Caleb Ewan was best in the fight for Sagan's wheel and best in the dash to the line. But somehow the victory on stage 5 of Tour Down Under was taken from him.
The overhead footage of the approach to the stage 5 sprint at the Tour Down Under captured the incident Caleb Ewan was later disqualified for.
The Australian was first across the line, but he was relegated right down the field because of the earlier incident.
He and Jasper Philipsen (UAE Team Emirates) were competing for Peter Sagan’s wheel.
There was some relatively minor contact between the pair, during which Ewan used his head a little.
He didn’t exactly headbutt Philipsen but used both his head and upper body to be sure he was the one who got into the wheel of Sagan (Bora-hansgrohe).
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It proved to be a key battle as Ewan had that wheel when the sprint began. And he just about beat Philipsen, who was 2nd across the line.
The commissaries reviewed the finish and relegated Ewan to last place in the front group. And that meant Philipsen was upgraded to victory.
Ewan was clearly unhappy with the decision, and a look at the overhead footage in the video just below seems to back him up.
He is perhaps gilding the lily a bit when he says he did what he did to avoid crashing. But it’s very hard to see how he did anything that warranted his win being taken off him.
Ewan used his head three times, but it was done to essentially press against the rider next to him rather than aggressively strike out at him.
And pro sprinting is a contact sport at times; rubbing is racing, as they say.
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"This is very disappointing. I was so looking forward to my first official victory for Lotto Soudal,” he said.
“After crossing the line, it felt like a massive relief, but the next moment all of that joy disappeared when I heard that I had been relegated.
"During the final kilometres, I was on Peter Sagan's wheel. But Philipsen tried to take that spot as he tried to push me out of Sagan's wheel.
“You are not allowed to take your hands off the handlebars in the sprint, so I used my head to avoid ending up in the barriers.
“Head movements are of course clearly visible on a helicopter shot. But a lot of former sprinters will confirm that my manoeuvre was not irregular.
"Of course, I have to accept the decision taken by the jury, but I don't agree with it."
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