After taking out his first elite national title at the criterium, he is now aiming at the road race, where he and Simon Gerrans will be Orica’s two main cards. The youngster says the team hasn’t yet spoken about the role of each rider in the race.

“We haven’t really spoken about it as we don’t have the whole team here,” Ewan said of how the team will balance his and Gerrans’ role in the team. “I actually don’t know what my role will be because last year I was only supposed to do the first three or four laps to make sure the right break got away and I ended being there in the end for the sprint.”

“Obviously we are going to have different roles, he’s one of the clear favourites for the race and I am not so much a clear favourite and it doesn’t matter what the conditions are, he is always going to go well. For me, I need the conditions right in order to go well,” he added.

Ewan was second last year behind Heinrich Haussler. Gerrans missed the race through injury.