Third overall heading into today’s final day and sitting five seconds behind the race leader Tom Veelers (Skil – Shimano), Robbie McEwen blazed to double success today when he won the final stage of the Tour de Wallonie Picarde plus the overall classification.
The 39 year old Australian rider was poised at the end of Sky Procycling’s sprint train, coming off the team’s number one rider Chris Sutton in the final sprint. Sutton had started the day level in time with Vellers and thus five seconds ahead of McEwen, but with a ten second bonus up for grabs to the stage winner, he had to try to take the stage.
However as McEwen powered home, Sutton faded and placed only fourth. The Australian sped in ahead of the promising Italian sprinter Andrea Guardini (Farnese Vini – Neri Sottoli) and Sébastien Chavanel (Team Europcar), grabbing that crucial bonus. With sixth-placed Velleers and Sutton out of the key placings, the RadioShack rider ended the race five seconds clear of both.
“This was not expected today,” he said, effectively admitting to having doubts that he could win and take the overall. “This was a hard stage with seven climbs of the Col de la Croix de Jubaru. Despite the heat I felt good today and actually felt better and better as the stage went on.”
Those sensations boosted his confidence and his conviction. “I knew that I could take the overall victory by winning the stage and when Veelers or Sutton were not in the top three. And that’s what happened,” he said. “To be honest, this was an easy sprint for me. I choose the right wheel, that of Sutton, and could easily pass him. This proves I’m still there in cycling.”
An eleven man group went clear earlier in the stage these riders took most of the points at the intermediate sprints at Croix Jubaru (km 136.6 and km 151.3). Michael Rogers (Sky Procycling) jumped across from the bunch before the latter and snagged first place there.
Things came back together on the final lap, with Laurens De Vreese (Topsport Vlaanderen – Mercator) taking the third bonus sprint ahead of Mathew Hayman (Sky Procycling). Many efforts were made to slip away before the final kilometres but the sprinters’ teams covered them all. Sky Procycling did what it could to set Sutton up, but McEwen showed his experience and strong late-season form to triumph. He had previously won the opening stage of the race.
Sutton was frustrated to miss out after the squad did much of the work, but also accepted the result. “The whole team rode incredible well all week for me. We just ran out of men there towards the end,” he said on the team’s website.
“Today just wasn’t meant to be. I had to do a really long sprint and Robbie was positioned nicely on my wheel – the better bike rider won. Full credit to Robbie and his team. He is a classy bike rider and he deserved to win it.”
McEwen is nearing the end of what is his penultimate year as a pro. He’s got little racing left, but still has plenty of ambition for 2011’s events. “The season is not over yet. I hope I can show the same fast legs in Paris-Tours,” he said, thinking to next weekend’s big event. “That would be nice. I’ve never won that race.”
He will compete with the new GreenEdge team in 2012. He said before that he doesn’t plan on doing a full season, and appears to be sticking to that. “I will do some Australian races, followed by Qatar or Oman and the Flemish Classics. Then it will be over and out,” he vowed.