The odds of Caleb Ewan staying at Mitchelton-Scott were already lengthening and now they’ve blown out completely.
But his manager Jason Bakker was talking cautiously following Ewan’s shock Tour de France non-selection.
Bakker wants the immediate high emotions to settle before a decision is reached on Ewan’s future.
Ewan posted on Twitter that Mitchelton-Scott’s decision not to grant him a Tour debut next month is devastating.
Bakker added that Ewan is grieving, but also would recover quickly from the disappointment.
The 23-year-old sprinter, one of Australian cycling’s hottest young stars, is out of contract at the end of the season.
There has been growing speculation about a move to Lotto-Soudal.
“I don’t think it changes anything immediately,” Bakker said of the decision not to take Ewan to the Tour.
“The important thing is to make sure that decisions are not in haste or emotion.
“The team is entitled to make their decision, it’s their prerogative.”
But the team also said in December that the plan was for Ewan to make his Tour debut this year.
Instead, the eight-rider line-up will be devoted fully to Adam Yates, their overall contender.
Yates was fourth in the Tour two years ago and won the young rider classification.
The Mitchelton-Scott hierarchy are pointing to form – Ewan has not won since February although he took an impressive second in March at the Milan-Sanremo classic.
Yates showed he was on track for a big Tour by finishing runner-up at the Criterium du Dauphine stage in France this month, as well as winning the last stage.
“There have been some really tough decisions made this week, the toughest in our organisation’s history,” said Mitchelton-Scott team director Matt White.
When Mitchelton-Scott started six years ago, the Australian team’s objective in the three Grand Tours was stage wins – suiting a sprinter such as Ewan.
But now their No.1 goal is the overall title in one of the Grand Tours: the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a Espana.
Yates’ twin brother and Mitchelton-Scott teammate Simon led the Giro for 13 days last month and won three stages, before he cracked on the third-last stage and fellow British rider Chris Froome went on to win the title.
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