Just a month after retiring from Tirreno-Adriatico and missing his first major goal of the 2022 season, Milan-San Remo, Caleb Ewan returned to win the first stage of the Tour of Turkey. The Australian rider put that disappointment behind him and set his sights on resetting for the Giro d'Italia, which starts May 6 in Budapest.

"To be honest, I didn't expect to win right away. Especially since the sprinters here are guys who have done a lot of racing," Ewan said in Kusadasi after beating Jasper Philipsen and Kayden Groves in a group gallop on the first stage.

"They've cleared their early season goals, the classics and everything, and they've come straight here. But as the stages went on, they got better and better."

"I felt a little uncomfortable on the climbs, but it wasn't too bad and I think I had good legs in the end.

The climb to the top was 4 km long with an average gradient of 8% and was located 29 km from the first stage of the eight-stage race.

"You never know how you're going to feel on a tough climb like that," Yuan continued. 'It wasn't very long, but there were a lot of steep hills. I think I was a little lucky to have a headwind on the climb.

However, some of Lotto-Soudal's lead group were left behind.

"We lost some guys on the climb. For a long time it was just Jasper [de Baist] and Herm [Van Hoek] in the lead out." That allowed Jasper to get to the downhill part to the leadout.

"I was a little worried that I was too far ahead at the end. I had information that there was going to be a headwind at the finish, so I was going to go from the back, but when I saw how technical the last kilometer was, I was glad I stayed in front. When I started the sprint I felt really good."

Following the first stage of the Tour of Saudi Arabia, the first stage of the Tour des Alpes Maritimes et du Var, and the third stage of Tirreno-Adriatico, the fourth victory of the year was like a reset for the Australian, who had fallen sick just before Milan-San Remo It was a reset for the Australian, who had fallen ill just before the Milano-Sanremo stage.

"I was feeling really good when I joined Cipressa and Poggio for their last recon," he recalled, "but that night, I don't know what happened, but I felt nauseous, and then for about a week I was completely ...... I was vomiting and going to the bathroom all the time," he said.

"I ended up losing almost five pounds; I didn't work out for eight or nine days. I started riding again in the last two weeks."

It was difficult timing, missing an important goal for the season, but refocusing on other goals could not have been a better beginning.

"It definitely feels good to be racing in the Turkish sun compared to what I experienced in March. Especially since I haven't had the opportunity to return to Australia in the last two years."

"I love racing in hot weather. It's nice to start racing in warmer weather again. Hopefully the Giro will be warmer too."

He will wear the turquoise jersey for the first time in his third participation in the Tour of Turkey, where he won two stages in 2019.

"At the Tour of Turkey, my goal is the same as always: to win as much as possible.

"It's a great start. We have to keep going. It's an important race to prepare for the Giro. It's a really good race for sprinters. If you climb well, it gives the sprinters seven chances in eight days. There is one hilltop finish that is clearly not suited to sprinters, but the other stages seem to suit me."