Cadel cheers on Surf Coast cyclists

THE Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race (CEGORR) will keep rolling though Geelong, Barwon Heads and Torquay for some time yet, with the state government backing the event for the next four years.

Minister for Sport John Eren and the 2011 Tour de France winner announced the funding extension for the UCI World Tour race until 2022 at the Geelong waterfront last week.

Evans also met with some members of Surf Coast Secondary College’s Great Victorian Bike Ride team (sponsored by the Surf Coast Times). He was particularly impressed by their custom jerseys and their enthusiasm for cycling, taking out his phone for a selfie.

“My underlying dream is that one of the kids today, or even a smaller child, is going to come out, watch the race, be inspired to be a bike racer, become a bike racer, and come back and win the race,” Evans said.

“If that can happen, it would mean we’ve made a fantastic event that touches on all levels of the community. Of course we have the international TV coverage and tourism promotion, but to inspire young people to be healthy and active is also important.”

Surf Coast Secondary College teacher Anthony Goss was lucky enough to be in France to see Evans win in 2011, and was blown away by the chance to be part of the 15-minute chat (and get a few autographs).

“It’s amazing! I’m still in shock,” he said. He said the college’s GVBR team was “ready to go”.

We’ve got a lot of kids who have done it two or three times, and the biggest contingent of Year 7s we’ve ever had – and they really cannot wait to go, they’re really excited.”

“We’ve got about six weeks to go, and then we’re away.

“We’ve got training rides every Wednesday, but the kids are doing their own training outside as well probably two or three times a week. Most of the kids ride to school and ride home.”

The group has an 80-kilometre training ride on November 14 from Surf Coast Secondary College to Queenscliff and back, which Mr Goss said was a good approximation of a typical day on the GVBR.

“The longest day we have this year is 101 kilometres, and the shortest day is about 55 kilometres.”

The 2018 Great Victorian Bike Ride from Bright to Benalla begins on November 24.