Caleb Yuan didn't get a chance to set up a sprint win on stage 3 of the Tour Down Under. Yuan will have one last chance for a sprint victory on Friday in Port Eliot.

The sprinter from Jaco-Arla was struck by an unspecified illness before the start of the World Tour and skipped the prelim criterium, but was determined to ride the Tour Down Under.

Ewan has been in the front in sprints, finishing fourth on stage 1, fifth on stage 2, and sixth on stage 3, but he has yet to win anything like he did when he arrived in South Australia.

The 29-year-old lost teammate Luke Plapp in a crash in the last 12 km of Thursday's fast run to Campbeltown.

"Unfortunately we lost Plappy pretty early on, so the three of us stayed together to get as close to the finish as possible," Ewan said after the stage.

"I was on Sam's wheel in the last kilometer and all the other sprint teams dropped their sprinters on Sam's wheel. So I got really confused at the barrier on the right side. And by the time I tried to get to the front, I was stuck in the middle.

"It was good to feel a little bit better today, but a little bit disappointing not to be able to extend my sprint."

Ewan was the first Jayco Arla rider back in the team paddock and had a brief conversation with team owner Jerry Ryan, who was staying for the team's "home" tour.

The 11-time Grand Tour stage winner rejoined Jayco Arla this season after a rough end to his five-year tenure with Lotto d'Estony. This season, he returns to Jayco Alura after five years with Lot Destony that ended badly. Ewan wants to get back to winning the biggest races on the calendar, and he knows he only has one chance left to win a stage.

Friday's fourth stage is flat and will be the last chance for the sprinters.

"I'm happy with how my legs feel right now.

"I'm very happy with the way my legs feel right now," Yuan said.

Standing in his way will no doubt be Welsford, who has proven himself fast here in his first WorldTour attempt with his new team, Bora-Hansgrohe.

Teammate Danny van Poppel compared the Australian to sprinting greats Andre Greipel and Marcel Kittel earlier this week.

"He grew a lot last year," van Poppel said. Now he's on a better team and leading out better."

Ewan himself is also adjusting to the new sprint train, working for the first time with some of the riders who will follow his program this season.

"They are going really well," Ewan said.

"It was tough to manage their energy today because there were only three of them with over 10km to go. They tried to get as good a position as they could. But when you're in a battle with one rider, it's hard to hold a position by yourself."