#EXCLUSIVE: Caleb Ewan in his own words
While his reputation as a fierce competitor precedes him, the conversation revealed a more personal side as he opened up about his recent and somewhat unexpected retirement from professional cycling at the age of 31.
I think if I was 38 or 39, it's a much easier decision to make. Caleb shared that the decision to step away wasn't easy. He recounted the emotional journey that led him there, marked by both professional tensions and the mental toll of high expectations.
Despite the challenges, he was able to end on a high note, winning his final race, a moment he described as deeply satisfying and a fitting farewell to a demanding career.
Winning made it more clear that it was the right decision to make. The discussion also explored how the sprinting landscape has evolved during Caleb's time in the peloton. He noted the rise of younger, stronger talents and how the physical and mental demands have become more intense.
This heightened competition, he said, makes longevity in the sport increasingly difficult, especially for sprinters who rely on maintaining razor-sharp form.
The level of sprinting now is so high. Now that he is embracing life after cycling, Caleb spoke about the relief of leaving behind the constant scrutiny and regaining time for his family, something he often sacrificed in pursuit of success.
Though he admits to some uncertainty about what comes next, he's eager to rediscover himself beyond the bike. His reflections provide a rare and honest glimpse into the emotional realities of stepping away from elite sport.
It's the first time in my life where I'm not focusing on trying to ride a bike faster.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
ABC News
35 minutes ago
- ABC News
Ben Shelton beats Rinky Hijikata in 69 seconds at Wimbledon after final game was delayed overnight
Australian Rinky Hijikata has not managed a single shot as American 10th seed Ben Shelton wrapped up their paused second-round Wimbledon match with four unreturnable serves. Two-time grand slam semifinalist Shelton needed all of about a minute and exactly four points — three of which were aces — to wrap up a 6-2, 7-5, 6-4 victory over Hijikata after their match was suspended the night before because of darkness at 5-4 in the third set. "Very different playing over two days and coming out for whatever that was — 55 seconds? — today," the 10th-seeded Shelton said. "I was hoping to maybe hit a few groundstrokes today. I might have to go to the practice courts." The American, who reached the final four at the 2023 US Open and this year's Australian Open, was about to try to serve out the match on Thursday at 9:30pm local time when action was halted on court two, which does not have a roof or artificial lights. They came back out to the same stadium a little less than 16 hours later and, after a warm-up period that was quite a bit longer than the actual play on Friday, Shelton began with a 227 kph ace. The 22-year-old left-hander then hit a second serve that resulted in a framed return by Hijikata, followed by an ace at 225 kph and one more at 190 kph to end things quickly. "You come out here, serving for the match, the nerves are there a little bit. To hit three aces and take the pressure off of myself, I couldn't have been happier with what I came out here and did," said Shelton, who will face 105th-ranked Márton Fucsovics of Hungary for a chance to reach the fourth round at the All England Club for the second consecutive year. Gold-medal-winning footballer and Shelton's girlfriend Trinity Rodman joked on social media: "Nothing like a 2-minute-long match. Congrats Benny." Shelton told the crowd: "I'm sorry that you guys didn't really get to see much tennis." Right before things were halted Thursday, Shelton held three match points while leading 5-3 and at 0-40 on Hijikata's serve, but the 87th-ranked Hijikata grabbed the next five points to extend the contest into what turned out to be a second day. "It was difficult. At that point we kind of knew we were playing in conditions that weren't ideal for tennis so for me it was like 'what's one more game?'," Shelton told ESPN. "I understand the tournament's got to make whatever decisions they make and players have got to live with it. For me, I lived with it, I came out today and did what I do." Shelton said he had had matches split over two days on three or four previous occasions at Wimbledon, which does not prize night-time sessions like the Australian and US Opens do. "This seems to be the tournament I usually split over two days," he said. "Whether it's rain or it gets dark out here, it's one of those tournaments that you've got to be able to adjust on the fly, get used to stopping, starting, re-warming up. It's part of what makes tennis fun." Shelton faced only three break points against Hijikata, saving all of them. "A great match," he said. "A clean match." AP/ABC
News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
Top gun Pogacar targets fourth Tour de France triumph
The Tour de France sets off Saturday with superstar Tadej Pogacar and his rival Jonas Vingegaard sharing top billing with the magnificent 3,338-kilometre route itself. After starts in Florence, Bilbao and Copenhagen, and with upcoming editions in Barcelona and Edinburgh, cycling's most prestigious race has an old school itinerary this year raced exclusively in France and favouring climbers. France has been wilting under a heatwave this week, but the race's sole African rider Biniam Girmay was unfazed by this. "If there's one person who is happy to ride in the heat, it's me," said the 2024 sprint king. "The hotter, the better." Girmay will be amongst the favourites to take the first stage win and the yellow jersey accorded to the overall leader. And with hordes of Belgian fans pouring across the nearby border Remco Evenepoel will be well supported in his bid to reach further than his third man billing. "I'll go all in all the way," promised the Olympic and