Cyclists ride wave of welcome in Jan Juc

FEMALE riders in this weekend’s Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race (CEGORR) rode a wave of support this evening as they were welcomed back to the Surf Coast for the first time in three years.

Held at the Jan Juc SLSC clubrooms by the Surf Coast Shire, the Welcome Wave event featured most of the field of the UCI Women’s WorldTour Elite Women’s Race this Saturday, January 28.

After a Welcome to Country and smoking ceremony, the cyclists enjoyed hors d’oeuvres on the back lawn and got up close and personal with some native Australian animals, including a koala, a barn owl, a python and a crocodile, thanks to Wildlife Xposure.

Guests then headed inside for dinner and remarks from Surf Coast Shire chief executive officer Robyn Seymour, shire mayor Liz Pattison, Deakin University Centre for Sport Research co-director Associate Professor Natalie Saunders, and CEGORR founder Cadel Evans.

Ms Seymour wished the female rider the best of luck for Saturday.

“There will be many people from the Surf Coast who will come out, cheering you on and being there to support and encourage you throughout the race,” she said.

In conversation with event MC Michael Roberts, Evans said it was “the understatement of the year” to say he was looking forward to CEGORR’s return after two cancelled years.

“I’m just so happy we’re getting everything going again.

“I’m seeing everyone out training – I go down the shops to do my errands and see the Trek guys riding past, the Trek girls on the bike path, the BridgeLane girls going across the Barwon Heads bridge today.

“Thank you to all who have come back this year and helped Australia; we really hope to not just be restarting our racing here but re-internationalising cycling again after two years of interruptions.”