Surf Coast Classic to head to the hills again

ANOTHER part of the region’s natural beauty will be showcased in the midweek races at next month’s Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race (CEGORR).

The women’s and men’s Surf Coast Classic races will be held on January 29 and January 30, 2025 respectively as lead-in events to the main races that weekend.

The women riders will take on the course for the first time following its debut for the men this year, and both races will offer equal prize money.

Both rides will start in Lorne and finish in Torquay, with the men’s race covering 157km and the women’s race covering 118km.

From the Lorne start, both courses feature a challenging 10km uphill climb inland towards Deans Marsh.

Following the rolling roads of the Surf Coast and country towns, riders will navigate some tricky corners in the slightly downhill run into Torquay.

Crossing Spring Creek, riders will eventually turn left onto The Esplanade for what could be a thrilling sprint finish akin to Binam Girmay’s victory in the first Surf Coast Classic in January this year.

CEGORR race director Scott Sunderland said the CEGORR team had consulted closely with the Surf Coast Shire over the years about a midweek race, and where it could be.

“So, how can we highlight as much of the Surf Coast as possible, and should we be starting somewhere else and then [end up in] Torquay? This opens up the possibilities, because having a point-to-point race allows you to cover more terrain.

“Lorne really stood out. Being on a beachfront, it gives us a great start location into the hinterland.

“The blank page is quite a nice one to work with when you’re starting with the Surf Coast.”

Sunderland said the 10km climb riders would face shortly after leaving the starting line was “a hefty one” and “you wouldn’t want to go any harder [in terms of difficulty]”.

“It’s not one of the toughest climbs they would ever do in a season, but it is for a start.

“In particular, this race is more suited to the puncheur riders and the sprinter types; it’s not a pure climbers’ race.

“It’s antagonistic in that way because you’ll have some riders who will dare to light it up in the beginning of the race because that’s where all the hills are.”

He said the men’s teams were very happy with how the first Surf Coast Classic turned out and were keen to have another crack at winning it.

“Riders have earmarked this race for themselves this year.”

For more information and the full 2025 CEGORR schedule, head to cadelevansgreatoceanroadrace.com.au