Victoria locks another major event on its regional calendar by securing the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race in 2016.
Minister for Sport Tourism and Major Events John Eren today (July 13) joined Australia’s Tour de France hero, Cadel Evans, in Geelong to announce the Elite Men’s and Women’s races and the Momentum Energy People’s Ride will return next year at the world-renowned location.
A crowd of around 100,000 spectators lined Geelong’s streets and the Surf Coast circuit last year, cheering on some of the world’s top riders, and paying tribute to Evans – the 2011 Tour de France winner. Channel Seven broadcast the race nationally, showcasing the Great Ocean Road region to viewers from all over Australia and a further 106 countries.
In a ringing endorsement, the event has been awarded elevated sanctioning from the Union Cycliste International. In principle approval for 1.HC status means the event is only one level below a grand tour, and will help lure the world’s top cyclists to Geelong.
The Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race is already capturing the attention of the international cycling fraternity. Last year, eight of the world’s top UCI WorldTeam outfits competed, and five have already flagged their return in 2016 – including Orica GreenEDGE.
