Giro d'Italia - Caleb Ewan: I was expecting an early attack from Gaviria
May 15 2021 05:59 am CET
Image: Lotto Soudal logo
Caleb Ewan (Lotto Soudal) has been the strongest sprinter at the final of the seventh stage in the Giro d'Italia.
The Australian timed his sprint perfectly and after a display of his strenght, he crossed the finish line ahead of the rest. Although Fernando Gaviria (UAE Team Emirates) was the first one to launch the final move, the rider could overtake him on time to take the second victory in the current edition of the Corsa Rosa.
"The run-up to the sprint was really hectic and it felt like the sprint already started from the bottom of the short ramp in the penultimate kilometre", said Ewan. "So, it really was crucial to be up there right at the front. Because if you have to hit the brakes on that climb, it takes so much energy out of you to accelerate again. So, I asked my teammates to bring me into a good position at the bottom of the steep ramp. But they did so much more. Not only did they bring me to the front just perfectly, Jasper De Buyst was really impressive. He made sure I could save a lot of valuable energy I'd need for my final sprint. So I am very happy that I was able to finish the job. This kind of finishes suits me perfectly because of my size.
"Maybe I was even a little too close to the front in the final, but obviously it's better this way. To be honest, I was expecting an early attack from Gaviria, but I thought it would be on the steep ramp. When he attacked, I didn't go full, but I rather used the Colombian as a target. I jumped on his wheel but kept some distance in the slipstream. With a few hundred metres to go, I then launched my sprint. It just went perfectly and I'm really happy with this second stage win."
The Australian sprinter also took the lead of the points classification so he will be wearing purple on the next stage. "It's the first time I will be wearing a points jersey in a Grand Tour and it really is a big honour to represent the maglia ciclamino," he explained. "I'll try to keep it as long as possible, but we'll take it one day at a time. There are also some mountain stages coming up, so it will be nice to wear this jersey and enjoy it without the stress of upcoming bunch sprints."
Giro d'Italia - Caleb Ewan: I was expecting an early attack from Gaviria https://t.co/QkBi3PcVfj#Giro #Giro104
— CyclingPub (@CyclingPub) May 14, 2021
?LaPresse pic.twitter.com/4YNPcvVJYK
SUBSCRIBE TO RSS FEEDS