Ewan wins TdF Shanghai Criterium

SHANGHAI: Australia’s Caleb Ewan won the third Tour de France (TdF) Shanghai Criterium on Saturday in a sprint to the line with Italy’s Matteo Trentin.

The 25-year-old Ewan, of the Lotto-Soudal team, completed the flat circuit of 61.2 km (38 miles) a whisker ahead of Trentin with Dutchman Steven Kruijswijk third.

Reigning Tour de France champion Egan Bernal of Colombia, wearing the signature yellow jersey, led with 20 kms to go in the Shanghai sunshine but faded. “I said before that I love riding city circuits,” said Ewan, a sprinter. “It was a good sprint, it was close with Matteo but luckily I came over the top of him. “You can’t ask for a better end to the season so I’m happy with the win.”

Road cycling has become increasingly popular in China and the exhibition race is a bid to ramp up more interest in the sport. This was the third edition of the Shanghai Criterium with four-time Tour winner Chris Froome triumphing in the debut race in 2017.