The Australian dug hard into the asphalt and scraped up his body so that the shirt broke at one shoulder.
Laboriously and gloomily, he led the bike across the finish line.
Mathieu van der Poel kept his lead and won the Giro d'Italia's first stage over 195 km between Budapest up to a castle in Visegrad.
Second was Biniam Girmay, whose rear wheel Ewan hooked in. Ewan was third when the crash occurred.
- But what a cliché, that such an experienced cyclist can do so, says Eurosport's commentator Roberto Vacchi about Ewan who has won eleven individual stage wins in Girot, Tour de France and Vueltan.
- I felt very good.
In that phase of the race with one kilometer left, I felt I could keep up, says Ewan.
"He is more disappointed than injured"
Ewan looked to be doing quite well, but there should be no danger for the continuation of the three-week classic that has the first three stages in Hungary before there will be a rest day for transfer to Italy on Monday.
- He is more disappointed than injured, says the stable manager in Lotto Soudal, John Lelangue about the incident.
The only Swedish participant, Tobias Ludvigsson (appeared to hang liquid and food in a sling around his neck), was part of the large group for a long time and stepped in as 58th of the 176 participants - 28 seconds behind the lead.
The competition ends in Verona on 29 May.