Caleb Ewan headlines Australian Tour Down Under team

One of the world’s fastest sprinters will compete for the Australian National Team at the Tour Down Under (TDU), with AusCycling confirming Caleb Ewan’s inclusion in the event today.

Riding alongside Ewan in the men’s Australian National Team will be Lotto-Dstny teammate Jarrad Drizners, and Commonwealth Games team pursuit medallists Conor Leahy, Graeme Frislie, and James Moriarty.

The women’s team features 2022 national road champion Nicole Frain, UCI World Championship silver medallist Rachel Neylan, and Oceania road champion Josie Talbot.

The Australian National Team traditionally consists of a mix of promising domestic riders and professional riders without a team ride, with the complete teams for the 2023 TDU listed below:

Men's Team:

• Caleb Ewan
• Jarrad Drizners
• Zac Marriage*
• Graeme Frislie*
• Conor Leahy
• James Moriarty*
• Liam Walsh*

Women's Team:

• Nicole Frain
• Josie Talbot
• Rachel Neylan
• Anya Louw
• Haylee Fuller*
• Alli Anderson*

*Under-23 rider.

As winner of the men’s teams classification in the 2022 National Road Series, Team BridgeLane were awarded two positions on the team, which have been filled by Cycle Sunshine Coast winner Zac Marriage and Liam Walsh.

AusCycling Developing athletes Alli Anderson, Haylee Fuller, and Anya Louw have been selected to the women’s team as a pathway initiative aimed towards the new Women Under 23 category at the UCI World Championships.

Ewan and Drizners will ride in the green and gold after their professional team Lotto-Dstny elected to forego UCI WorldTour invitations following their relegation from the top-18 teams for the 2023 season.

Among his 60 professional victories, Ewan has claimed five stage wins in both the Tour de France and Giro d’Italia, and is a nine-time stage winner at the Tour Down Under, including two stage victories when the event was last held in 2020.

The 2023 TDU field features a star-studded line-up of Australian and international riders, including Grand Tour winners Jai Hindley, Chris Froome, Geraint Thomas, and Simon Yates; Australians Ben O’Connor, Michael Matthews, Simon Clarke, Luke Plapp, Michael Hepburn, and Luke Durbridge; British brothers Ethan and Leo Hayter; and two-time Tour Down Under winner Daryl Impey.

The women’s start list includes Olympians Alexandra Manly and Georgia Baker, criterium national champions Ruby Roseman-Gannon and Jessica Allen, and exciting debutants Georgie Howe and Amber Pate, all of whom will be riding for GreenEDGE Cycling.

Ewan’s inclusion in Tour Down Under is more good news for Australian fans, after it was announced earlier this week the 28-year-old will also compete at the 2023 Federation University Road National Championships in January.

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Main Photo: ASO Pauline Ballet