The final wave of the Australian January racing block, which starts the season of WorldTour and Women’s WorldTour racing, played out on the waterside course of the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race, once again delivering a predictable level of unpredictability.
The dynamic courses, the early-season date and the opportunity for domestic riders and emerging talents to make their mark all combine to provide an explosive mix. This year was no different. The plans of the favourites were largely frustrated but a new generation of riders got an opportunity to draw a line in the sand.
Two first-time WorldTour winners stood atop the podium to claim the wave trophy, and a number of riders and teams walked away from the race with every reason to face the coming season with confidence.
The racing this year started on Wednesday with the Geelong Classic criterium for the women, followed by the Surf Coast Classic for the men on Thursday. The weekend saw Saturday’s Women’s WorldTour race and followed by the men’s event the next day. Cyclingnews was once again on the ground for all the racing, and now we take a look back on some of the key conclusions from the final chapter of the January racing in Australia.
Back with mid-week action
The return of midweek racing helped to bridge the gap between the Tour Down Under and the Great Ocean Race. The Geelong Classic had a hefty – by criterium standards – prize purse of €14,520 thanks to the event’s longstanding practice of delivering equal prizes to the women’s and men’s field even if the race levels differ. The men were in action the next day in the 1.1 classified Surf Coast Classic.
“It’s good to have this race on Thursday, coming off the back of Down Under,” Israel-Premier Tech sports director Sam Bewley told Cyclingnews before the race headed out from Lorne. “As much as we love being over here and the Geelong area, it’s a long week, so it’s nice to have a race today to break it up.”
It provided another hit out, another opportunity for points and podiums and another chance for fans to watch riders fly by on their home roads, with some spectacular territory swept up along the way.
The organisation had originally planned a point-to-point race for the women, but they were unable to tie up the last details to make it a reality. But while that women’s midweek road race did not come to fruition this year, the work has already begun to make it a reality…
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