Analysing Caleb Ewan's Ineos Grenadiers lead-out options 🇦🇺 🇬🇧
The British team aren't used to working with a pure sprinter, but there's plenty of firepower on hand. We look at seven riders who could be called upon
Caleb Ewan’s transfer to Ineos Grenadiers was a left-field move for both parties.
Back in the summer, Ewan looked settled at Jayco AlUla, and while Ineos were on the hunt for a sprinter, the Australian wasn’t on the team’s initial radar.
That all changed when it became clear that Ewan was no longer wanted at Jayco, and Ineos needed to fill a spot following Tom Pidcock’s move to Q36.5, and the departures of Elia Viviani and Ethan Hayter. They needed a rider who could win multiple races per season, and while Ewan’s return rate has dropped in the last few years, he was still worth a shot.
The Australian rider has a chance to rebuild his career at Ineos, and while we don’t know when he’ll start racing, it’s clear that Ineos will at least provide the 30-year-old with the opportunity to prove himself. After just 14 wins in 2024, Ineos need Ewan just as much as he needs them.
Before we look at the possible lead-out structure Ewan could benefit from at Ineos, here’s what his new sports director, Zak Dempster, had to say when we talked this week.
“For Caleb’s preferred lead-out, I think that we’ve actually got quite a few if you saw Ben Turner on stage 2 here, he was pretty good. I wouldn’t want to try and get up too close to Josh [Tarling] or Pippo [Ganna], personally, you’ve got Sam Watson, who has won bike races, and you’ve got Ben Swift. When I spoke to Caleb about this in Denia, it was a long list. Obviously, he’s come in late, and we’re building a programme that’s right for him, so we can get him winning again. That’s the first thing. It’s a process that gives him the time to get to where he feels he’s in the shape to do that,” Dempster told us.