More of world’s best join Cadel’s race
THE Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race is set to welcome the biggest number of World Tour teams in its history.
Speaking in Geelong yesterday, Evans revealed organisers were scrambling to secure places for all 18 professional squads, who had signalled their intent to compete in the UCI sanctioned event in January.
“It’s a good problem to have,” Evans said during a visit to Highton’s Montpellier Primary School.
“We’ve got more of the World Tour teams that we can fit in the race that want to come, so that’s a start.
“It’s the off-season at the moment, so we’re trying not to force anything on the riders right at this moment. But some have given their word, but most of the big riders will be confirming their schedules in November.”
The first race of the World Tour, Evans said the annual event had become a “destination race”.
“It’s about having the topquality riders out here and having the best quality race possible,” Evans said.
“It’s the first one-day race of the world tour and that already makes it special in some regards. “The men’s race especially, it’s becoming more and more a race that people want to win, a race that people want on their calenders.
“On the women’s side we’re still looking to move into the top echelon of the sport in terms of sanctioning and creating a race that they want to come out and win.”
Italian track and road champion and 2016 Olympic gold medallist Elia Viviani is all but guaranteed to return in 2019, while organisers are confident of securing a bevy of world-class riders, including former winners Jay McCarthy (2018) and Peter Kennaugh (2016).
“Until they land on Australian soil, we won’t say anything yet,” Evans said.
“But for someone like Viviani, who came out last year and got third, he said straight after the race ‘I want to come back, I want to win this race’ and he went away and had his best season, winning the Italian championships among other races.
“For someone like him to come back and compete and go for the win in 2019 would be fantastic.”
With the State Government yesterday announcing it had backed the road race until 2022 with a funding extension, Evans said organisers were eager to expand the reach globally.
“The format stays similar because it’s been really successful and all the riders are really happy with the course,” Evans said.
“As an organisation, we want to have better TV coverage, a better reach and more people watching from all around the world because it’s our race — Geelong’s race — and a big part of it is promoting Geelong and surrounding regions including Torquay and the Great Ocean Road.
“My idea and hope with the race was to always build something that was a solid event, part of the Australian national sporting calendar, part of the international cycling calendar but also an event for us as members of Geelong and the surrounding community.”