via SBS CC

 

 

It didn't come as a huge surprise, yet I must confess the news was still tinged with slight disappointment when RadioShack announced its Tour de France roster.

Missing from the strong list of mountain and time-trial specialists was Robbie McEwen, so I guess at 39 years of age, father-time has finally caught up with Australia's finest ever sprinter - and arguably our greatest ever rider.

But rather than express my disappointment I'd rather use this post to reflect on a magnificent career, especially at Tour de France level.

On a personal level Robbie has provided years of personal joy, entertainment and triumph.

It was 1997 when this excited fresh-faced Queenslander made his Tour debut appearance in the orange colours of Rabobank and little did we realise his potential as a world class sprinter.

His unheralded arrival came in the after-glow of Phil Anderson's retirement and an era when Aussie pro-cyclists were solely recognised for providing reliable service to their respective trade teams.

Robbie was always different and soon developed a brash, yet likeable nature appreciated by members of the foreign electronic media and the press corps alike.

No matter the occasion or the timing, whether in victory or otherwise he always made himself available to SBS.

Whether it was through performing one-handed monos on the tops of the highest climbs, or engaged in head-clashes with opponents in the frenzy to the finish line, his exuberance brought a kind of freshness rarely seen by an Australian on European roads.

Although it took Robbie almost three Tours to break through for his maiden stage win on the Champs Elysees in 1999, when it finally arrived it heralded the start of a magnificent winning streak.

All up he can look back on conquering 12 stages and securing three Green Jerseys as the Tour's points winner.

Among the highlights were his brilliant exchanges with the likes of Mario Cipollini, Erik Zabel, Tom Steels, Tom Boonen, Baden Cooke and Stuart O'Grady.

Such was the intense rivalry generated between Stuey and Robbie, neither became close friends and neither exchanged Christmas cards, yet both had the highest respect for each other as fellow Australians and professional racers.

While Phil Anderson opened doors for the modern-day "Aussie invasion", it was Robbie, through television coverage, who showed exemplary diplomatic and presentation skills.

And while Anderson is also rated one of Australia's finest GC riders, it's Robbie who has enjoyed more podium success and for that I applaud everything he has achieved for himself, his country and his followers. 

This year's Tour de France won't be the same without Robbie McEwen - that's a shame in itself.

He won't receive the nostalgic farewell he probably deserves, so let's hope the accolades are saved when he returns home for next January's Tour Down Under.

It's the least we can do for an Aussie sporting legend.