Caleb Ewan – 2012 Bay Cycling Classic (image courtesy jxpphotography) Teenage sprint star Caleb Ewan went into last year?s Bay Cycling Classic as just another rider on the start list. The teenager finished with two stage wins, second place overall and as a rider clearly stamped as a rising star. Ewan will be one of the riders to watch in the Mitchelton Bay Cycling Classic, which starts tomorrow and joins with the Jayco Herald Sun Tour to kick off the 2013 Summer of Cycling. The 18-year-old returns in 2013 with a target on his back, not just a race number, following a stellar year that included national junior track titles followed by seven wins on the road in Europe that culminated in a silver medal at the junior road world titles. An identikit of six-time Bay Crits winner Robbie McEwen, Ewan is a pocket rocket at just 165cm who is canny enough to be playing down his chances of more stage wins and his first overall title when the 2013 series kicks off on New Year?s Day. ?It will be harder this year I?m sure,? Ewan said pointing to the fact that last year he flew under the radar. ?No 17-year-old would go down to the Bay Crits expecting to win.? My goal last year was to stay in the race and not get dropped as that?s what happened to me the year before, so I certainly went better than expected.? Ewan will be joined on the Bikebug team by SaxoBank rider Jonathan Cantwell who made his Tour de France debut in 2012, finishing sixth on stage four before a nasty crash the following day. Also on the team is another rising star in New South Wales teammate Jack Edwards along with NSW based Brit Richard Lang. ?We have a pretty good team this year,? Ewan said. ?Since he?s stepped up to Under 19?s Jack has been going really well. He told me he was beating Glenn O?Shea and Archibald from New Zeland down in Tassie and they both went to the Olympics.? He?s big and strong and has a good kick.? We?ll see who?s going the best after the first stage and then work for them.? After recently spending the week training alongside Cadel Evans around Geelong and the Great Ocean Road, Ewan said his goal for the first part of the season was firmly fixed on the national under 23 road race. ?For me this year is a stepping stone to the nationals. I was too young to ride it last year, so could concentrate on the Bay Crits. Still, I?d like to win the hotdog circuit in Geelong.???? As is now standard for races in Australia, Orica-GreenEDGE will be the team to beat, with a line up featuring track champions Leigh Howard, Luke Durbridge and Alex Edmonson in addition to Mitch Docker and Dutchman Jensen Mouris. Huon Salmon / Genesys Wealth Advisors will have a strong hand led by national criterium champion Anthony Giacoppo and former support race winner Steele Von Hoff.? Giacoppo won a stage last year before going on to win the national title. The Australians will be chased hard by a posse of internationals spread across a number of teams, headed by New Zealander Greg Henderson and Dutchman Koen de Kort (Degani Bakery Cafe), Kristian House (Rapha Condor/JLT), Simon Yates (Great Britain National Team) and Tom Scully (Grays Online? / NZ National Team). The 24th edition of the Mitchelton Bay Cycling Classic kicks off on New Year?s Day with the traditional afternoon hot dog criterium on at Eastern Beach Geelong. The action then moves to Portarlington on Wednesday 2 January before finishing with the hugely popular Williamstown circuit on Wednesday 3 January followed by the ?Sun Tour? kicking off with a 4.8km individual time trial prologue later that day. The series will culminate with the MS Red Ride Charity Relay featuring teams of five riders racing a lap of the Williamstown circuit with the final rider in each team racing on the RACV powered Melbourne Bike Share bikes. Mitchelton Summer of Cycling?2013 Mitchelton Bay Cycling Classic ?
What:
24thedition of the world?s fastest criterium series
Date:
Tuesday, 1 January to Thursday, 3 January 2013
Stages:
Criterium 1: Ritchie Boulevard, Geelong Eastern Beach Tuesday, 1 January 2:00pm Support individual, 3:00pm Support teams, 5:00pm Elite women, 6:00pm Elite men Criterium 2: Portarlington, presented by Searoad Ferries Wednesday, 2 January 12:00pm Support individual, 1:00pm Support teams, 2:00pm Elite women, 3:00pm Elite men Criterium 4: Williamstown, presented by Subaru Thursday, 3 January 11:00am Support individual, 12:00pm Support teams, 1:00pm Elite men, 2:15pm Elite women 3:15pm RACV MS Red Ride Charity Relay 5:00pm Jayco Herald Sun Tour Prologue Time Trial
