Nat Bromhead
Caleb Ewan has claimed his first Tour de France victory, the former Bowral-based pocket rocket winning Stage 11 of the world’s #1 cycling race in Toulouse overnight.
25yo Ewan outsprinted Stage 8 winner Dylan Groenewegen in a tight finish while Julian Alaphilippe of Deceuninck-QuickStep retained the yellow jersey ahead of the high-country Pyrenean stages.
Grand Tour Trilogy For Caleb Ewan
Caleb Ewan was perfectly positioned for the final sprint, lining up Groenewegen and beating him across the line. The win gives Caleb Ewan a Grand Tour trilogy having won a stage at La Vuelta in Spain and three stages at the Giro in Italy.
Speaking shortly after the stage Ewan said he’d dreamt of winning a Tour de France stage since he was a young boy.
“I can’t believe it,” he said. “The Tour de France is something so distant from Australia, something we only watched on TV. I can’t believe I’m even here, and to win a stage is a real dream come true for me.”
Ewan went on to say he’d been so close at numerous other stages of this year’s race.
“I knew if everything came together then I can be the fastest on the day, and I think today I showed that,” he said.
