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Last held in 2020, women’s and men’s mid-week races will return to the program as a precursor for the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race.
First-up on Wednesday 24 January, the Geelong Classic will follow a criterium format with the Elite Women set to race 25 laps of a 2km circuit around the Geelong Botanical Gardens and Waterfront. The course has previously been used as part of the now-defunct Bay Classic Criteriums, and will be well-known to Australian riders.
The twilight race offers a small climb each lap that can make for entertaining racing, though most events come down to a sprint finish.
Held on Thursday 25 January, the Surf Coast Classic will see the elite men’s teams race from Lorne to Torquay and has been granted a 1.1 classification under UCI sanctioning.
The course is described as “a challenging 10km uphill climb from the Lorne start towards Dean Marsh townships across the 150km race, ensuring fast-paced and entertaining racing”.
Race Torquay, an event run for one edition in 2020, was run over a kermesse-style course starting and finishing in Torquay, with Sam Bennett and Brodie Chapman taking the wins in the men’s and women’s race.
That race was run without a live broadcast and didn’t attract much attention at the time, with no announcement in the media release about a broadcast partner for the event at this stage.
Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race Director, Scott Sunderland was excited to re-introduce mid-week races into the event offering for elite riders.
“The mid-week races will be a perfect tune up for the teams and riders ahead of an action-packed weekend of cycling,” Sunderland said.
“Sure to be exciting and exhilarating, the Geelong Classic will offer just over an hour of relentless, aggressive street-style racing.
“The six percent gradient uphill over 250 metres in each lap offers ample opportunities for a solo victory. The sprinters will need to race intelligently to conserve their strength and speed to be in with a chance of race victory.
“Obtaining an impressive 1.1 classification from the UCI, the Surf Coast Classic offers an excellent opportunity for aspiring riders to earn highly coveted world ranking points.
“With an incredible and breathtaking view throughout the course, team tactics will not only focus on grabbing the victory, but also on winning the maximum points possible which is sure to make for a thrilling finish.”
The event will give cycling fans a bridge between the conclusion of the Tour Down Under on January 21 and the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race, both of which are staples of the Australian summer of cycling.
Next up for Australian fans will be the Austral Wheelrace and National Madision Championships, to be broadcast on SBS On Demand December 16 and the Road National Championships, shown across SBS and SBS On Demand from January 3-7.
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