Caleb coming back to where it all began
22 DEC 2025
One of Australian cycling’s greatest ever sprinters, Caleb Ewan, is coming back to where it all began and the scene of an incredible 14 victories at the Santos Tour Down Under (TDU).
Ewan, who announced his retirement from professional cycling earlier this year, is returning to Adelaide as a special guest of the race in January.
Fans will have the chance to meet him in the City of Adelaide Tour Village where he will also be part of Talking Tours, hospitality and ticketed events along the race route, and appear on Channel 7’s television broadcast.
Ewan’s stellar international career netted him 11 Grand Tour stages, including five at the Tour de France, four national criterium titles and second place in the 294km Milan-San Remo on two occasions.
The 31-year-old made his pro cycling debut at the TDU with national team in 2014 and went on to win nine stages and the Classic five times. His most dominant year at the TDU was in 2017 when he won Stages 1, 3, 4 and 6 as well as the opening night criterium.
“I’m looking forward to being there in a much more relaxed manner,” Ewan said.
“There’s always such a great vibe and a party atmosphere so when you’re there and 100 per cent focused on the race, naturally you want to be part of that and having fun, but you have to stay focused.
“Where as now, I’ll get to enjoy the fun side of it as well.
“And it will be great to mingle with the crowd, you do your best to try to speak to people when you’re racing, but when you’re focused you’re a bit short with people and rush off to the hotel room and get ready for recovery.
“It will be nice to enjoy it from the other side.”
Ewan says all his victories at the TDU were special but two – both in Stirling – hold extra significance.
“I always liked the Stirling stage because it was always a bit of an unknown,” he said.
“Would I be able to get through it? Was the course too hard? Was the finish too hard?
“Where as going into a normal sprint day it was obvious that I’d be there to do the sprint, but for a day like Stirling it was a question mark whether you’d make it or not, so that one always felt good.”
Since retiring from cycling this year, Ewan and his family have moved back to Australia and are living in Sydney where he is still on the bike, but also enjoys regular running.
“I love going out on my bike and the social aspect of it. I don’t miss doing really hard efforts and really long days, but I feel like when you stop you come back to the reason you fell in love with the sport in the first place, and I think I’m back at that point now which is nice,” he said.
“I don’t know if it’s (retirement) really hit me yet, but it’s no secret the last few years of my career weren’t the best ones.
“I was trying to get back to my best level which didn’t eventuate and it was a frustrating process. So when I stopped it wasn’t like I was winning all the time, I just felt like I was ready.
“I’ve done everything I could have wanted in my career so there wasn’t really anything more that I was chasing.
“Winning on the Champs Elysees was the highlight.
“It was the one race that I dreamed of winning, it was my first time on the Champs Elysee, first time I had finished a Grand Tour, my first Tour de France, and I’d already won two stages that year so it capped off a great race.”
Events South Australia Executive Director Hitaf Rasheed said the TDU was delighted to welcome Ewan back to the race.
“Caleb has an incredible record at our race and cycling fans had a real connection with him having watched his career from start to finish.
“Like so many young Australian riders he made his WorldTour debut here and his career has now come full circle as he returns as a multiple Grand Tour stage winner and our special guest.
“We are looking forward to having him back in South Australia and adding to what promises to be another fantastic edition of the race.”
Ewan will be at the Santos Tour Down Under which will be held in South Australia from January 16-25.
