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Evergreen Robbie McEwen pedalled briefly out of retirement for the second straight year at Noosa on Saturday to claim yet another Australian Open criterium title.
McEwen, 41, has lost count of the number of times he has won the event.
Left in his wake this time was Slovakian sensation Peter Sagan, the winner of the last two green jerseys at the Tour de France.
McEwen is himself a three-time winner of the Tour de France’s sprinters’ crown – and he showed there was still plenty of speed in his ageing legs on Saturday, pipping protege Leigh Howard on the line.
Fellow Australian Jonathan Cantwell was third, with Sagan finishing back in the pack, although the Slovakian still found time to entertain the large crowd with one of his trademark post-race wheelies.
“I am retired and I am going to go back into retirement again tomorrow,” said McEwen, who officially quit the sport last year.
“But I can’t promise I won’t pop out of it for another day again next year.”
McEwen had several turns at the front of the field throughout the race, before finding himself in the perfect position to launch one final attack.
“When they pulled back in that last breakaway it gave me just enough time to recover and find the legs again,” he said.
“Not much happened after that, it was under control, which gave me a chance to find the legs again and think about the sprint and get myself into position.
“You can’t give up an opportunity like that at my age.
“But to be fair, the boys are all towards the end of their off-season, they’ve had about a month off the bike and they’re about as unfit as they get.
“I’m still riding around the Gold Coast and keeping kind of fit.”
National road series champion Katrin Garfoot won the women’s Australian Open criterium ahead of fellow Australians Peta Mullens and Kimberley Wells.
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