CYCLING

Bevin upsets Ewan to win stage 4 at Tour de Korea

By Aaron S Lee

After two tries, Avanti Racing’s Patrick Bevin outmuscles race leader Caleb Ewan in mad sprint to claim stage 4 finish.

YEOSU, South Korea—A day after finishing a close second to race leader and two-time stage winner Caleb Ewan (Orica-GreenEdge) on consecutive days at Tour de Korea, the 24-year-old North Island native finally got the best of the 20-year-old Australian sprinting sensation on Wednesday during the 207-kilometre stage 4 from Muju to Yeosu.


Both riders started the stage still showing the affects of a crash-marred bunch sprint on the opening day when both Bevin and Ewan went down less than 200 metres from the finish in Gumi. Since then, Ewan has proved the better rider on stages 2 and 3, however the fourth stage was for Bevin.

“It’s funny, I haven’t bunch sprinted in so long,” Bevin told NZ Bike post race. “I’ve climbed, time trialled, everything…but if you have to turn up and sprint, then you turn up and sprint, and perhaps you have to sharpen the elbows and get into it.

“It’s taken me a few days, and it’s taken three of us,” he continued. “I said every day that we are getting better and better and today Anthony Giacoppo dropped me perfectly off the back wheel of Wouter Wippert (Drapac Pro Cycling) with 500 metres to go.”

Ewan, who has already recorded seven wins on the season, admitted Bevin was just too strong on the day.

“He came around and slipped into the last 100 metres,” Ewan told NZ Bike. “I wasn’t surprised because I know Paddy’s quick from all these results from the past two years, and obviously I’ve sprinted against him in the last few stages.

“He was quicker than me today, and there was nothing I could do,” he added. “I always knew he was going to be a threat and he has proven to be so.”

Regardless of the win, Bevin remains second on general classification but climbs to four seconds behind race leader Ewan. With four days remaining, all of which could come down to similar bunch kicks, Bevin is optimistic of his chances for another stage win and possible move into the leaders jersey.



“Tomorrow will probably dictate a lot with how hard that last climb is with 5k to go,” said Bevin referring to the 175-kilometre race on stage 5 featuring two categorised climbs. “I bet my climbing to go up against the others on a shorter climb like that and we will see what everybody else brings to the table.”

Aaron S. Lee is a cycling and triathlon columnist for Eurosport and a guest contributor to NZ Bike Magazine. Photo credit: Daebong Kim | Velo Paper