Geelong waits to hear on Cadel’s race

A FINAL decision has not yet been made about whether the seventh edition of the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race (CEGORR) is going ahead next year.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent Victorian lockdowns this year have forced several major events to be postponed or cancelled entirely, including the 2021 Australian International Airshow that was slated to begin in November.

Held in late January or early February, six CEGORR rides – featuring some of the world’s best male and female cyclists and cycling teams – have been staged since 2015.

The 2021 event was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic as several UCI WorldTour teams made the decision to stay in Europe due to uncertainty around international travel conditions and the logistics of quarantine requirements.

The ostensible start of the 2022 ride, if it is run at the usual time, is a little over five months away.

Next year’s event is expected to be the biggest and best yet, as it will also celebrate the 10th anniversary of Evans winning the Tour de France, which was marked on July 24 this year.

“Visit Victoria continues to work closely with event stakeholders to plan for the return of the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race in 2022 with the safety of participants and fans taking top priority,” a Visit Victoria spokesperson said.

“Event announcements will be shared as they arise.”

The CEGORR comprises the UCI WorldTour Elite Men’s Road Race and the UCI WorldTour Elite Women’s Road Race, Race Torquay, the People’s Ride and the Family Ride.

The Elite Men and Elite Women’s 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.

The 2020 CEGORR was held in wild weather conditions, with male and female riders battling extreme heat, pouring rain and strong winds across the four days of competition.

In the Elite Women’s Race, German rider Liane Lippert (Team Sunweb) crossed the line all alone to claim victory, while Dries Devenyns beat Pavel Sivakov (Team Ineos) in a two-man sprint in the Elite Men’s Race to make it back-to-back victories for Deceuninck-Quick-Step.