Elite courses confirmed for Cadel’s race

THE Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race (CEGORR) elite races in 2024 will retain the course changes from this year, inviting teams to attack the dynamic route.

The first one-day races of the 2024 UCI WorldTour calendar promise to be thrilling and fiercely contested rides, as the world’s best gear up to navigate the rolling terrain of Geelong, the Bellarine Peninsula and Surf Coast over the weekend of January 28-29.

After making some adjustments from previous years and running the race in the opposite direction (towards the east instead of the west) in the event’s 2023 return, organisers liked what the new course offered and have stuck with the edited 176km WorldTour Elite Men’s and 143 km Women’s WorldTour Deakin University Elite Women’s routes.

Both races in January of this year had thrilling finishes, with Marius Mayrhofer from Team DSM and Loes Adegees from FDJ-Suez taking out the respective men’s and women’s titles in bunch sprints.

CEGORR race director Scott Sunderland said the course was a treat for fans and riders alike.

The variable layout is good in any weather conditions – the 2023 men’s race was conducted during intermittent showers – and offers an opportunity for all types of riders to win, while the teams’ familiarity with the course provides directors and riders ample opportunity to plan, strategise and attack next year’s race.

“What teams want from a course and how they prepare for our race is always a big consideration,” Mr Sunderland said.

“The teams were very happy with the course. The course created an opportunity for riders to choose how they raced. It ticks all the boxes from a high-performance perspective.

“There will be no surprises, so they can plan well in advance and bring in a little bit more strategy and

tactics.

“They’ll prepare themselves well before their training runs during event week, and that will influence rider selection and who will lead.”

With the start and finish at the Geelong waterfront, the course winds and climbs its way through Highton, Ceres, Barrabool and Moriac before diverting to the coast.

Echelons are expected as the peloton transverses the picturesque but exposed Thirteenth Beach stretch, subjecting the riders to the elements and bringing out the best in team racing.

Adding to the drama and excitement of competition will be the Geelong city loop, which include the punchy ascent of Challambra.

The multiple 830m climb sequence is a pivotal phase in the race and presents an ideal opportunity for breakaways in the turn for the finish.

The men’s and women’s rides are the major events in the weekend-long cycling festival, which will again see Geelong come alive for spectators, families and cyclists alike.

Cyclists inspired by the feats of the pros can have their own special CEGORR experience and ride alongside Australian Tour de France winner Cadel Evans, with registrations open for the 2024 TAC People’s Ride.

For more information, head to cadelroadrace.com