Caleb Ewan reveals why his lone victory at Lotto-Dstny contrasts with his immediate success at Jayco-AlUla

"They no longer believed in me." Signed: Caleb Ewan, in an interview with Velo. The Australian sprinter left Lotto-Dstny this winter, where he felt somewhat ousted. Ewan returned to Team Jayco-AlUla and rewarded that trust with a stage win in the Tour of Oman on Saturday. It was a relief, as evident from his reaction afterwards.

Ewan outpaced Bryan Coquard and Alexander Kristoff in a sprint, taking not just the stage victory but also the leader's jersey. "It feels good to finally win again, as I had had some chances," Ewan refers to his Tour Down Under, where he didn't manage better than fourth place in the sprints. "I wanted to repay the team, and they set me up brilliantly. It was a tough uphill finish where timing was crucial. Everything went according to plan."

A much-needed morale boost for Ewan, who hadn't tasted victory since the end of May 2023 while still racing for Lotto-Dstny. The events that unfolded afterward are well-known. Ewan's withdrawal from the Tour de France led to tensions with his team, and their relationship never managed to recover. "They expected certain things from me that I probably didn't deliver on. To really shine, you need the unwavering belief of your team behind you. Ultimately, we just couldn't make it work together anymore," Ewan reminisces about his departure.

Despite being under contract until the end of 2024, Lotto-Dstny agreed to release him, and at Jayco-AlUla, he showed on Saturday that he's still got what it takes to win. "I've joined a team that believes I can reach my peak performance again. That's something I believe in too. I'm feeling strong, and the data shows I'm in better shape than I was a few years ago. However, the sport is advancing... I sprinted to third place in the Tour; I was right there. Now, I need to rebuild my confidence, and hopefully, this victory is just the beginning."

The victory in Oman will be the test of that...