ROBBIE MCEWEN'S BEST YEAR - BACK UP TO SPEED
CYCLING WEEKLY|October 29, 2020
In 2002 the star sprinter Robbie McEwen wasted no time making a mark at his new team and, writes Chris Marshall-Bell, that was just the beginning
Chris Marshall-Bell
ROBBIE MCEWEN'S BEST YEAR - BACK UP TO SPEED

It was six in the morning when Christophe Sercu’s phone rang. “Walter?” the LottoAdecco manager wearily queried from his bed in Belgium to his director Sportif Walter Planckaert. “Morning. Robbie won today.”

The same phone call repeated itself two days later. And the day after. Oh, and two days after that. Robbie McEwen’s first week riding with his new team had yielded a quartet of victories at the 2002 Tour Down Under in just six stages. “Walter rang me every morning from Australia saying that he won again,” Sercu says. “Every time it was so very early. So early. But he was having an impact already.”

ACHIEVEMENTS

Career palmarès

12x – Tour de France stages

3x – Tour de France green jerseys

12x – Giro d’Italia stages

12x – Tour Down Under stages

5x – Paris-Bruxelles

3x – Australian road race champion

8x – Ronde van Nederland stages

7x – Tour de Suisse stages

Indeed. Before McEwen raced in the red of the Belgian team with his new team-mates, he had already won four times: twice at the Geelong Bay Crits and in becoming Australian national road and criterium champion. “I hadn’t lost in the Lotto jersey before I raced with my new team. I was in red hot form. I felt so incredible,” he recalls.

This story is from the October 29, 2020 edition of CYCLING WEEKLY.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the October 29, 2020 edition of CYCLING WEEKLY.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM CYCLING WEEKLYView All
Claud Butler Criterium
Cycling Weekly

Claud Butler Criterium

A classic British brand ridden by beginners and Olympians alike

time-read
1 min  |
May 02, 2024
Dr Hutch
Cycling Weekly

Dr Hutch

At what point does a bold show of strength become brazen showboating? The Doc ponders the etiquette of the long solo break

time-read
4 mins  |
May 02, 2024
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT...CBD
Cycling Weekly

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT...CBD

From reducing pain to promoting relaxation and sleep, myriad are the claims made for cannabidiol but do they stack up? Rob Kemp finds out

time-read
4 mins  |
May 02, 2024
Van Rysel D900
Cycling Weekly

Van Rysel D900

Andy Turner discovers whether Decathlon's high-spec, low-price smart trainer can compete with the likes of Wahoo, Tacx and Elite

time-read
3 mins  |
May 02, 2024
What prep does my bike need for summer?
Cycling Weekly

What prep does my bike need for summer?

Pro bike mechanic Glen Whittington shares his tips for the successful de-hibernation of your bike

time-read
3 mins  |
May 02, 2024
2024 GIRO D'ITALIA
Cycling Weekly

2024 GIRO D'ITALIA

Attention turns to Italy and 21 days of Grand Tour action

time-read
9 mins  |
May 02, 2024
Pogačar's dominance at the Giro could be dull
Cycling Weekly

Pogačar's dominance at the Giro could be dull

While I may have been a little young to understand the full romance of the Tour de France during the Armstrong era, I never understood the sentiment that it was boring just because of Lance's dominance.

time-read
1 min  |
May 02, 2024
Team GB's Paris Olympics track bike launched
Cycling Weekly

Team GB's Paris Olympics track bike launched

BC reveals the bike that it hopes will power riders to medals in Paris this summer

time-read
2 mins  |
May 02, 2024
Romandie victory marks Ineos return to stage race success
Cycling Weekly

Romandie victory marks Ineos return to stage race success

Carlos Rodríguez wins British team's first WorldTour stage race since 2022, writes Adam Becket

time-read
2 mins  |
May 02, 2024
Is pro racing getting more dangerous?
Cycling Weekly

Is pro racing getting more dangerous?

There are many factors that contribute to the perceived greater risks. One that does not get any attention is the greater importance of UCI points and the need to constantly collect them to avoid relegation.

time-read
1 min  |
April 25, 2024