Former cyclist Caleb Ewan, now commentating with SBS, on why the Tour de France is so special
After an illustrious career that included 11 Grand Tour stage victories, Caleb Ewan retires As a professional cyclist in May last year. The cycling world has been stunned that the Australian sprint star has a new team, Ineos Grenadiers, and has just won two races. “Intense routine, sacrifice, constant pursuit of improvement, hunger to win; these were my rhythm, my identity,” he said. “But what once seemed like everything to me is no longer so.”
In his 11 years as a professional, Ewan became one of the best sprinters in the world and won. five stages In the Tour de France in 2019 and 2020. He currently lives in Sydney with his wife Ryann and their three children, aged seven, five and two.
Although Ewan admitted to considering a comeback earlier this year, he has remained retired and joined the SBS TV commentary team for the Tour, which kicks off in Barcelona early on Sunday morning. he is talking Garry Maddox Moving on to the commentary box and whether four-time winner Tadej Pogačar can stay in the yellow or will be beaten by his great rival Jonas Vingegaard, a two-time winner.
Good day, Caleb! How has life been since you retired?
It was fine. Frankly, it’s a big adjustment. I’ve probably been used to waking up every morning for the last 20 years and figuring out how to ride my bike faster. So waking up in the morning and having nothing to do was an adjustment. I also came back to Australia from Europe. So, I’m trying to navigate my life after becoming a professional athlete, focusing on commentary and trying to figure out what I want to do next.
What was the moment that made you think it was time to retire?
I was thinking about this towards the end of 24. I thought I would give myself one last opportunity to get back to what I hoped would be my best form because I didn’t want to end my career on a negative note. So I went to Ineos and it was great. I thought if I won again I would enjoy it again. But then I started winning and I still wasn’t enjoying it very much. I thought this was probably the sign to stop.
How much of the risk did that involve that you had to take as a sprinter?
As a sprinter, you are on autopilot for the last few kilometers of the race. As I get older and have more children, your risk threshold starts to decrease. In a sprint, you make decisions in less than a second. When you start to hesitate, you find yourself in bad positions and it’s really hard from there. Even though I thought I was taking risks, I wasn’t taking as many risks as I needed to be to be a top-level sprinter. When I was younger I probably didn’t want to take the risk, but I knew it was part of the job I was meant to do.
You have been racing bicycles since you were 10 years old. How did you find ordinary life with a young family?
It was great. When you’re a professional cyclist, you’re far away from training camps and races. You’re training even when you’re at home, so you’re constantly tired and always focused on recovery. So you can’t be as present as you want. The year since then has been great because I’ve basically been a stay-at-home dad. I was able to do most of the school drop-off and pick-up and take them to sports; All the things you can’t do as a professional athlete. As for family life, it has become much better.
How often do you cycle now?
I try to go out two or three times a week. But when I go out it probably takes an hour to an hour and a half. So it’s a lot less than I used to do.
Have you ever rented an e-bike?
No. But I have an e-bike. There is one that takes all three children on its back. I need this especially on hills.
Do you still have thoughts that you want to race?
Not exactly. There are brief moments, especially when you see the joy on people’s faces when they win a stage. I miss this feeling. But when I see all the sprinters suffering in the mountains, I definitely don’t miss it. I know that those moments of joy bring with them a lot of pain.
What makes the Tour so special from a rider’s perspective?
Just the atmosphere. There is no other race like it in the world. When I started watching cycling as a kid, it was just the Tour de France. We didn’t have access to all the races like we do now. Cycling it was Tour de France. So it was always special to experience that and be able to feel the atmosphere that you watch on TV.
Stuart O’Grady, who competed in the Tour 17 times, once said he didn’t realize there were castles in France until he retired. Have you ever noticed any of the magnificent French landscapes?
You can’t really see the sights. When you’re racing you just look at the rider in front of you and the road in front of you and that’s it. That’s a good thing when commenting. You will see all the beautiful sights of France.
How did you find commenting?
I enjoy this. I would say I’m not a natural speaker, but it’s a lot easier when you talk about something you know. Frankly, I’m still a big fan of the sport. I said [fellow commentators] When Dave McKenzie and Matt Keenan were commentating on the Giro a few weeks ago, it was as if you were watching a sports match with your friends and chatting about it.
What do you want to convey to viewers when commenting?
Many people will just watch the Tour de France and not follow cycling as a whole, so [I’d like to] Explain the little complicated things that will happen in the group that someone who doesn’t follow the sport can’t really grasp. It can be confusing sometimes.
During the Giro, you seemed to have a minor star strike when you were commentating with Cadel Evans, who became the first Australian to win the Tour in 2011. What was it like commentating with him?
He was a man I followed a lot growing up. But I know Cadel pretty well now. It was like a full circle moment. I did his last race with him. This was my first season as a professional. It was great to sit next to him. Obviously we are very different types of drivers, so there were things I could learn from him, just hearing how he would race compared to how I would race.
Who do you think will win the Tour this year and who is the dark horse that SBS viewers should watch?
Tadej looks to be in good form again and will always be ready for the Tour. I would say a dark horse, maybe Paul Seixas. It’s a big call, of course, to be able to win your first major tour, especially the Tour de France, but he looks like the real deal. He’s only 19, so it would be a big story, especially being French. Jonas was strong [at the Giro]. I would love to see more of the fight between Tadej and Jonas. Tadej has won very convincingly over the last few years.
What is your recommendation for the green sprinter jersey?
Mads Pedersen or Jasper Philipsen, [who] Last year, after winning the first stage, he was eliminated in the third stage. He will want to prove that he is one of the fastest, but it will be difficult. Tim Merlier looks really good. Olav Kooij is the first of the Tour de France, he looks good too. We are facing a truly exciting Tour de France.
What’s a stage of the tour that you’re really looking forward to?
There are two stages leading up to Alpe d’Huez. They will be really exciting.
You are only 31 years old. Mark Cavendish broke the record for most wins on Tour stages at the age of 39. What are your chances of coming back?
I was thinking about it this year but I don’t think so. As long as I’m at an age where I can race, there will always be some temptation. If I wanted to do this, this would be it [this] season. After that, I would stay away from sports for a very long time. I’m glad I’m not racing right now. I don’t actually miss it that much, so I’d say it’s very, very unlikely.
Stage 1 of the Tour de France starts on Sunday at 12.55pm on SBS and SBS On Demand. The race will last until July 26. The Tour de France Femmes will take place between 1-9 August.
