He officially retired several months ago but Robbie McEwen pinned on a race number again on Saturday and showed that he’s still got a considerable amount of oomph when it comes to a finishing sprint.
The Australian rider took part in the Japan Cup criterium and despite not being in the same condition as some of those in the peloton, he finished a fine third in the race.
Jaroslaw Marycz (Saxo Bank Tinkoff Bank) jumped away inside the final kilometre and soloed in to take the win. Fumi Beppu (Orica GreenEdge) was second, just ahead of McEwen.
The latter has been working as sprint coach and advisor to the Orica GreenEdge team and guided Beppu in the finale of the race. His shouted directions to him can be heard in the video below, which McEwen recorded via bike-mounted camera and then uploaded to YouTube.
The video gives a fascinating insight into the dynamics of the race, showing the positioning and pacing of the past Maillot Vert winner in the Tour de France, as well as the bike control of McEwen and others.