Retired Ewan beats two pro sprinters but now faces challenge from Pogacar
Caleb Ewan may have retired, but he still packs a punch. During training rides ahead of the Tour Down Under, the 31-year-old Australian first defeated Sam Welsford and then Danny van Poppel in sprint duels. Now, however, an opponent of a different caliber appears: world champion Tadej Pogacar.
Ewan, who officially said goodbye to the peloton in May 2025, sprinted more than a week ago against his successor at INEOS Grenadiers: Sam Welsford. In the footage posted on Instagram, it’s clear that Ewan is the fastest. "1750 watts wasn’t enough," Welsford laughs under the video. Ewan admits, however, that in a 'real race' he wouldn't last five minutes against his younger countryman.
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Though his race days are behind him, his sprint speed clearly isn’t. Ewan proved it once again a few days before the Tour Down Under by beating Dutch champion Danny van Poppel in a wheel-to-wheel sprint. The Australian – winner of five stages in the Giro and Tour and one in the Vuelta – quickly gains more than a bike length on the Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe sprinter.
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Lavreysen? Pogacar!
"Danny van Poppel thought it would be easy, but he found out otherwise. Who’s next?" Ewan challenges other pros. Van Poppel himself suggests letting Ewan sprint against Harrie Lavreysen. "Harrie Lavreysen, please show him what sprinting is," jokes the Dutchman. The world track sprint champion hasn’t responded under Ewan’s post yet, but someone else has: Tadej Pogacar.
"Me," Pogi replies to Ewan’s question about who’s next. "But first, we’re doing eight hours in my zone 2," adds the Slovenian. In other words: before battling it out in a sprint against Ewan, he wants to do a solid endurance ride first.
