With an overall victory in the Mitchelton Bay Cycling Classic, Caleb Ewan has got his professional career off to the perfect start. Now the Australian targets the Australian criterium championships

At just 20-years-of-age, and the youngest rider in the race, Caleb Ewan will line-up as the favourite in the elite men’s criterium, on the opening day of racing, at the 2015 Mars Cycling Australia Road National Championships.

In 2014 the youngster from Bowral, NSW, did the double in the under-23 category, winning the criterium and the road race.

Despite still being young enough for the U23 category his contract with the World Tour Orica-GreenEDGE team means he’ll be riding the elite races.

Ewan finished off the 2014 season riding with Australia’s leading team and is looking forward to starting 2015 as the protected rider for the criterium, on Sturt Street, Ballarat, in front of a strong field. 

“I’m more excited than anything. When I get closer to the races I get a bit more nervous, but at the moment I’m just full of excitement,” Ewan said.

“It was good to have the contract with GreenEDGE start in October. I got to do my first World Tour race and it went pretty well, the team was helping me and it was a pretty good feeling.”

On top of his U23 national titles, he took silver in the U23 road race at the 2014 UCI Road World Championships.

Despite his pre-race favourite status, Ewan is showing plenty of respect to his rivals.

“Steele von Hoff is going really well and he won it last year. Shannon Johnson and Neil van der Ploeg will be among the other key riders to watch,” Ewan said.

“So there are a few good guys out there, and a lot of the teams like Avanti and Drapac who will both be there trying to win that race.

“It’ll be hard competing against these teams if I’m by myself.”

The expectations on Ewan are high but it’s something he already has the experience of overcoming.

“I got nervous before the nationals in 2013, so it was good to come back the second year and win both races,” he said.

“But yeah, I’ll be aiming for the criterium this year.”