Australian cycling star Caleb Ewan has made the perfect start to the biggest year of his skyrocketing career.
The 23-year-old sprint ace was too good on Wednesday night, blasting clear on the finishing straight to win his third-straight Australian criterium championship.
Tucked low in his trademark sprinting style, Ewan finished comfortably ahead of former winner Steele von Hoff, while Brenton Jones was third.
Earlier on day one of the nationals, two-time world track champion Rebecca Wiasak won her first senior Australian road title when she took out the elite women's criterium.
Cameron Scott and Kristina Clonan won the under-23 titles, while Stephen Cuff and Sarah Gigante took out the under-19 races.
Mitchelton-Scott have confirmed that Ewan will make his much-anticipated Tour de France debut this July after several years of steady development.
Wednesday was Ewan's first race of the year - previously he'd built up to the nationals by racing at the Bay Classic criteriums, but that series was put on hold this year.
The unusual preparation did nothing to blunt the speed of one of the world's top fast men.
"The feeling of winning never really gets old, so it's good to get the year off to a good start again," Ewan said.
"It's not the biggest race I do for the year, but it's really good to get the confidence boost at the start of the season."
Ewan has massive ambitions for the season, especially with the Tour now on his radar.
"Obviously as a rider, your dream is to race the Tour de France," he said.
"Just starting it is going to be exciting and then hopefully I'm going for a stage win as well, it could be a bonus."
Ewan said this was the strongest Mitchelton-Scott team he has had supporting him at the Australian criterium championship and they looked after him superbly.
He was in perfect position for the finish and was too strong for his rivals.
Ewan will be a contender in Sunday's nationals road race and he has finished runner-up in that event.
But the Buninyong circuit does not suit the sprinters and the weather will be crucial for his chances.
If it is a head wind on the tough Buninyong climb, he is a chance - if it is a tailwind, Ewan most likely will not be a factor.
"It really depends on the conditions, to how well I can go," he said.
The nationals continue on Thursday at Buninyong with the individual time trials for para cycling and the men's under-19s and under-23.
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