Caleb Ewan has withdrawn from the Australian workforce for Sunday’s World Championships highway race, citing considerations over his type. His absence marks the second late change to the choice after Robert Stannard was provisionally suspended in the course of the week for an alleged doping violation.
The DSM riders Matthew Dinham and Alex Edmondson have been added to the workforce instead of Ewan and Stannard.
Michael Matthews, a medallist on the Richmond, Bergen and Wollongong Worlds, will lead Australia’s problem on Sunday, with Simon Clarke, Luke Durbridge, Kaden Groves, Lucas Plapp and Harry Sweeny additionally included.
Ewan had two close to misses in bunch sprints within the opening week of final month’s Tour de France, however he struggled when the highway climbed. He was the topic of blunt criticism from Lotto-Dstny supervisor Stéphane Heulot after he deserted the race on stage 13.
Stannard revealed on Wednesday that he had been provisionally suspended by the UCI for “the usage of prohibited Strategies and/or prohibited substances” in 2018 and 2019, when he raced for Mitchelton-Scott. At the moment at Alpecin-Deceuninck, he’s suspended from racing pending the decision of the case.
“After discussions between Caleb and workforce administration, Caleb determined that he couldn’t be at his best for these World Championships, and subsequently he has withdrawn himself from the workforce,” mentioned Australian directeur sportif Mathew Hayman in an announcement launched by AusCycling on Friday.
“Whereas we had wished him to be a part of the workforce, we totally respect and help his choice. With our eight riders, now we have a well-rounded ARA Australian Biking Crew that may help our excessive ambitions at these World Championships.”