world time-trial champion. Often described as the most beautiful stadium in the world, the Tour route roves across the north coast to the west of Brittany, before heading south through the Massif Central and the first mountain stage on day 10. "Everybody knows that's when the real race begins," said the straight talking Belgian Evenepoel. Team UAE's Pogacar starts as red-hot favourite with fans and bookmakers alike, and he can silence any remaining doubters by beating arch-rival Vingegaard of Visma. Pogacar has won three Tour de France and has 99 professional wins, so will almost certainly hit his century here, maybe in the first week. "Jonas might be stronger in the mountains, so I'd better get ahead a bit early on with some bonus seconds," he said. - 'Intense rivalry' - Glimpses of Pogacar and Vingegaard going head-to-head on the Alpine slopes or along the panoramic roads of the French Riviera provide tension, drama and sporting rivalry as enthralling as any involving the old-time legends. Vingegaard tends to focus on a single-mission strategy, awaiting one big moment to spring a deeply considered killer move at a meticulously chosen spot. Visma team boss Grischa Niermann insisted Friday his team had come to win, but both he and Vingegaard were keeping mum about what their plan was. "I'm on the highest level that I've ever been," said the 2022 and 2023 winner. "If we didn't think we could win, we wouldn't be sat here," said Niermann. Pogacar certainly seemed relaxed when he spoke to the press at the magnificent Lille Opera. "The last five years have been intense between me and Jonas," Pogacar said. "It's a great competition and rivalry and it will be interesting to see if the title changes hands again." The volcanoes of the Puy de Dome present the first mountains as late as stage 10, with two more colossal climb days in the Pyrenees before the blockbuster final week in the Alps. But before any dash towards the eventual finish line on the Champs-Elysees there is one final twist. A last-minute addition to the 2025 route is a nod to the 2024 Olympic Games road race, which drew vast crowds to the old Parisian neighbourhood of Montmartre. On the final day a cauldron of noise up the narrow cobbled climb to the Sacre-Coeur Basilica provides one final obstacle, after which the winner will be crowned. For 21 days this July, the daily doings of this most arduous of sporting struggles provides the drumbeat of summer, with armchair tourists and cycling fanatics alike tuning in around the world. dmc/ea
News.com.au
2 hours ago
- News.com.au
‘I'm filthy': Cameron Ciraldo says the Bulldogs haven't reached their attacking potential as Lachlan Galvin fails to fire in the halves
A frustrated Cameron Ciraldo admits his side hasn't reached its attacking potential yet this season, with the Bulldogs coach disappointed in how his team handled the second half on Friday night as the Broncos stormed home to beat them 22-18. The Bulldogs led 18-0 in the second half but conceded the final four tries as a new-look backline failed to fire the premiership fancies with the game on the line. All eyes were on mid-season recruit Lachlan Galvin who was initially named on the bench but started at five-eighth alongside Toby Sexton, with Matt Burton switching to centre given they had Stephen Crichton and Jacob Kiraz away on Origin duty. Galvin set up a try with his right boot but made two errors and didn't gel well with his teammates on the left edge in what was his second start since leaving the Wests Tigers. Canterbury's attack is an easy focus given they were leading the league before Galvin arrived, with the next two months set to determine what their spine looks like heading into the finals. 'I don't think our attack has reached its potential all year, so we're searching for that, as most clubs are,' Ciraldo said. 'We're searching for what works. We've had a lot of turnover with different back-rowers and things like that so we're still searching. 'We've got nine or 10 weeks to go to figure that out, but you've got to learn your lessons quickly. We didn't learn ours from last week and take those into tonight.' While the halves conundrum will dominate the headlines for the rest of the season, Ciraldo doesn't have to worry about being asked questions about Sexton's future after the halfback signed a deal to play for Catalans. Sexton joined the club midway through the 2023 season and has done a fine job in the halves, but his role became a major talking point once Galvin signed. 'He came and saw me last night (Thursday) and told me about it,' Ciraldo said. 'It's really good for him and his family and I'm stoked for him because he's worked really hard. 'He was playing for Tweed Heads a couple of years ago and came down to the Bulldogs to get an opportunity. 'He had to bide his time at the start and then got his opportunity, and he's done really well. 'It's a great opportunity for him over there, but he was really clear that he's not thinking about that right now. He's thinking about how we get better at the back end of the season, and that's what we're all thinking.' Ciraldo has a week to decide who he should pick in the halves for their next game, with the coach disappointed in his side's second-half performance after failing to learn lessons from last week's loss to Penrith. 'I haven't thought too far past that game. We've got to go back and review that,' he said. 'There was a lot to like about what we did in the first half, but there are some lessons there. I'm filthy that we didn't learn our lessons from last week. 'We had to stand up and be better this week than what we were last week in those areas that we practised all week, but we weren't. 'I thought we were trying to force it too much. 'I thought the Broncos were defending really well at the start of the second half and we earned some possession, but we had to keep asking questions and play the field position game. 'We didn't, we tried to force it and it probably played into their hands.'
