Robbie McEwen Says Goodbye in California
23 May 2012
One month shy of his 40th birthday, more than 200 professional victories to his name, and the first Australian to win the green jersey at the Tour de France, Robbie McEwen is retiring from Cycling and will transition to a management role within Orica-GreenEDGE.
“Today was all about getting around the old guy in his last day in the pro peloton,” said Sports Director Neil Stephens. “We said from the start that we were riding for Robbie today, and the boys gave it their best. It would have been ideal for Robbie to end his career with a win, but it wasn’t a big deal not to get it. Robbie was happy to finish the race, and the boys were happy to be a part of it.”
Peter Sagan (Liquigas-Cannondale) notched his fifth stage win over eight days as Rabobank successfully defended Robert Gesink’s overall lead. McEwen joined Sagan and Gesink on stage during the podium presentation as he was awarded Amgen’s Breakaway from Cancer Most Courageous Jersey.
“This has been a special week for me and all the boys,” said Stephens “Getting Robbie through the Mount Baldy stage yesterday was a lot of hard work. Robbie expressed a lot of gratitude for that.”
Reflecting on the race as a whole, Stephens said the teamwork amongst his squad stands as out as his personal highlight.
“The way the team worked together allowed us to accomplish what we did,” he explained. “It was a really positive week.”
SCOTT Sports would like to thank Robbie for everything he has done for the bike industry in the last fifteen years and wishes him the best in his transition to this new position on the Orica-GreenEDGE team.
"We are so happy that we were able to have a legend like Robbie on the team and we are glad that he will continue his career with us as a team manager of Orica-GreenEDGE. We look forward to this new chapter." said Vice President of SCOTT Sports, Pascal Ducrot.
Pieter Weening rounded out the top ten on the general classification while Cameron Meyer finished one spot further back in eleventh.
“Pieter is back,” announced Stephens. “He has clearly overcome the problems that plagued his knee earlier in the season. It’s great to have him back in good form. Cameron’s performances this season has been impressive. He finished tenth at Tirreno-Adriatico and just missed out on the top-ten here. We’re happy with his natural progression and we’ll see what he can do at Tour de Suisse."
”As one rider transitions from sprinter to sprint coach, another lays the foundation for all that lies ahead. Luke Durbridge time trialed into the best young rider jersey, finishing eighth on the stage. He lost the jersey on the slopes of Mount Baldy but gained confidence in his climbing abilities along the way.
“Luke has been a huge surprise,” Stephens said. “We knew he could time trial, but the way he climbed was unexpected. He got himself over some major hills in a very good position. What we saw here is a very promising sign for the future.”