Bay Crits calls time after 34 years

GEELONG’S beloved Bay Cycling Classic will not return next year following an announcement made earlier this morning (Thursday, May 4) by organisers to discontinue the event.

The “Bay Crits”, as it is more commonly known, will not run into a 35th year, with organisers citing financial and logistics issues, as well as a busy January cycling calendar, as the primary factors behind the decision..

“It is with a heavy heart we are announcing the famous ‘Bay Crits’ have taken their last pedal stroke, with event organisers making the tough call that the much-loved event will not be continuing into 2024,” event organisers John Trevorrow and Karin Jones said in the joint statement.

“For the best part of 30 years, and despite some very trying times, we have collectively found a way to make this wonderful event happen, an event cherished by riders, fans, and stakeholders alike and one that has enjoyed a significant place in the Australian cycling calendar.”

Ruby Roseman-Gannon won this year’s Bay Crits in the elite women’s division.

The Bay Crits has hosted Olympic athletes, World Champions, Grand Tour stage winners, and a litany of international stars dating back to the event’s first race held in 1989, with a women’s category introduced in 1994.

It has historically provided a springboard for homegrown talent and a local showcase for global superstars in Geelong.

Bay Crits competitors were always treated to a magnificent view of Geelong’s waterfront.

“The financial and logistics issues we have absorbed now over an extended period of time have become simply too prohibitive to continue, with a significant increase in costs again this year,” the statement continued.

“The packed January cycling calendar has also impacted on the event with it regularly having to start on New Year’s Day.

“This has made it challenging for many riders and fans, especially those coming from interstate, to participate.

“These factors have increased to such an extent that it is completely uneconomic and unrealistic to get to the start line next year.”

Brenton Jones will go down as the final winner of the Bay Crits in the men’s category, in what was the final race of his competitive career.

Cyclists Brenton Jones and Ruby Roseman-Gannon will end as the reigning champions of the event following their Bay Crits wins at the start of the year.

“It’s been quite a ride, but all good things must come to an end, and today it is the famous ‘Bay Crits’ that have crossed the line for the final time,” the statement concluded.