Retiring or switching groups? Caleb Ewan not listed on Jayco-AlUla 2025 roster

Could Caleb Ewan be retiring from racing on the age of simply 30? Is he switching groups in the course of his Jayco-AlUla contract?

Questions in regards to the Australian sprinter’s future have been raised this week as his profile seems to have vanished from his present crew’s 2025 roster lineup page. Ewan is not within the crew lineup for his house race, the upcoming Tour Down Under, January 21-16, both, and his future at Jayco – even perhaps within the peloton – now seems to be unclear.

Ewan joined Jayco-AlUla, the crew the place he spent the primary 4 years of his profession, after breaking his Lotto contract on the finish of 2023 following a falling-out with administration on the Belgian crew. He could already be on the transfer with little indication on-line – on Jayco’s web site and social media – of him at the moment being on the crew’s roster.

On Wednesday, Daniel Benson reported that Ewan wasn’t at Jayco’s coaching camp final month. He’s additionally not a part of the crew’s choice for the Tour Down Under, the place he is received 9 levels prior to now.

Instead, Luke Plapp and Mauro Schmid lead the seven-man squad. In Ewan’s place, Campbell Stewart will race, with the 26-year-old described by directeur sportif because the crew’s “possibility for the bunch sprints”.

When contacted by Cyclingnews on Thursday, Jayco-AlUla crew supervisor Brent Copeland declined to touch upon Ewan’s scenario. Cyclingnews additionally reached out to Ewan’s agent for remark.

According to a report by Escape Collective, points arose between Ewan and his crew final season, whereas a proposed deal to Astana for 2025 collapsed over the winter. Escape stories that a number of sources recommended authorized proceedings between the 2 events could be on the playing cards.

Ewan, who has received 11 Grand Tour levels together with 5 on the Tour de France throughout his profession, hailed his swap to Jayco as an opportunity for a “contemporary begin” after the deterioration of his relationship with Lotto.

“The factor is to win on the highest stage like that you actually need a full crew rallying behind you and I suppose if I can take any positives from the Tour once more, I wasn’t thus far off the tempo,” Ewan advised Cyclingnews final January. 

“I nearly received a stage so I do know my stage continues to be ok to win the most important races on this planet however yeah I simply want a contemporary begin, a crew that is excited to have me.”

He received 4 races at Jayco final yr – the Australian Criterium Championships, levels on the Tour of Oman and Vuelta a Burgos, and the one-day Vuelta a Castilla y Leon – however did not take any wins at WorldTour stage. He additionally raced the Giro d’Italia as Jayco opted to ship Dylan Groenewegen to the Tour de France.

Ewan stated final yr that retirement was by no means an possibility on the finish of 2023, stating to Cyclingnews that he would solely name time on his profession as soon as he felt that he could not win races anymore.

“I used to be by no means going to be retired in 2024,” Ewan stated. “I’m not the kind of rider that may form of hold using, not profitable something. My job is to win and as soon as I cease profitable and might’t win anymore, then my place in biking is just about over.”

Ewan confirmed that he can nonetheless win races in 2024, even when he did not add to his Grand Tour tally, so it is possible he feels he has extra to supply the game. Should Ewan be shifting on to a different crew, there are a number of attainable touchdown spots across the WorldTour with 11 of the 18 squads nonetheless retaining an open roster spot, or a number of.

XDS-Astana have a full 30-rider squad for 2025 with the ultimate addition of Chinese rider Haoyu Su, so a revival of his beforehand mooted switch to the Kazakhstani crew could be off the playing cards.

Six different groups – Bahrain Victorious, Cofidis, Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale, Lidl-Trek, Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, and Soudal-QuickStep – additionally lack areas for the upcoming season. According to Daniel Benson‘s report, Ineos Grenadiers, who at the moment have one free no-neo-pro roster spot, have proven curiosity in signing Ewan.