Caleb Ewan was unaware of manager's apologies: "Most of his interviews are in French or Dutch..."

"I'm happy to be back racing. I had a problem with my wrist, but it seems to be recovering well," Ewan stated when asked at the start in Osnabrück. "I can ride pain-free again, but this is my last race of the season. My form is also not where it should be since I haven't been able to train fully after my wrist injury."

The fast-paced Australian has been in a somewhat strained relationship with his team for some time, a topic widely covered in the media. Lotto-Dstny seems to be considering the possibility of parting ways with him, although CEO Stéphane Heulot recently made an effort to reconcile in HLN. "We are in discussions with Caleb and his agent about how we can support him. Caleb has talent, but it's not currently shining through. We've genuinely tried everything to assist him."

"I made statements about Caleb that I meant, but perhaps I should have handled it internally. So, I regret that it unfolded this way," said Heulot, referring to his comments during the Tour de France. "I am very, very disappointed in him. That's not how you exit the Tour. He let his head drop. I can't say anything positive about it. A true champion lifts up his team; he doesn't do this," noted the team boss of the Belgian squad during the Tour de France following his leader's withdrawal.

When we informed Ewan on Tuesday about Heulot's statement, the Aussie mentioned that he was not yet aware of it. "I haven't read it, but most of the interviews he gives are in French or Dutch ... I don't understand much of that. To be honest, I'm not too concerned about it. Maybe he said certain things in the heat of the moment, but I don't know either."

When asked if he will still be racing in Lotto-Dstny's jersey in 2024, the Australian sprinter remained uncertain in his response. "At the moment, there is no news yet, and I also don't know what the near future will bring. As it stands now, next year, I will continue riding with Lotto-Dstny," he concluded.