“Warrny” back to conclude Summer of Cycling

THE final race of Victoria’s Summer of Cycling is less than a month away, with hundreds of riders lined up for their tilt at one of the sport’s oldest and grandest races that will pass through the Geelong and the Surf Coast.

The Melbourne to Warrnambool Cycling Festival committee has confirmed February 4 and February 5 will involve participants competing across four races, including criterium and handicap events.

“We are delighted to announce the launch of the 2023 Melbourne to Warrnambool,” committee chair Shane Wilson said.

“With our major partners Powercor and Lochard Energy, and the Warrnambool City Council and Victorian government, 2023 will see the 107th edition of the iconic Melbourne to Warrnambool Cycling Classic and the second edition of the Warrnambool Women’s Cycling Classic.”

Riders will participate from across the country and from overseas, including Olympian and former Commonwealth Games champion Chloe Hosking and five-time Australian champion Brendan Johnston.

The Melbourne to Warrnambool will run over 267 kilometres from Avalon Airport on February 4, passing by Geelong and then through Winchelsea, continuing to the finish on Raglan Parade in Warrnambool.

“The Warrny is a classic race, and the weekend an important pathway now for male and female riders,” Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Steve Dimopoulos said.

“It’s also a significant event for the region, bringing in hundreds of competitors and supporters and providing a welcome boost to local economies and jobs.”

The Melbourne to Warrnambool is not just a race with an imposing distance. It carries a legacy as a race with one of the most important histories in Australian cycling.

Member for Western Victoria Jacinta Ermacora is looking forward to the two-day event in her home region, and is delighted the event will continue with both men’s and women’s road races in 2023.

“The Melbourne to Warrnambool has been an important part of my life and I’ve enjoyed the thrill of being at the finish line,” she said.

“It’s a most important event for Warrnambool and tourism in the region.”

The festival’s elite female race, the Warrnambool Women’s Cycling Classic, is one of the longest one-day road races in the world for women at 160 kilometres, with last year’s inaugural race stamped as an instant classic on the calendar.

Summer in Australia is the traditional start of the cycling season worldwide, and the festival wraps up a return for the sport after two years of COVID-enforced exile.