The opening stage of the 2010 Jayco Bay Cycling Classic on Saturday 2 January will see Robbie McEwen ride his first race in more than seven months after a season plagued by injury.
McEwen hit a street sign with his left knee in the second stage of the Tour of Belgium, on May 28. The crash fractured his shinbone near the knee and sliced through ligaments resulting in a year he would rather forget.
“It’s been the worst season of my whole career because of that injury,” McEwen said.
“But look on the bright side of things I’m back in training. I’m right to go and starting to get seriously fit and think I’ll be a contender at the Bay Crits and everything that comes after that.”
It has been an extensive period of rehabilitation for the Queenslander who has had his knee operated on by a surgeon in Sweden and regularly session with Monaco based physiotherapist Victor Popov.
Despite having won the Jayco Bay Cycling Classic six times McEwen say the 21st edition of the race may be the most important one he has raced.
“In 2010 the Bay Crits are going to be more important for me than ever,” the triple Tour de France green jersey winner said.
“Because I had my injury in May and then missed the whole season these criteriums are going to be really important to build my race condition to be ready for the season so I think they’re something I really need to do.
“Not only will I be racing them to get condition, I’m really itching to win a race again and the sooner the better.”
And at 37-years-of-age whether or not he can find that winning feeling again is likely to influence where to from here in a career that dates back to his professional debut in 1996 and includes 12 Tour de France stage wins.
“Obviously you think about when it might be but I still enjoy riding and I’ve missed a whole season so I feel like I’ve got a season I’ve got to catch-up on again,” he said.
“Plus I’m not sick of it yet and I think I’m still going to be pretty good at it so I may ride again in 2011 but I’ll know that by August.
“I still enjoy cycling but the enjoyment level is dependent on how you’re travelling physically.
“If I’m not achieving what I want to achieve like I have been able to in the past and having fun then I’m not going to do it anymore. That’s why I’ve done it for so long, because I enjoy it.”
With a strong Mazda team to support him in the Jayco Bay Cycling Classic there is every chance he will find that winning feeling.
The key team-mate riding alongside McEwen will be Greg Henderson.
At the 2009 Tour of Spain Henderson became just the second New Zealander to win a stage at one of cycling’s three grand tours (France, Italy and Spain).
For the past two seasons Henderson has ridden for Team Columbia as a key lead out man for Mark Cavendish making him the perfect lieutenant to assist McEwen in his bid to win the Jayco Bay Cycling Classic for a seventh time.
Henderson, who will be moving to the Team Sky in 2010, has won the sprinters classification and finished second overall previously in the series prompting McEwen to say the Mazda team will be taking a two pronged attacked rather than just focusing on himself.
2010 Jayco Bay Cycling Classic
Saturday 2 January
Stage 1 – Geelong, Eastern Park
Times: 12:30pm – Support Men
1:30pm – Elite Women
2:30pm – Elite Men
Sunday 3 January
Stage 2 – Geelong, Eastern Park
Times: 8:30am – Amy’s Ride
1:30pm – Support Men
2:20pm – Elite Women
3:10pm – Elite Men
Monday 4 January
Stage 3 – Geelong, Eastern Beach, Ritchie Boulevard
Times: 5:00pm – Support Men
6:00pm – Elite Women
7:15pm – Elite Men
Tuesday 5 Jan
Stage 4 – Williamstown
Times: 12:30pm – Support Men
1:30pm – Elite Women
2:30pm – Elite Men
source: jumpmedia
