Mitchelton-SCOTT has named its eight-rider team to line up at the Tour de France and one notable absentee is their Australian sprinter Caleb Ewan. The 23 year-old has since expressed his disappointment at being left out, saying that he is “devastated.”
The team announced their eight-man squad earlier today stating that their focus will be on the general classification. The team will be built around 2016 Tour de France best young rider and fourth-place finisher Adam Yates, and in addition to the Briton, the other riders are Jack Bauer, Luke Durbridge, Mathew Hayman, Michael Hepburn, Damien Howson, Daryl Impey and Mikel Nieve.
Caleb Ewan revealed his disappointment in a tweet afterwards, where he said: “Devastated is an understatement of how I feel about @MitcheltonSCOTT’s decision to leave me at home this July. I was on track to being more than ready for my TDF debut. So much hard work has gone into this from my sprint team and I to be ready for our big goal this year.”
Ewan has ridden both the Giro d’Italia (2016 and 2017) and Vuelta a España (2015) previously and has won stages in both races. This season, he has taken victories in the National Criterium Championships, Clásica de Almería and a stage of the Tour Down Under in addition to finishing second at Milan–San Remo.
Mitchelton Scott Team for 2018 Tour de France:
Jack Bauer (NZL, 33) – 5th TDF appearance
Luke Durbridge (AUS, 27) – 5th TDF appearance
Mathew Hayman (AUS, 40) – 4th TDF appearance
Michael Hepburn (AUS, 26) – debut
Damien Howson (AUS, 25) – 2nd TDF appearance
Daryl Impey (RSA, 33) – 6th TDF appearance
Mikel Nieve (SPA, 34) – 5th TDF appearance
Adam Yates (GBR, 25) – 3rd TDF appearance
