australian has an even bigger ambition in his career. "I dream of winning Milan-Sanremo one day. It is a race that suits me and in which I think I have a chance. Of course it is getting harder and harder to win this race, but I think it would be great to win this monument one day. Not this year yet, but hopefully in the years to come."
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Bram van der PloegEditor-in-chief
Bram van der Ploeg (35) is the proud founder of In de Leiderstrui, IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, launched in 2018. Finally, he could create stories about the sport he had followed since childhood. He is the editor-in-chief on paper, but prefers to be with his recorder next to a rider, a team bus, or in the mud at a cyclocross race. Every year, from February to the end of May, Bram follows the entire Italian cycling season, from the Trofeo Laigueglia to the Giro d'Italia, with the grand finale in October in Lombardy. During that time, he lives in Tuscany, where he has since come to call Italy his 'home'.
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Latest Comments
- I’m still figuring out cyclocross: do the riders use the same bikes for the grass, sand and mud, or change them during the race?jeremya02-11-2026
- £50 seems a bit steep for a day out, though I suppose it’s a major event and the demand is clearly there. Do family tickets make it much more affordable?tourdeforce902-11-2026
- Fifteen thousand is a serious crowd for a World Cup round. Glasgow could be a huge moment for British ‘cross if Mason can get near the podium again.jennifer1902-11-2026
- Those junior races are a great addition — it gives young riders a proper spotlight before the elites take over. Hope the course makes the most of the park rather than just being a muddy spectator scrum!samanthak02-11-2026
- Fantastic to see cyclocross getting this kind of response in Scotland. A packed Kelvingrove Park should make for a brilliant atmosphere, especially with Mason racing on home roads.raceready702-11-2026
- No explanation after 15 years feels a bit thin. The budget pressure may be unrelated, but it’s hard not to wonder if all these changes are connected.samanthak02-11-2026
- I’m still learning how team directors work—does the head sports director decide race tactics, or is that mainly down to the riders and the person in the team car?velodromevirtuoso102-11-2026
- A proper changing of the guard at EF, especially with Carapaz going too. Hope they don’t lose the team identity in the reshuffle.cadencekingm02-11-2026
- White coming back just before Wegelius leaves makes the timing look significant, even if EF haven’t said there’s a connection. Interested to see who gets the head DS role.raceready702-11-2026
- Fifteen years is a huge stint in modern cycling. Wegelius’ knowledge of EF and its riders will be hard to replace.robert6502-11-2026