Caleb Ewan, riding for Lotto-Dstny, put in a tremendous effort to surpass the time cut on stage 12 of the 2023 Tour de France after an intense day of racing. Now, he faces the formidable challenge of navigating through the demanding Jura and Alps regions to reach the rest day on Monday and ultimately make it to Paris.
During stage 12, Caleb Ewan found himself dropping behind the main peloton shortly after the race commenced, as a grueling 90-kilometer pursuit for a breakaway unfolded. Fortunately, his teammate Jasper de Buyst from Lotto Dstny provided valuable assistance, and together they endured one of the most challenging stages of the race thus far.
With only six minutes to spare within the 44-minute time limit, Caleb Ewan and his lead-out man crossed the finish line in Belleville-en-Beaujolais arm-in-arm, showcasing their unwavering determination in the face of a demanding day at the rear of the race. A video shared on Lotto-Dstny’s Twitter account captured the exhausted duo returning to the team bus, their resilience shining through despite the fatigue.
Caleb Ewan survives Tour de France time cut but sprinters fear the Alps https://t.co/omakrj95wI pic.twitter.com/EUMmPvR3jr
— Cycle Sport (@CycleSportMag) July 14, 2023
Sharing his thoughts on Instagram, Ewan succinctly described the arduous day, acknowledging, “Today was tough… but we persevered.” He expressed his appreciation to De Buyst for supporting him until they crossed the finish line, even though they arrived nearly ten minutes after the main group, which comprised the majority of sprinters, had already completed the stage.
Campenaerts, who shares accommodations with De Buyst during the Tour, found himself among the contenders vying for a breakaway and ultimately finished 10th after personally enduring the grueling race. Describing the stage, he expressed that it was incredibly demanding, surpassing the difficulty of stage 10, which had already been one of the toughest according to his fellow riders.
Ewan now faces three challenging days of mountainous racing as he strives to reach the second rest day. The stage conclusion at the Grand Colombia is expected to be the least formidable of the three tests, with a relatively manageable route leading up to the summit. Stages 14 and 15 pose the most immediate threat, encompassing five categorized climbs, over 4000 meters of elevation, and progressively more demanding profiles as the kilometers progress.
De Buyst and the rest of the team will play a crucial role in supporting Caleb Ewan and ensuring his continuation in the race, allowing him to contend for potential sprint victories on stages 18, 19, and the final day in Paris.
Two notable sprinters have already withdrawn from the 2023 Tour de France. Mark Cavendish (Astana Qazaqstan) exited after fracturing his collarbone on stage 8, while Fabio Jakobsen (Soudal-QuickStep) did not start stage 12 due to lingering injuries sustained on stage 4. Jakobsen had successfully beaten the time cut two days prior, riding in a group that included Ewan and lead-out riders from their respective teams.
However, neither Jakobsen nor Ewan were able to strongly contend in the bunch sprint on stage 11, finishing outside the top ten. Although Ewan secured third and second place finishes in the initial bunch sprints of the 2023 race, he has been unable to surpass the dominance of Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck), who has emerged as the leading force in all four flat sprints thus far.
With a prior victory on the Champs Élysées in 2019, Ewan remains confident that if he can conquer the upcoming tremendously challenging stages, he stands a strong chance of securing a win. Whether on the final stage or one of the preceding opportunities, he maintains an optimistic outlook on his prospects.
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