Caleb Yuan won Sunday's warm-up criterium in the Tour Down Under, but positioning and good leadout are just as important as pure leg strength in the modern sprint. Lotto-Soudal's Caleb Yuan finished an unexpected seventh after positioning too far back in the fast finish of Tanunda on the first stage of the Tour Down Under.

"I was always in a good position, but when I really needed to be in a good position, I wasn't," Yuan admitted after changing and recovering in the shade of Lotto Soudal's team car.

"That's called racing. But we report it, see where we went wrong, and figure out where we can improve for the next few days. We always want to improve. We definitely got it wrong today. I was going too far from the back.

Ewan and stage winner Sam Bennett (Deceuninck-QuickStep) both live in Monaco when they are in Europe. They are sprint rivals, but also respected adversaries. Ewan crossed the finish line, congratulating Bennett.

"He's definitely one of the best riders in the world," Ewan said of the Irishman. I think [Elia] Viviani and Bennett are two of the best. With a finish like today, you don't have a chance to beat them if you're at the back of the pack.

"But I am confident in my form and in my speed. I know that if I'm around them when they start sprinting, I can beat them."

Ewan opted for a slower start to the 2020 season, missing the Bay Critz and Australian Championships in early January. He hopes to again perform well throughout the season, especially in the Tour de France.

"My legs feel good and I am confident in my form," he said.

Stirling in the second stage of the Tour Down Under will be a chance for Ewan to get his revenge, but an ascending finish is not for every sprinter in the peloton.

Yuan won Stirling in 2018, beating Daryl Impey, Jay McCarthy, and Peter Sagan; in 2016, McCarthy won ahead of Diego Ulissi and Rohan Dennis. The wind will also affect the stages, and it could be a hard day in the saddle before the finish.

"It's always a difficult stage," Yuan warned. 'It all depends on how the bunch races. I hope it's an easy stage for the sprinters, but we'll see what happens."