McEwen: "There are not nine Australian riders who are better than me on that course."
On Saturday, just three days after a resounding victory at the Eneco Tour, Robbie McEwen announced over Twitter that he would not be a part of the nine-man Australian World Championship team at home in Melbourne in October.
Following Sunday's mini-Amstel Gold stage at the Eneco Tour, McEwen went to the press room to get some thoughts off of his chest. McEwen was a non-factor for the day and finished in 47th, 24 seconds down on budding Aussie superstar, Jack Bobridge.
The downtrodden former Australian National Champion's words were not surprising, but nonetheless emotional considering the long road the adopted Belgian has traveled to get back to the winner's circle in 2010.
"I have looked forward to this race for over a year. I am deeply disappointed."
Neil Stephens, former professional and now one of the Australian coaches, voiced the opinion of the selectors on the topic of Mr. McEwen.
"The World Championships course is much harder than everyone thinks. A win at the Eneco Tour is different than winning the World Championships in Geelong...I understand that Robbie is disappointed. Robbie has specific qualities, but in the last 160 kilometers, 3000 meters must be overcome. That will be too much for him."
McEwen, speaking completely separately, had more than a fair enough retort to the Australian concerns. While the World Championships course in Zolder in 2002 bore no resemblance to a climber's extravaganza, the arduous route in Salzburg in 2006, however, showed that McEwen can contend on a selective Worlds circuit.
"I do not understand. I have previously been second at the World Championships (in Zolder) and fifth in Salzburg, where it was very difficult. It is a shock for me."
McEwen's road back to the top echelon of the sprinter elite has been a long and difficult one, so much so that he won't able to call it quits after the 2010 due to the amount of work he put in just to get back to the form that took him to three Tour de France Green Jerseys. July's Tour de France was decidedly unfriendly to the Australian, but McEwen licked his wounds, healed up, and is now enjoying what would seem to be the best form he's had in a number of years. His performances at the Eneco Tour over the past week have been excellent with a stage win, a second place, and a fifth place in the hotly contested bunch sprints.
The end result though, in the words of Neil Stephens, is a basic difference in opinion between the Australian coaches and McEwen.
"We believe that the World Championships does not suit Robbie," said Stephens.
A baffled McEwen is trying to wrap his head around the idea, but can't get over the fact that the coaches did not have the necessary faith in his ability on a course where he feels he can excel, even though opinions are deeply divided over how the race will play out.
"I had thought that the coaches had confidence in me."
Far from being critical of McEwen, Stephens is quick to laud the legendary sprinter and hopes that he will continue to bring in big results, because the next two years will better suit his capabilities.
"McEwen is still a good rider and one of the best Australian riders ever, maybe even the best…I hope that McEwen continues to prove himself as a top sprinter next year. The next World Championships (Copenhagen and Valkenburg) will suit him much better."
If you're McEwen it would be hard not to bitterly wonder though - at this time last year, there was nary a word about anything other than a bunch sprint at the Australian Worlds, yet now the battle cry is almost the opposite. Will the opinions on the next two years' worth of Worlds courses change as well? What then?
This being Robbie McEwen, all the disappointment, dejection, and sadness in the world can't keep the fiery sprinter from stating what seems to be the obvious: "There are not nine Australian riders who are better than me on [that] course."