WorldTour racing resumes this weekend as the Australian summer of international racing draws to a close at the men’s and women’s Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race, with the women’s race arriving first on Saturday and the men’s one day later in Geelong.
As Victoria plays host to some of the top riders in the world, the 1km Challambra Crescent Climb will once again be the highlight of the 186km and 145km courses, before the fast downhill run to the waterfront finish.
Even though the typical form-indicating Surf Coast Classic had to be cancelled due to extreme weather and evolving bushfires in the area, the Cadel’s Criteriums replaced it a day later, providing a pre-race look at some of the Geelong field.
UAE Team Emirates-XRG would have been the heavy men’s favourites, but they won’t have their full-strength team, with Jay Vine – although he still won the Tour Down Under – breaking his wrist, and Jhonatan Narváez suffering several vertebral fractures.
Those in winning form from the Tour Down Under, such as Matthew Brennan, Ally Wollaston and Noemi Rüegg, will be eyeing up a successful end to their Australian trip, too. But even more riders will be hoping to capitalise on their final chance for some glory in this long Australian block.
Ally Wollaston (FDJ United-Suez)
FDJ United-Suez’s Ally Wollaston will start Saturday’s women’s race with a big…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at CyclingNews RSS Feed…