Latest news with #WorldTour-level
Perth Now
17-07-2025
- Sport
- Perth Now
More climbs, time trial feature in beefed-up Tour
Multiple hilly circuits and a prologue time trial have been added to the men's Tour Down Under after riders lobbied for a more attacking race. The Tour's iconic Queen stage south of Adelaide will feature three climbs up Willunga Hill for the first time in race history, before its summit finish. Previously, the stage had no more than two Willunga climbs. The last stage in the Adelaide Hills will feature eight laps of the 21km Stirling circuit - again the most times that course has been used on one day. Another famous Tour Down Under climb, Corkscrew, will feature twice in stage two. A twilight prologue time trial was introduced to the Tour in 2023, but wet conditions spoiled the spectacle and it was shelved for the last two editions. The new 3.6km prologue course will start at the Victoria Square race headquarters in the Adelaide CBD and end at the old Victoria Park racecourse. "Feedback from men's teams was they wanted a more attacking race, so we have brought the prologue back which creates an opportunity for riders targeting the (leader's) ochre jersey to take time from the very first day," race director Stuart O'Grady said. "We've also added some new challenges like two climbs up Corkscrew Road that will be a real GC (general classification) shaker, and the final day has moved from a sprint-friendly stage in the city to a really hard circuit around Stirling where anything could happen." The women's Tour will also feature all 15 WorldTour-level teams for the first time. Its third and final stage will feature two Corkscrew Hill climbs, another first for them. The women will race from January 17-19, with the men's Tour from the 20th to the 25th.
Perth Now
06-05-2025
- Sport
- Perth Now
Sprint ace Ewan stuns cycling with retirement
Caleb Ewan, at his peak one of Australian cycling's greatest talents, has stunned the sport by announcing his immediate retirement. Ewan delivered his bombshell decision on social media, saying events of the last two years - especially around his messy exit from top Australian team Jayco AlUla - have "taken a significant toll on my relationship with the sport". The 30-year-old sprint ace started this year without a team and it looked as though his career could end prematurely. But he joined high-profile British outfit INEOS Grenadiers and made a successful return in late March, winning his first comeback race. He then claimed a WorldTour-level win last month and appeared to be back on track. "The last few years haven't been easy, but in 2025 I found something again - not just legs, but belief - thanks to the INEOS Grenadiers," he wrote. "They gave me space, trust and the environment to rediscover what I am capable of. I won again. "But the truth is that even when I crossed the line first, that feeling - the one you chase for years - faded quicker than it used to. "My experiences of the last seasons, in particular the second half of 2024, has taken a significant toll on my relationship with the sport. I'm glad I didn't let that period define the end of my career." Ewan's woes can be traced back to 2021, when he was at the peak of his powers and one of road cycling's premier sprinters. He publicly declared his bold ambition that season to win stages in each of cycling's Grand Tours and was on track, with two in the Giro d'Italia. But Ewan crashed at the end of stage four in the Tour de France and suffered a broken collarbone that needed surgery. While he returned to racing a few weeks later, he was never the same rider. He left Belgian team Lotto Dstny in strained circumstances at the end of 2023 and returned to Jayco AlUla, where he had started his professional career. But that did not go well and in early January, it suddenly became apparent that Ewan's profile had disappeared from the team website. By the end of the month, he had signed with INEOS Grenadiers. Ewan has had a rich cycling career, with five stage wins at the Tour de France and another five at the Giro d'Italia. He was also runner-up twice at Milan Sanremo, one of cycling's five one-day monuments and a major career goal that Ewan never quite cracked. Ewan won nine stages at Adelaide's Tour Down Under and for several years was one of the biggest stars in Australian cycling. "Over the course of my 11-year career, I've achieved more than I ever imagined possible," Ewan posted. "The journey has exceeded every expectation I once had and I'm deeply grateful. "But what once felt like everything to me no longer does." Ewan thanked many people in his post, including his parents, wife Ryann and their three children, and his long-time manager Jason Bakker.
