'I'm going to be in big trouble': Caleb Ewan fearful of missing Tour de France time cut
The Australian was the last rider to cross the line on stage 10
Caleb Ewan (Lotto-Soudal) fears that he will miss a Tour de France time cut in the coming days unless his form improves.
The Australian finished over 31 minutes behind stage 10 winner Magnus Cort on Tuesday, the 28-year-old having being dropped on the first of the day's four climbs in the heart of the French Alps.
With two more even punishing stages to come in the next couple of days, Ewan admitted to press in Megève that he is not confident of surviving the succession of mountains.
"Not after today," he said. "But in the Tour sometimes you have good legs [and] sometimes you have bad legs. I hope today was just bad legs and tomorrow they'll be better.
"I definitely have to have better legs than I did today, otherwise I'm going to be in big trouble.
"I don't feel sick. Sometimes after a rest day you never know how your body is going to be, and mine wasn't very good today."
Four of Ewan's teammates accompanied him throughout the day, and the five-time Tour stage winner admitted that there were points when he thought he would be abandoning.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
"I had really bad legs at the start and I got dropped quite early," he explained. "I had some teammates with me that thankfully got me through, but it was a pretty s**tty day.
"For a while, yeah [he was fearful of the time cut] because I was dropped so early. But we got into a pretty good rhythm with the team and I had quite a lot of time once I was on the last climb so I didn’t have to go absolutely to the maximum to the top, and it wasn’t too close [come the finish].
"At the start of the [final] climb I didn’t know what the time cut was going to be and I didn’t want them [his teammates] to stay with me in case the time cut wasn’t very big.
"In the end I think it was 39 minutes, so it was bigger than we expected. We thought at some stages that it was going to be 32 minutes, so it was better that if I went out of the time limit, four of them didn’t come with me."
The day's racing was interrupted by a climate protest, with racing coming to a temporary halt for 15 minutes.
Rather than the rest helping Ewan, however, he said that it worked against him. "That was the time when we were actually making up time, coming back to the bunch, and they [race directors] took the time from the top of the last [previous - sic] climb.
"It was a bit strange that they did that because in the end I think we lost another couple of minutes so it was pretty annoying."
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
A freelance sports journalist and podcaster, you'll mostly find Chris's byline attached to news scoops, profile interviews and feature writing across a variety of different publications. He has been writing regularly for Cycling Weekly since 2013.
Previously a ski, hiking and cycling guide in a number of places, but mostly in the Canadian Rockies and Spanish Pyrenees, he almost certainly holds the record for the most number of interviews conducted from snowy mountains.
He lives in Valencia, Spain.
-
Is the Cycle to Work scheme disadvantaging those who really need it?
Questions have been raised about the commission providers charge local bike shops - but the scheme could be improved for users, too
By Sam Jones Published
-
It's Commuting Week at Cycling Weekly - here's what you can expect
Join us as we celebrate all things riding from A to B this week
By Michelle Arthurs-Brennan Published
-
Jonas Vingegaard leaves hospital after Itzulia Basque Country horror crash
Danish rider underwent surgery to repair broken collarbone; too early to know whether Tour de France return will be possible
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Will the Tour de France be won by the last man standing?
With Jonas Vingegaard, Remco Evenepoel and Primož Roglič hitting the deck at Itzulia Basque Country, all three now face battle to get their seasons back on track
By Adam Becket Published
-
Tom Pidcock unable to bear weight on right leg after Itzulia Basque Country crash
British rider crashed during recon of opening stage time trial last weekend and injured his right hip
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Mark Cavendish to miss Scheldeprijs as illness continues to affect schedule
Cavendish will ride Presidential Cycling Tour of Türkiye later this month, Astana Qazaqstan confirms
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Mathieu van der Poel not intimidated by Tadej Pogačar’s form ahead of Milan-San Remo clash
Dutchman starts his 2024 road season at Italian Monument on Saturday
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
'I pulled it off and turned everything around' - Brandon McNulty on the ride that changed him
US star grabbed his first ever Grand Tour win at last year’s Giro d’Italia
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Matteo Jorgenson, Visma-Lease a Bike’s new star, continues to impress at Paris-Nice
The American could step into the leaders yellow jersey on Tuesday evening after stage three’s team time trial in Auxerre
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Ineos Grenadiers delighted with Egan Bernal’s late cameo on stage one of Paris-Nice
Colombian snapped up key bonus seconds in the general classification battle on run in to Les Mureaux
By Tom Thewlis Published