Caleb Ewan rejoins Team Jayco AIUla to seal Australia homecoming as Dylan Groenewegen extends deal - 'It means a lot'
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Updated 12/10/2023 at 08:33 GMT
Caleb Ewan will hope to turn a corner after a frustrating past couple of years, and will head back home to GreenEDGE cycling in Australia. He will link up with the men's Team Jayco AlUla squad, and he goes back to where his career began. The following day, the team announced that Dylan Groenewegen has extended his contract to the end of the 2025 season after impressive form.
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Caleb Ewan will return to GreenEDGE cycling next year and link up with the men's Team Jayco AlUla squad ahead of the new season, while Dylan Groenewegen has extended his contract with the team to the end of 2025.
This is a homecoming for Australian sprinter Ewan, who will be hoping for more success with the team after stage victories at the Giro d’Italia, Tour of Britain and Abu Dhabi Tour.
After five years with Lotto Dstny, the 29-year-old heads back Down Under with 11 Grand Tour stage wins to his name to bolster Team Jayco AIUla's sprint options.
The team announced the news on social media with a humorous Crocodile Dundee parody, whetting the excitement ahead of the 2024 campaign.
Team Jayco AlUla general manager Brent Copeland said in a statement: “Caleb needs no introduction with the incredible list of results that he has, and of course, as he spent the first four and a half years of his professional career with the team – we know what to expect with Caleb and he is one of the world’s best sprinters.
“For us to have another Australian rider which such calibre joining us, it is very special, and he will provide us with another fantastic option to challenge for sprint finishes.
"We have been working hard to add depth to our men’s team and with the addition of another top-level sprinter into our ranks, we are certainly going to be looking for wins in all races that we see Caleb and Dylan line-up in.
The Australian will be hoping to consign a challenging past couple of years to the past after Lotto Dstny were relegated from the UCI World Tour in 2022, and described the year as "really stressful."
Ewan also left the 2023 Tour de France on Stage 13 and has struggled for victories this year, but will hope that moving back to Australia will turn his fortunes around.
He added: “It means a lot to me to come back to GreenEDGE. I had a lot of success with the squad in the past, it’s obviously where I started my professional career, so I have really good memories from being with GreenEDGE those first few years.
“For me, it will be nice being back in the Australian culture and English-speaking environment. Being an Australian and riding for an Australian team is very special.
"There are a lot of riders and staff that I have worked with before, many of my old team-mates remain, so it will be great to work with everyone again and I think the transition back will be smooth.
“The main thing for me will be getting back to winning ways and I hope to bring a lot of success to the team. It will be a strong roster for 2024.”
Jayco AIUla announced a new contract for sprinter Groenewegen on Thursday that will see the Dutchman stay in their colours to the end of the 2025 season.
The 30-year-old has been with the team since the start of 2022 and has extended his stay by one year from his previous terms.
Groenewegen has claimed 13 wins since joining Jayco AIUla including a Stage 3 win at the 2022 Tour de France .
"Since joining the team, I have felt at home, and I believe this is the best place to be for my career and also to keep winning races," he said.
"We have already achieved a lot of special victories together in the last two seasons and the goal for me and the team is to achieve more.
"Winning at the Tour de France is the biggest goal and we managed this in my first year, we went close again this year, so this makes me more motivated for the next two years.”
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