Caleb Ewan in the prime of his career ahead of Tour Down Under, says Matt White

Australian sprinter wins criterium championships on his debut as Ruby Roseman-Gannon leads a Jayco clean sweep in the women's race

12:21, Friday 5th January 2024

Daniel Benson

Editor in Chief

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Caleb Ewan wins his first race in Jayco AlUla colours in 2024

Caleb Ewan won on his Jayco AlUla debut with victory in the men’s elite criterium at the Australian national championships. The 29-year-old beat Jensen Plowright and Sam Welsford to the line on Friday to continue his team’s dominance in the championships.

On Thursday, Luke Plapp won the men’s time trial, while Ruby Roseman-Gannon led home a clean sweep in the women’s criterium on Friday with teammates Georgia Baker and Alex Manly rounding out the podium. So far the Jayco AlUla/Liv AlUla Jayco organisation have won three out of a possible four elite races.

“It’s a nice way to get the season underway. We’ve got more challenges at the weekend in the road races but for both the men’s and women’s teams heading into Tour Down Under, it’s actually a really good hit out and a chance to blow the cobwebs away before our first WorldTour challenges in Adelaide,” Matt White, who recently was promoted to the role of Director of High Performance and Racing at the team, told GCN.

Ewan moved to the team from Lotto Dstny over the winter but was part of the Australian squad for the first part of his career, between 2014 and 2018. His return provides the squad with another sprint outlet and after a disappointing end to his time at Lotto, the Australian has quickly settled into relatively familiar surroundings.

“We gelled really well today and rode a tactically astute criterium. With Luke Plapp, there were no surprises there with his time trial form but Caleb has slipped back into the team and it doesn’t actually feel like he’s even left. It’s been good and we’re looking forward to taking on a WorldTour field very soon,” White added.

Ewan will lead the line for Jayco AlUla at the men’s Tour Down Under, which runs between January 16-21. He will naturally focus on the sprint stages while Simon Yates and Plapp are contenders for the overall title. It’s a race that White has won several times as a sports director and he believes that Ewan is approaching the first WorldTour event of the 2024 season in the best possible shape.

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“Caleb has three stages for sure to target in the race but back in the day when he’d take on nationals and the Bay Crits, he’d come into the Tour Down Under with three or four wins under his belt. Sprinting is about confidence and timing and it’s an advantage that we have some competition before the race. He’ll have Kelland O'Brien and Campbell Stewart, who are both doing track World Cups after Tour Down Under, as his lead-out riders, so they already have that form and intensity. They’re both looking forward to leading out one of the world’s best sprinters,” he said.

“With Caleb, he may have been around a while but he’s still only 29. I think he wants to show the world that he’s in the prime of his career and the best way to do that is by winning on the biggest stage.”

Ruby Roseman-Gannon is in great form ahead of the Tour Down Under

Roseman-Gannon’s win was an important stepping stone in the 25-year-old’s career. She has big plans on the road for 2024 and will form part of a strong women’s team for the Tour Down Under that runs from January 12 to 14.

“She had a classy ride and rode smart,” White said. “She’s in form for the Australian summer and she’ll play a really important role over the coming weeks. Last year was the first year where she really focused on the road. Before that, she was mixing in track and study but now it’s just totally based on the road, so we’ll see big things out of her. She’s ready to make that next step.”

Ella Wyllie, a new recruit to the team, will lead the line in terms of GC aspirations in the women’s Tour Down Under.

“Ella is our leader there. She’s a climber, finished just outside the top ten at the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift and is an exciting prospect. With the return of Willunga Hill, she’s definitely going to be our leader.”