Cadel’s race is ready to roll

THE world’s best cyclists arrived in the Geelong region on Monday, and are gearing up for this weekend’s events in the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race (CEGORR).

The action starts today (Thursday) with a twilight edition of the Race Melbourne criterium, held at the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix track in Albert Park.

Riders are tipped to reach 70kmh during 22 laps of the 5.3-kilometre circuit for the men and 12 laps for the women.

Back in Geelong on Saturday, World Time Trial champion Annemiek van Vleuten (Mitchelton – SCOTT) will set out to defend her Elite Women’s Race title against the highest calibre of riders the race has seen, following its elevation to UCI 1.1 classification.

The weekend will reach its exciting climax with a redesigned UCI WorldTour Elite Men’s Race on Sunday, including another Challambra Climb and a streamlined sprint to the finish line.

All eyes will be on one of Australia’s most decorated cyclists, Simon Gerrans, who will be riding in the WorldTour for BMC Racing Team alongside Richie Porte and Danilo Wyss.

“Winning bike races is the best way to get confidence so a good result in Australia in January gives you a lot of confidence going back to Europe,” Porte said. “We have a great team, including Simon Gerrans who came so close last year and who I think will have a good shot this year.”

The 164-kilometre and 113-kilometre courses start at the Geelong waterfront, head southeast through Evans’ hometown of Barwon Heads, along the coast to Torquay and Bells Beach before winding through Mount Moriac and back into Geelong.

“This is one of the tougher classics, which gives great opportunity to climbers as well as sprinters,” race director Scott Sunderland, who designed the course with Evans, said.

The action is set to be even more intense this year, with the introduction of the Challambra Climb to the Elite Women’s race, while the Elite Men will tackle it four times instead of three.

Amanda Spratt (Mitchelton-Scott), who won the Women’s Tour Down Under in Adelaide this month and the 2017 Elite Women’s title, said she is ready for the uphill challenge.

“I know the Challambra Climb well as I raced the Geelong 2010 World Championships. It’s such a tough climb and I think it is a great addition to the women’s race.

“I am feeling good coming into the race after the Tour Down Under… but there are no lucky winners.”