Hundreds flock to Family Ride

THE Vegemite Family Ride has made a highly popular return to the Geelong Waterfront, with several hundred participants getting on their wheels in the first cycling event in this year’s edition of the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race.

Starting at 5.30pm today (Friday, January 27), the Family Ride saw CEGORR founder Cadel Evans – who took part along with two of his children – one of the first off the start/finish line of this weekend’s major races.

The first participants in the Family Ride take off from the line.

Closed to traffic, the 1.3km safe circuit provided the perfect opportunity for the next generation of cycling enthusiasts to test their two-wheel prowess, with riders heading east along Eastern Beach Road, turning around just short of the Giant Sky Wheel, heading up and down a short section of Yarra Street, crossing the start/finish line again towards another up/down section at Moorabool Street, before passing under the start/finish gantry for another lap.

The one-hour event featured riders of all ages and on transport of all sizes, including road bikes, mountain bikes, kids’ bikes, cargo bikes, tandems, skateboards, rollerblades and a unicycle.

Riders negotiate a slow turn at the top of a hill on Yarra Street.

In the neighbouring event village, the formalities of the major races got under way with the presentation of the teams for tomorrow’s (Saturday, January 28) Elite Women’s Race and the Elite Men’s Race on Sunday, January 29.

After a Welcome to Country and short remarks from Geelong MP Christine Couzens and City of Greater Geelong mayor Trent Sullivan, cycling commentators David McKenzie and Gracie Elvin (who finished second in the Elite Women’s Race in 2018) introduced the teams to the crowd.

Elite Men’s Ride team Bolten Equities – Black Spoke.

Tomorrow’s cycling action begins with the TAC People’s Ride at 11am, with three different courses.

Temperatures are expected to reach the low 30s on Saturday, and organisers have flagged they will activate heat precautions for riders on the 125km course if the predicted forecast conditions are reached. For more information, head to cadelevansgreatoceanroadrace.com.au/news-media/news/important-safety-information-ahead-of-saturdays-tac-peoples-ride